The eastern Tibetan plateau hosts the world’s largest pastoral alpine ecosystem, shaped by low temperatures and livestock grazing, forming unique felty turfs dominated by Kobresia species, hereafter referred to as the Kobresia ecosystem. In recent decades, widespread degradation has pushed many areas beyond ecological thresholds due to climate change and overgrazing. Polygonal turf cracks, an early sign of degradation, may accelerate turf destruction and soil erosion, especially under continued livestock trampling. These cracks are widespread from the Qilian Mountains to the Himalayas, mainly on the Kobresia ecosystem. Conventional wisdom assumes that turf cracking is mainly governed by natural freezing and drying. However, evidence suggests that overgrazing may trigger turf cracking by reducing vegetation cover and increasing soil compaction. Yet, the relative roles of climate-driven processes and grazing in impacting turf cracking remain poorly understood. Linking patch dynamics and plant functional traits to emerging disturbance theory, future work should focus on the nonlinear responses of plant communities in Kobresia ecosystems facing collapse.