Table 1.

The chemical composition (g kg⁻¹ DM basis unless stated otherwise) and microbial populations (log ₁₀ CFU g⁻¹ FW) of fresh K. pygmaea along the elevation gradient on the Tibetan Plateau.

Item	Altitude1					SEM2	P-value	Contrast P-values
	F2500	F3000	F4000	F4500	F5000			Linear	Quadratic
Dry matter (g kg−1 FW)	295d	283d	315c	359b	561a	27.4	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01
Neutral detergent fiber	422	450	455	460	463	6.9	0.358	0.077	0.381
Acid detergent fiber	201	238	214	221	220	4.9	0.193	0.484	0.241
Crude protein	108c	128b	158a	128b	131b	4.4	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01
Water-soluble carbohydrate	16.3a	10.7b	14.3a	9.83b	9.02b	0.796	<0.01	<0.01	0.555
Lactic acid bacteria	3.00b	5.03a	3.40b	3.77ab	3.00b	0.232	<0.01	0.228	0.011
Yeast and Molds	2.30ab	3.31a	2.79ab	2.40ab	2.00b	0.149	0.019	0.065	0.011
Enterobacteriaceae	5.26b	6.66a	5.24b	5.26b	4.00c	0.229	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01
Aerobic bacteria	5.80b	6.66a	6.13ab	5.41b	4.00c	0.248	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01

^a−dValues within the same row with different letters are significantly different (p < 0.05).

¹F2500, F3000, F4000, F4500, and F5000 represent fresh K. pygmaea at corresponding altitude gradients.

²SEM, standard error of the mean.