Pastoralist Decision-Making on the Tibetan Plateau

Yeh, Emily T.; Samberg, Leah H.; Gaerrang,; Volkmar, Emily; Harris, Richard B.

doi:10.1007/s10745-017-9891-8

Cited by 34 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Recent Chinese policy has engaged in 3 targeted solutions to the perceived problem of rangeland degradation: (i) eradication of plateau pikas; (ii) sedentarization of pastoralists from their traditional semi-nomadic herding over large spatial scales (multi-household management [MHM] systems) to single-household (largely fenced) management (SHM) systems; and (iii) activities that lead to abandonment of livestock husbandry entirely (tuimu huanaco = "retire livestock, restore grassland") (Foggin 2008;Harris 2010;Ptackova 2012;Shang et al 2014;Lu et al 2017;Yeh et al 2017). Above, we address the issue of pika poisoning with relation to the positive influence of plateau pika function -1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ...…”

Section: The Big Picturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The increase in privatization under the government-sponsored Rangeland Household Responsibility System has fostered the establishment of an increasing number of SHM systems on the QTP. SHM management, in turn, has led to reduced flexibility and mobility, more concentrated trampling and grazing by an increased density of livestock, increased susceptibility to livestock losses during snowstorms, a deterioration in the quality of available forage, and a decrease in species richness of vegetation compared to MHM systems (Cao et al 2011a;Yeh et al 2017). Furthermore, pastoralists interviewed in an SHM management region stated that livestock weights had decreased significantly in the recent past (Yeh et al 2017).…”

Section: The Big Picturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional‐trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau ecosystem

Smith

Badingqiuying

Wilson

et al. 2019

Integrative Zoology

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Understanding a species' functional traits allows for a directed and productive perspective on the role a species plays in nature, thus its relative importance to conservation planning. The functional trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae (Hodgson, 1858) is examined to better understand the resilience and sustainability of the high alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The key functional traits of plateau pikas are their abundance and behavior of digging extensive burrow systems. Plateau pikas have been poisoned over a significant part of their original geographic distribution across the QTP, allowing comparison of ecological communities with and without pikas. Nearly all mammalian and avian carnivores, most of which are obligate predators on pikas, have been lost in regions where pikas have been poisoned. Most endemic birds on the QTP nest in pika burrows; when pikas are poisoned, burrows collapse, and these birds are greatly reduced in number. Due to the biopedturbation resulting from their burrows, regional plant species richness is higher in areas with pikas than without. The presence of pika burrows allows higher rates of infiltration during heavy monsoon rains compared to poisoned areas, possibly mitigating runoff and the potential for serious downslope erosion and flooding. Thus the functional traits of plateau pikas enhance native biodiversity and other important ecosystem functions; these traits are irreplaceable. As plateau pikas are not natural colonizers, active re-introduction programs are needed to restore pikas to areas from which they have been poisoned to restore the important functional ecological traits of pikas.

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Section: The Big Picturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Big Picturementioning

confidence: 99%

Functional‐trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau ecosystem

Smith

Badingqiuying

Wilson

et al. 2019

Integrative Zoology

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“…Local Tibetan herders also found that grassland conditions were still very poor after years of policy intervention (Brondizio and Le Tourneau , Yeh et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing management options for restoration of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

et al. 2018

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In an attempt to alleviate the problem of grassland degradation on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau in China, state and local authorities in 2003, initiated the “Retire Livestock and Restore Pastures” ecological engineering program, requiring the use of enclosure fencing to enable grazing exclusion and rotational grazing. A five‐year controlled grazing experiment was conducted to determine the effects of this program on (1) sheep live weight gain; and (2a) standing herbage biomass; and (2b) species diversity. Effects of temporal within‐year variation in precipitation and temperature on livestock productivity, standing herbage biomass, and species diversity were also investigated. At the end of 5 yr, grazing exclusion showed no significant difference in standing herbage biomass or in species diversity, compared with either continuous grazing or rotational grazing. Rotational grazing at the high stocking rate significantly promoted sheep live weight gain per hectare, but not per sheep; neither standing herbage biomass, nor species diversity, whether under continuous (i.e., traditional) or rotational grazing, showed a significant difference. Under rotational grazing, higher standing herbage biomass and species diversity were required to maintain or increase sheep liveweight, compared with continuous grazing. Temporal distribution of precipitation and temperature had more influence on alpine grassland parameters, than did grazing. Results of this study suggest that herders’ local traditional knowledge and expertise might be useful in modifying Government guidelines to fine tune grazing management with the dynamics of the alpine meadow ecosystem, and that it is important to consider equilibrium and non‐equilibrium theory in formulating a policy which benefits both herders and grassland. Traditional continuous grazing at a carefully chosen light stocking rate appears to be the most appropriate way to manage livestock and grassland in this region.

