Le yak, un élément essentiel des régions de haute altitude d’Asie centrale

Abstract

The yak is critical for the life and economic activity of the people on the vast and inhospitable Qinghai-Tibetan plateau and on the surrounding mountainous areas. This article gives an overview of the domestication, the geographical distribution, the herding practices, the production and the products of the yak. Its breeding and hybridization management, as well as its reproduction and its special adaptation attributes are reviewed. Concluding thoughts about the role of the research and the role of social changes - driven from within or imposed from above - on the future of yak production systems are outlined.