Photosynthesis of alpine plants is affected by intense irradiance,low temperature and drought.Moreover,rising atmospheric CO_2 concentration and global warming exert a profound influence on photosynthesis of alpine plants in recent years.This paper reviewed the effects of intense radiation,low temperature,drought,elevated atmospheric CO_2 concentration and global warming on photosynthetic characteristics of alpine plants.Future researches should focus on photosynthetic characteristics of main plants in different alpine regions,interactive effects of environmental factors on photosynthetic characteristics of alpine plants,the effects of simulated soil available nutrient content on photosynthetic characteristics of alpine plants,the impact of global climate change on photosynthetic characteristics of alpine plants using mathematical models,and photosynthetic characteristics of alpine plants at different growth stages by long-term positioning study.