Status of rangeland: Transhumance/Herding

System, major problems, constrains and future

possibilities
 Rangeland

• Open area used for grazing or

hunting animals.
• These are land in which the native
vegetation (natural potential
plant community) is predominant
which includes grasses, shurbs,
forbs, grass like plants suitable for
grazing or browsing use.
• Barren dessert, farmland, Closed
canopy forest, land covered by
soild rocks, concrete and /or
glaciers are not Rangeland
• Rangeland differes from pasture
land as rangeland grow primarily
native vegetation rather than
plants established by humans.
 Difference between Rangeland and Pasture
Rangeland
Natural/Uncultivated land
Grows perennial grasses
Indigenous species
Permanent in Nature
No cultural practices
Highly diversified
Open natural area
Naturally maintained
Pasture
Cultivated land
Both annual/perennial grasses
Indigenous/Exotic
Temporary in Nature
Cultural practices present
Less diversified
Defined/fenced
Artificially maintained
 Common characteristics of rangeland

• Low rainfall areas/moisture

stress/drought
• Land not suitable for agricultural
production
• Degraded land (rocky/stony)
• Shallow soil (low soil fertility
status)
• Shorter growing season of the
vegetation
• Prevalence of rain shadow-The
mountains block the passage
of rain-producing weather
systems and cast a "shadow" of
dryness behind them
• Poor drainage
• Desert like environmental
situation
• High or low temperature
 Rangeland serves multiple purposes:

• A habitat for wide array of animal species

• A habitat for a diverse and wide array of native plant species
• A source of high quality water, clean air and open spaces
• Place for recreational activities-hiking, camping, hunting and
other natural experiences
• The foundation for low input, fully renewable food and fiber
production system of grazing industries/animals
• Rangeland provide diversity of goods and services linked
closely to the economic well being of communities.
• Almost half (50%) of the landmass of the world is covered by
rangeland
• Globally major rangeland cover types:
Grassland- 42%
Shrubland- 23%
Woodland-12%
Other (Tundra, desert, forest)-23%
• In Australia About 75% of land is under rangeland while 33%
of total land area is America is covered by rangeland.
• In Nepal, about 12% of land is covered by rangeland.
 Rangeland Status In Nepal
• In Nepal, livelihood of mountain people depends on rangeland based
livestock farming.
• The contribution of rangeland in supplying feed to livestock is more
than 65% in altitude above 2500 m
• Rangeland in Nepal comprises about 11.5% of the total land and off
which 98% are located in high mountains and Himalayan regions.
• Nepal is rich in biodiversity with over 6500 species of flowering plants
including 180 species of grasses and legumes.
• The production and productivity of rangelands are very low, ranging
from 0.12 to 3.2 metric tonne (mt) dry matter (DM)/ha.
• Only 64% of the rangelands are accessible.
• Most of the rangelands are overstocked and severely grazed out.
• Indigenous techniques for rangeland management are not keeping
pace with the increased livestock population.
• The traditionally practiced transfrontier pasturing between Tibet and
Nepal has been stopped by the Tibetan/Chinese Government for
Nepalese migratory herds effective from 1990, which compelled the
Nepal Government to initiate various rangeland development
activities to meet the feed supply for Himalayan herds.
 Range/pasture and its role in livestock production
• In Nepal good pasture lands in the high Himalayan regions are available in monsoon
months, while pastures completely lack in winter months.
• During winter they fed with roughage including straws, hay, maize, or millet pillages.
