Abstract
Tibetan yak herding practices in northwest Yunnan, southwest China have maintained remarkable biological diversity. To learn more about local cultural adaptation to policy changes, we interviewed 37 households in Deqin County on their traditional knowledge, and the changes they have observed in ecological conditions, livestock health, and land management. These villages varied in proximity to main roads, farmland quality, and livelihood options. Herd sizes in Deqin have quadrupled since the 1950s, due to commune era policies and subsequent privatization of livestock. The practice of burning shrubs increased during the communal period but has since decreased due to a burn ban. Herders report that the increase in shrublands invading alpine meadows has reduced livestock forage, reducing the productivity of alpine rangelands and yak health. Butter production has declined by 30 % over the last two decades. Herders are shifting to diversify sources of income when available, but villagers in remote and protected areas continue to depend on livestock for much of their livelihood. Scientific data confirm herder reported ecological changes including increased temperature, decreased snowfall, and accounts of increased erosion (which deserves further study). Climate, policy, and economic incentives have interacted to increase pressure on shrinking alpine meadows and reduce dairy production.
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Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DGE-0549369 IGERT: Training Program on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in southwest China at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We thank graduate students at Kunming Institute of Botany and staff at the Shangri-la Alpine Botanical Garden for assistance during preliminary interview trips.
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Haynes, M.A., Yang, Y. Adapting to change: transitions in traditional rangeland management of Tibetan yak herders in northwest Yunnan. Environ Dev Sustain 15, 1065–1077 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-012-9426-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-012-9426-9