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“…, Yeh et al. ), Europe (Fernandez‐Gimenez and Fillat , Molnar ), Africa (Mapinduzi et al. , Reed et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TEK studies have been conducted in many ecosystems around the world, including forests, grasslands, and marine systems (Fernandez-Gimenez 2000, Stave et al 2007, Parlee et al 2012, Narchi et al 2014, Molnar 2017. In rangelands, researchers have documented pastoralist knowledge in many different regions, including Asia (Fernandez-Gimenez 2000, Tang and Gavin 2010, Bruegger et al 2014, Kakinuma et al 2014, Hopping et al 2016, Yeh et al 2017, Europe (Fernandez-Gimenez and Fillat 2012, Molnar 2017), Africa (Mapinduzi et al 2003, Stringer and Reed 2007, Roba and Oba 2009, Raymond et al 2010, Jandreau and Berkes 2016, the USA (Knapp and Fernandez-Gimenez 2008), and Australia (Moller et al 2004, Waudby et al 2013. These studies indicate that pastoralists' assessments of rangelands focus on plant community composition and plant growth (Fernandez-Gimenez 2000, Kakinuma et al 2014, Jandreau andBerkes 2016), nutritional value for livestock (Mapinduzi et al 2003, Roba and Oba 2009, Fernandez-Gimenez and Fillat 2012, Bruegger et al 2014, soil-related changes Reed 2007, Bruegger et al 2014), livestock condition and production (Roba and Oba 2009, Fernandez-Gimenez and Fillat 2012, Hopping et al 2016, and animal behavior in relation to rangeland forage quality (Molnar 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities to integrate herders’ indicators into formal rangeland monitoring: an example from Mongolia

Jamsranjav

Fernández‐Giménez

Reid

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Despite increasing calls for knowledge integration around the world, traditional knowledge is rarely used in formal, Western‐science‐based monitoring and resource management. To better understand indicators herders use and their relationship to researcher‐measured indicators, we conducted in‐depth field interviews with 26 herders in three ecological zones of Mongolia. We asked each herder to (1) assess the overall condition of three different sites located along a livestock‐use gradient from their winter camp using a numeric scale, (2) describe the indicators they used in their assessment, and (3) explain what caused their pastures to remain healthy or become degraded. At each site, we collected field data on vegetation variables and compared these with herders’ ratings and indicators using linear regression. We used classification and ordination to understand how herders’ assessment scores related to plant community composition, and determine how well multivariate analysis of factors determining plant community composition aligned with herders’ observations of factors causing rangeland change. Across all ecological zones, herders use indicators similar to those used in formal monitoring. Herders’ assessment scores correlated significantly and positively with measured total foliar cover in all three ecological zones, and with additional measured variables in the steppe and desert steppe. Ordination revealed that herder assessment scores were correlated with the primary ordination axis in each zone, and the main factors driving plant community composition in each zone were the same as those identified by herders as the primary causes of rangeland change in that zone. These results show promise for developing integrated indicators and monitoring protocols and highlight the importance of developing a common language of monitoring terminology shared by herders, government monitoring agencies, and researchers. We propose a new model for integrating herder knowledge and participation into formal monitoring in Mongolia, with implications for rangelands and pastoral people globally. We suggest practical ways of involving herders in formal monitoring that have potential broad application for promoting local and indigenous people's participation in implementing international agreements such as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, both of which call for involvement of local people and indigenous/traditional knowledges.

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Pastoralist Decision-Making on the Tibetan Plateau

Cited by 34 publications

References 40 publications

Functional‐trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau ecosystem

Functional‐trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau ecosystem

Grazing management options for restoration of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Opportunities to integrate herders’ indicators into formal rangeland monitoring: an example from Mongolia

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