• high mountain region (2000-3000m) is good grazing land for sheep, yak and other animals.
Joshi and Pandey (1991)
• In the hills and mountain regions of Nepal animals graze the natural pastures or scrubby
forests. Free grazing livestock during monsoon consume fodder plants excessively and
insufficient time is permitted for fodder plant regeneration.
• Farmers have no other choice than grazing their animals at communal land.
• Crop residues and forests contribute together about 87% of livestock feed in Nepal and the
rest is supplied from non cultivated inclusions and shrub and grazing (MPFS, 1988).
• livestock herds in the High mountain range are taken to higher altitudes in summer and
lower altitudes in winter (Shreshtha , 1995).
• Animals graze the perennial pastures and weeds. In the mid mountain region, taking the
animals our to graze in the day time and keeping in sheds during night/stall feeding are
practiced together
• Animals are allowed to graze on high meadows, shrubs, communal grazing land, waste,
and a limited amount of crop by products.
• On the private level, only 1.2% of the land holding area is under meadows and pastures.
Moreover majority of the meadows and pasture are kept by farmers of hills, especially in
the western region of the country (CBS,1993).
 Rangeland environment and development issues in Nepal
1. Direct Impact
• Grazing and browsing- Selective feeders/uncontrolled over grazing results in the
suppression and loss of the preferred species, creating a less productive vegetative
composition which then is covered by the unwanted species, such as Eupatorium
adenophorum and Lantana camara.
Forest browsing may eventually inhibit the tree growth resulting ageing and thinning.
• Trampling- compaction of soil and degradation in soil structure. Reduces water infiltration
and increased in runoff/erosion chances
2. Indirect Impacts ƒ
• Forage collection, litter collection, fire and destruction of predators may be the
consequence of grazing ƒ Grazing might lower absolute numbers of animals. ƒ
• Species substitution might be occurs due to change in prevalence forages. For
example, there could be increased in buffalo numbers at the expense of cattle ƒ
• The situation might result in change from large ruminants to small ruminants ƒ
• Changes in grazing pattern might reduce the number of animals, for example for
draft purpose
 Challenges on Rangeland development/Improvement
• Ownership/users' rights
• Illegal occupation of community rangelands as a private property
• lack of basic information on rangelands
• Indigenous techniques for the rangeland management-
• Deteriorating conditions of rangelands and associated forests
• Poor infrastructure facilities- The infrastructure facilities, e.g. drinking water, sheds for herders and young
animals, conditions of trail and condition of bridges in river/ rivulets, are very poor. Moreover, every year,
herders cut young trees to renovate their sheds as well as for burning/cooking their meals, which causes
deterioration of forest resources.
• Remoteness- higher degradation of natural resources, low agricultural productivity, poverty-driven
migration, limited education, poor healthcare facilities and fewer income-generation opportunities
• Ad hoc collection of grazing fees- by elite groups
• Lack of correlation between stocking rate versus carrying- The number of livestock tends to be linked to the
land’s carrying capacity
• Poor stakeholder participation
• Poor research and extension
• High cost of development
• Poor supply/production of planting materials
• Rangeland conflicts- overlapping of rangeland
• Outward migration
• Poor support services- Most of the community people have lower access to veterinary services, credit
facilities, cold storage/chilling centres, etc
 Traditional system of Livestock grazing

