This is the fifth in a series of blog posts that bring together PASTRES work from 2018-2023 around a number of themes. In this post, we explore the role of pastoralists in rangeland conservation.
Pastoralists are often blamed for environmental destruction – not only the climate but processes of ‘desertification’ and ‘biodiversity loss’ too. Of course, there are conditions where concentrations of people and animals can cause damage, but as with every pastoral system, there are lots of misunderstandings that confuse policymaking around the world.
Rangeland ecologies, desertification and tree planting
One confusion arises from basic understandings of rangeland ecologies. In drylands and montane systems, these are often what are called ‘non-equilibrium’ systems, driven by variations in rain or snowfall, rather than the population pressures of animals. When a drought occurs, for example, very often, annual grasses disappear, grazing is short, and animals are lost, but when the rain comes again, the system bounces back, and so do animal populations.