Pastoral Resources Research Articles

Expression and degradation function analysis of the key genes from Arthrobacter nitroquajacolicus HW08 in Lactococcus lactis for the degradation of swainsonine

In order to mitigate the adverse effects of madrassa poisoning disease on our livestock industry and to fully utilize the potential pasture resources, biodegradation of locoweed can remove swainsonine, the major toxic component of locoweed, so that the locoweed can be used as high-quality forage. Arthrobacter nitroquajacolicus HW08 can stably and efficiently degrade swainsonine. In this study, Lactococcus lactis, as a food-grade microorganism, was used as a vector to express four key degradation genes from A. nitroquajacolicus HW08. Subsequently, liquid chromatography was employed to evaluate the swainsonine-degrading performance. The crude enzyme solution extracted from the L. lactis strain transformed with the ethanol dehydrogenase gene A1R6C3 degraded 323.4 μg of swainsonine in 24 h at 30 ℃. The crude enzyme solutions from the L. lactis strains transformed with the genes encoding glutathione synthase, esterase/acyl hydrolase, and glycosyltransferase did not show any degradation ability for swainsonine when being used alone but degraded about 140.5 μg of swainsonine when being used in mixture. The findings will help the clinical promotion of swainsonine-degrading engineering strains and provide new research ideas for the prevention and treatment of swainsonine poisoning in animals and the detoxification and utilization of locoweed.

Study on the Effects of Pasture Fiber on Thermal Properties of Slag Bricks.

In the context of ecological sustainability, this study focuses on the effect of variables of pasture fibers on the thermal properties of slag bricks made from a green recyclable material. This experiment uses slag as the binder, sand as the aggregate, and pasture fiber as an additive. The experimental variables include the additive content ratio of the pasture fiber, the size of the pasture fiber, and the type of pasture fiber. Significance analysis of the experimental results of the thermal performance tests is carried out using Minitab 18.1.0 software, and the optimal ratios for the thermal performance of the composite samples are derived from the response optimizer and conformity analysis. The results of the experiment's test analysis using Minitab 18 software indicate that, with an increase in pasture fiber content, the thermal performance of the composite samples initially decreases before increasing. Additionally, the lower the thermal conductivity of the composite sample, the lower the apparent density and the higher the porosity. Incorporating pasture fibers into slag bricks, as revealed in this study, reduces the waste of pasture resources in pastoral areas and promotes the development of sustainable building materials with favorable thermal properties.

Common animals: sedentary pastoralism and the emergence of the commons as an institution

Animal husbandry was of fundamental consequence in the planning and development of larger and more permanent communities. Pastoralism is often assumed to be highly mobile when considering social institutions and political formations, despite the diversity of husbandry practices that are either wholly, or largely, tethered to relatively sedentary social aggregations. Key tenets of more settled animal husbandry are intensive social relations between people, and between people, animals, and landscapes. This entails reciprocal, multispecies cooperative efforts to decide how to utilize pastoral resources, choose where to settle, and how to organize settlements with an eye for the animals. Yet, scholars have rarely considered how the logistics and social dynamics of pastoralism shaped the transition to sedentism and, particularly, the development of collective forms of governance in prehistory. In this paper, we re-center pastoralism in narratives of settling down, in order to recognize the critical ways that relations with animals shaped how humans learned to move and dwell in emergent grazing landscapes. We take an institutional approach to the concept of “the commons,” demonstrating the dynamics through 19th-century Irish rundale, then draw on case studies from Southern Scandinavia and the Carpathian Basin to consider the commons as a multispecies institution which resulted in variable sociopolitical formations of the European Bronze Age.

Conflict Transformation in South Omo Zone Pastoralist and Agro-Pastoralist Community of Ethiopia

This study explores conflict transformation practices and actors through an analytical research approach. It reveals that various actors engaged in conflict and peace initiatives have primarily focused on activities cantered around conflict management, prevention, and resolution. This limited emphasis on conflict transformation is attributed to a lack of governmental attention to strategic planning in this regard. Sources of conflict identified include grievances, animal raiding, land disputes, fishing rights, and competition over water and pasture resources. Efforts aimed at conflict transformation encompass resilience-building, rangeland management, NGO interventions in peace dialogues, integration of pastoralism and agro-pastoralism with commercial agriculture, implementation of drought and conflict early warning systems, water resource management and development, range land rehabilitation, and provision of education to affected communities. While these activities have played a significant role in addressing conflicts and transforming relationships, they are deemed insufficient and inadequately executed for comprehensive conflict transformation. Nonetheless, they serve as vital drivers of peace. Although the current conflict transformation mechanisms in place have not resulted in significant changes in the conflict situation, the beginnings are promising and commendable. The government and other stakeholders are urged to engage in proactive conflict intervention mechanisms to effectuate conflict transformation and foster peace or mitigate its adverse impacts. Furthermore, the study advocates for the provision of informal peace education to all adult community members, with the possibility of formalizing this education as an existing conflict transformation option.