• No grazing tax for herders of the same VDC.

• Decisions about grazing schedules and grazing sites are made
by village leaders—Mukhiyas (village chiefs are nominated
by the local community and are powerful because they
regulate the economic, social, and judiciary systems in the
villages)—in consultation with villagers and herders.
• Livestock from other VDCs are strictly prohibited because of
the inadequate size of the pastures.
• Due to the insufficiency of pasture in winter, herders use the
grazing land of the adjacent VDC during the winter and pay a
grazing tax to the corresponding Mukhiya.
Source: Aryal et al. 2013
 Rangeland development-Things to be done
• Development of institutions aiming to regulate the grazing in the alpine
pastures (3000- 5000 m) for sustainable livestock development could help
to initiate sustainable range management practices into action. ƒ
• Transhumant/nomadic flock grazing management needs to be scientifically
studied in order to generate appropriate management practices to reduce
overgrazing in the lower pasture areas. ƒ
• There is an urgent need of Institutionalization of the land tenure system. ƒ
• It is necessary to link the rangelands to the market. ƒ Conservation of
forages and development of appropriate technology in this line is
necessary. ƒ
• It is important to start range inventory preparations work, and action to
protect emergency areas where environmental and pasture deterioration is
severe.

Livestock Master Plan for Nepal , 1990

• Adoption of rangelands management techniques- Incorporation of
legumes such as clover in the natural rangelands could increase the
productivity, quality of the pastures and soil fertility
• Application of fertilizer in the existing rangelands could be an
effective and quick means to improve the productivity and the
vegetational composition- In Nepalese context not possible as it is
costly
• Opening new rangelands/use of unutilized community pasture
areas
• Adoption of proper grazing management- encourage stall feeding,
apply cut and carry method for better forage management
• Closing of the rangelands from the grazing animals- Seasonal
closing of the rangeland for grazing animals could provide the
opportunity for natural seeding and propagation
• Production of Hay and Silages
 Improving rangelands

1. Direct Methods
a. Seedlings
b. Controlling undesirable/noxious plants
c. Cultural operations (weeding, hoeing, furrowing, fertilizer
application, irrigation)
2. Indirect Methods
d. Fencing
e. Trail improvement
f. Water availability
g. Effective utilization of the herbage
h. Grazing management
 Herding System in Nepal
• Herding system means the way livestock are being raised
(managing fodder and forage, rearing practices)
• Overall farming system of an area determines the type of
livestock rearing in that area.
• Herding system is governed by some factors;
 Cropping intensity
 Availability and proximity of forest resources
 Animal species and productive stage
 Availability of labor
 Animal population per HHs

Common herding system in Nepal

• Transhumance system
• Sedentary System
• Stall feeding
 Transhumance system
• Adopted in high Himalayan areas where animals along with
herd migrate from one place to another throughout the year
• This system is applicable in an area where sedentary animal
husbandry is not possible due to snowfall/snow cover and
shortage of grazing area
• During winter, snow cover for about six months animals move
down in August (reach at 2000m) and as temperature rises in
March animals starts ascending to the high elevations for
grazing
• In this system, alpine pasture utilizes during monsoon and
crop stubbles/trees of fallow land utilizes during winter
• During upward and downward migration, animals utilizes
undergrowth in the forest region as their major forage source
• Yak, Chauries, Sheep, Goat, Cattle are involved in the system
of herding.
 Sedentary System
• In this system, animals make daily grazing and return to shed
at evening
• The main grazing area during the summer is the scrub land
and community growing area around the village
• Animals under this system includes, working oxen, buffaloes,
cattle, goat
 Stall Feeding
• Practice of rearing of animals under the shed/stall
• Practiced in the area where there is abundant availability of
fodder and forage
• Practiced in commercial animal production
• Mostly high value animals-buffaloes, cattle, goat
 Major constraints/challenges (Transhumance system)
1. Excessive population depending on limited natural resources- lack of forage resources and
water for livestock
2. Severe forage deficit-unavailability of feed and fodder during the winter and early summer
is a major constraints
3. Disease and their effect-high incidence of disease and parasitism is common, poor nutrition
Approx. 90% death or mortality occurs due to starvation and 10% due to accident and
disease
4. Labour availability- youths decreasing interest on livestock, high labor but minimum net
return
5. Poor marketing structure- No stable/easy market for selling the product, in case of
transhumance herding animals keeps moving from one place to another throughout the
year, no fixed market place
Chauries farmers had to walk 3-5 years daily to sell milk from the place where the herd is.
6. Poor transportation/Harsh topography- Narrow trails and bridges to pasture leading to
accidents and economic loss
7. Climate change effect- changes resulting in disaster such as floods, landslides which may
have devastating effect on local rangeland and create situation difficult animal herds
8. Livestock depredation/wildlife attach- snow leopard, beer, bandel
9. Toxic plants- consumption of toxic plant may lead to injury or death of animal
10. Low productivity of pasture- excessive grazing leading to overexploitation
11. Conflict among the people regarding ownership of rangeland
 Possibilities for Pasture Improvements

• Manipulation of grazing pressure and grazing management

• Clear laws and regulations along with monitoring mechanism
about grazing rights to the land involved for grazing purpose
• Application of regulations for improvements; such as only
grazing land at the correct season and regulating the overall
stocking rate, require the agreement and compliance of all
who have right to graze
• Accurate and detailed information on many technical matters
is essential in planning improvement works
 The future of herding as lifestyle

• Herding is under stress from incursion by agriculture and the stock

of settled group, loss of grazing land and interference with
traditional migration routes.
• Many challenges exists in herding limiting the high return from the
system has demotivated the farmers
• In mountains, means of communication has raised the awareness of
many herding community leading to their interest in other job
rather that rearing livestock.
• Youths are moving to city/urban areas in search of jobs or study
leaving old aged people at mountains, after them there is nobody to
carry/continue the herd.
 Policy guidelines
1. Promoting livestock mobility to prevent environmental
degradation
2. Developing legal mechanism to protect both individual and
communal rights to resource access
3. Building on the strength of local communities
4. Increasing social cohesion through collaborative
management of range land resources