Traditional ecological knowledge based indicators for monitoring rangeland conditions in Thal and Cholistan Desert, Pakistan

Abstract

Sustainable range resource management relies heavily on the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of indigenous peoples who have long inhabited the rangelands. Data gaps in rangeland monitoring could be reduced with the help of additional scientific techniques. The health of large-scale rangelands and the availability of their resources can be evaluated using a set of ecological indicators created by indigenous herders in those areas. Scientists from Pakistan's Punjab province interviewed herders in the Thal and Cholistan rangelands to learn more about the traditional ecological indicators used by locals to predict grazing resource availability. An ethnological and ecological survey was conducted through in-depth interviews. We conducted in-depth interviews with 80 herders from the Thal rangelands and focus groups with 120 herders from the Cholistan rangelands. Herders were asked what indicators they used to determine the quality of the forages, the health of the animals, and the extent of rangeland degradation. According to the results, all local herders evaluate the rangeland's resources using analogous indicators. Herders use four types of indicators: (a) plant indicators (Flora), (b) soil indicators, (c) animal indicators (Fauna), and (d) environmental indicators. When asked, 78% of respondents cited the variety of edible plants as the most critical factor in determining vegetation quality. Approximately 78.3% of the herders analysed the faeces to determine the general health of the animals in their range, revealing the rangeland's condition. The decrease in the litter was interpreted by 58.3% of the herders as a sign of land degradation; consequently, they reevaluated their grazing area and practices.