Abstract: Using typical alpine meadows in Maqin and Guinan Counties in Qinghai province as the research area, hyperspectral data from 20 plots were collected by spectrometer, while the forage nutrient concentrations were measured in the laboratory for each plot. Using regression analysis, the correlations between the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents of the alpine meadow forage and the original reflectance data and the first-order differential of reflectance were analyzed. Inversion models were established for estimating the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of alpine meadow forage based on spectrum location, spectrum area and vegetation index, and the accuracy of the models was also evaluated. It was found that first-order differential reflectance curve better predicts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in the forage, than does the original data. In the red band (680-760 nm), the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels in forage show a strong relationship with canopy hyperspectral reflectance curve parameters. The model which included spectrum location worked well for estimating concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in alpine meadow forage. A logarithmic model for spectrum location (R'_708.88) can estimated forage nitrogen content with an R² of 0.67, and an accuracy of 83.56%, while a logarithmic model for spectrum location (R'_704.85) can estimated forage phosphorus content, with an R² of 0.55, and an accuracy of 92.15%, and a logarithmic model for spectrum location (R'_697.36) estimated potassium content, with an R² of 0.86, and an accuracy of 82.44%.