Abstract: Soil C/P distribution characteristics of alpine steppe ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were researched based on data measured at 67 sampling points. 1) The average C/P was 24.45 with variances of 1.05-177.69 In a horizontal direction. It appeared higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast as a macrocosm tendency with distribution characteristics of a staggered pattern. The higher C/P levels appeared mainly in the regions concentrated in the hinterland of the northern parts of the Tibetan Plateau and in the lake basin region at the northern foot of the Himalayas. There were significant differences of C/P among different grass-types and natural transects. 2) The average C/P ratio at different soil depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm and 30-40 cm) among 19 grassland types were 26.15, 33.59, 30.33 and 22.76, respectively. In a vertical direction, soil depths from aboveground to underground, could be divided into 5 types of C/P distribution patterns (low-high-low-high, low-high-low, high-low-high-low, high-low-high, and high-low) among different grass types. 3) C/P was significantly positively correlated with vegetation coverage, vegetation height, and soil bulk density at depths from 20 to 30 cm, soil water content at depths from 10 to 20 cm, and at depths from 30 to 40 cm and with soil content of HCO₃^-. The C/P ratio was significantly correlated with ≥10℃ accumulated temperature, and with the average annual relative humidity, the underground biomass at soil depths from 10 to 20 cm, soil bulk density at depths from 0 to 10 cm, soil water content at depths from 0 to 10 cm. It was negatively correlated with soil content of available K, organic matter, total organic carbon and hydrolysable carbon.