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Analytical note: After analyzing our initial data, we were particularly interested in further probing herders’ views of the determinants of grassland productivity. Author Volkmar conducted follow-up interviews in Gouli in 2014. Here are some additional responses to the question, “if you were to herd more than the number of livestock you have indicated as the maximum number you would want to graze, what if anything would be the effect in that year and in subsequent years?”
Corresponding Source: Harris R. B., Samberg L. H., Yeh E. T., Smith A. T., Wang W., Wang J., Gaerrang, and Bedunah D. (2016). Rangeland responses to pastoralists’ grazing management on a Tibetan steppe grassland, Qinghai Province, China, The Rangeland Journal. 38(1): 1-15. doi: 10.1071/RJ150410.
Source excerpt translations:
Pastoralist B: “If you herded more what the land could sustain, it could affect the land to some extent; but it will not be as serious as the damage caused by pikas.”
Pastoralist DK: “If I herded 800 sheep, then half if not more that would die at the end of winter and the land (soil) would be die if this happened several years in a row. If I herded 200 yaks in my winter pasture, but herded them in the summer pasture for about 3 months, the pasture should be fine. …I personally think that it is not good to herd too many livestock on one’s pasture. We should herd what the land could sustain.”
Pastoralist N: “It is said that if you herded more than what the land could sustain, the herd would kill the pasture by tramping, which should affect the grass growth in the next year. “
Pastoralist GK: “[my] pasture can sustain 400 sheep. That is without yaks, and 400 sheep do not harm the pasture and they do not die. There is no difference between herding 500 sheep and 700 sheep in terms of grassland condition. If you herd more than 400 sheep, the additional number of sheep would die. In my pasture, every year, herds graze until there is no grass left, but the grass is same every year. 400 sheep could graze for six months and 700 sheep could finish the grass within about three months. When there is no grass left, there are no herds to graze. Generally speaking, in some parts of pasture, the grass grows better than other places. If it is place where grass grows well, then regardless of number of livestock, grass grows every year; if it is a place where grass does not grow well in most years, the grass does not grow very much even no livestock is herded.”
Pastoralist K: “If the number of livestock exceeds the maximum number, then the livestock would die but this will not impact on next year’s grass growth as long as the precipitation is good.”
Pastoralist LG: “If I herded 1500 sheep, which is more than the land could sustain, the sheep would die after the grass is finished. The [next year] grass growth is the same if the precipitation is the same. If I graze 800 sheep they won’t die, but the grass would be finished when I move to the spring pasture…The difference is that if the pasture was grazed during the spring when the grass was growing, then the height of grass would be not as good as otherwise, in which the grass wasn’t grazed by livestock during the grass growing period of spring.”
Note: Pastoralist GK’s statement here appears to somewhat contradict another statement that he made, as quoted in the article, “if you herd fewer livestock on the pasture, this is good for grassland condition.” This is one example where herders appeared to invoke a radical nonequilibrium view (in which only physical factors, i.e. precipitation and temperature, but not herbivory are controls on vegetation productivity) that was negated elsewhere in statements as well as by their actual herding practices.
Full Citation: Volkmar, 2014. Follow-up interviews in Gouli, herders’ views of the determinants of grassland productivity.