Context matters: Rethinking resource governance theories for Mongolian pastoral systems

Globally, rangelands face interacting pressures from climate, land-use, socio-economic and political changes, all of which threaten herder livelihoods and grassland health. Given these dynamics, it is often unclear which policies would best support sustainable land use and livelihoods in the future. There are multiple theories for how tenure, rules, social relations and environmental variability intersect to influence pastoral resource governance, but these have largely been developed based on empirical data from specific social and environmental contexts. Few studies have attempted to evaluate empirically how the factors driving pastoral management decisions might vary across a social-ecological gradient. In this work we attempt to reconcile the current diversity of theories around pastoral resource governance with an empirical dataset on household herd and pasture management decisions in Mongolia, where there is ongoing debate over proposed rangeland policies, including formalization of land tenure. We assess the relationship between theorized predictors of herder behavior (i.e. formal rights, formal rules, social capital, and environmental variability), and household-level management decisions about pastoral mobility and storage. We compare our findings from a survey of 760 households across four ecozones to predictions from pastoral resource governance theories to assess which theories best match the complex realities on the ground. We observed a continuum of de facto pastoral governance regimes that roughly map onto a social-ecological gradient defined by (i) resource variability and predictability, and (ii) the relative prevalence of formal rule-based vs. implicit norm-based governance. We find that rules, social capital, and forage availability are the strongest predictors of whether a household will reserve forage, with consistent effects across ecological zones. In contrast, social ties and environmental conditions most strongly predict mobility practices. While most households reserved pastures regardless of tenure status, those households who do not reserve pastures are more likely to lack formal use rights. Our findings reinforce the importance of avoiding “one size fits all” rangeland governance policies. We demonstrate that herders make decisions in response to environmental productivity and variability over space and time, and that social ties and mobility are critical for maintaining access to forage. This may explain why many herders remain skeptical of formal pasture tenure, which could restrict this flexibility. Policies that ensure herders’ collective rights to pasture through large-scale zoning rather than tenure could potentially achieve both secure pasture rights and maximum flexibility.

Fitness benefits of grouping during foraging in beef cattle: Social behaviour or affinity to vegetation resources?

Grouping behaviour in gregarious species expresses a dynamic cost-benefit equilibrium. The balance between costs and benefits differs amongst individuals that were selected to maximize their individual fitness. In environments where resources are limited, benefits of grouping may come at the expense of increased competition over resources. This study aimed to test whether grouping behaviour during foraging in a free-ranging beef cattle herd is a social choice bearing fitness benefits for all participants, or reflects affinity to vegetation resources with possible differentiating fitness benefits. GPS location data were recorded in a herd of 60 beef cows grazing a semi-arid pasture in northern Israel. Pasture vegetation was chemically and spectrally analysed. GPS location data were used to investigate individual and shared foraging locations and the temporal sequence of initiating foraging movement. Co-travel function in ArcPro v3.0 was used to investigate the amount and variability of individual proximity associations and their correlation with fitness. Fitness proxies were conception result (yes/no) and the interval between calving and conception within the cows who conceived. A positive correlation was found between fitness and the individual number of proximity associations, but not with the variability in associations' partners. No significant correlations were found between fitness and vegetation biomass, N content and spectral properties measured by REEVI2 index in foraging locations. Individual sequence of arrival at shared foraging locations and foraging movement initiation sequence were also not correlated with fitness. Vegetation biomass in grouping locations was lower than in individually foraged locations, but no difference was found in N content between individual and shared foraging locations. No differences were found in vegetation biomass and N content between herd foraging locations and random locations, thus no evidence for herd foraging strategy aimed to increase biomass or N consumption was found. No further differences in pasture resources availability, i.e., water, shade, human or predator presence could explain grouping. Circular variance values implied the absence of preferred movement direction. Our results suggest that grouping during foraging is fitness beneficial and is not related to vegetation biomass or N content. Our results further suggest the absence of consistent leading individuals and no significant correlations between foraging movement initiation and fitness. This study provides insights into social and vegetation factors affecting cattle foraging behaviour in constrained pasture, and may allow ranchers to improve grazing management systems. We suggest that further research into pasture characteristics that affect beef cattle pasture location choice is needed.

Mixtures of Forage Species as Pasture for Dairy Ewes in a Mediterranean Environment

In Sicilian forage systems, the introduction of native self-seeding annual legumes can be beneficial in low-input farming. Intercropping would be a valuable strategy for implementing pasture resources in Sicilian forage systems during late spring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on ewes’ milk production of continuous grazing with two different mixtures (i) sulla (Sulla coronarium L.), burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.), and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) (SuBuCh); and (ii) barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.), snail medic (Medicago scutellata L.), and burr medic (BuSnBa). Twenty lactating ewes were homogeneously divided into four groups of five ewes. Each group was assigned to one of four 1500 m2 grazing sectors consisting of two replicates of SuBuCh and BuSnBa. Ewes fed with the SuBuCh mixture showed higher milk yield, higher protein (5.17 vs. 4.85%, p < 0.001) and casein content (4.02 vs. 3.73%, p < 0.001), lower urea content (37.70 vs. 45.38 mg dL−1, p < 0.001), and better clotting parameters compared to ewes grazing on the BuSnBa mixture. Finally, ewes in the SuBuCh group showed a smaller decrease in live weight at the end of the grazing period compared to BuSnBa ewes (−2.05 vs. −3.55 kg, respectively), although the difference did not reach a significant level. These preliminary one-year results seem to highlight the promising role of SuBuCh intercrop leading to a potential quantitative/qualitative improvement in grazing resources and the productive performance of grazing ewes in a semi-arid Mediterranean environment. However, it is of note that these outcomes might undergo variations when subjected to a prolonged trial extending beyond three years.

Nutrient addition alters plant community productivity but not the species diversity of a mountain meadow in Tajikistan.

Tajikistan is a typical mountainous country covered by different mountain grasslands that are important pasture resources. Recently, grassland degradation has become widespread due to climate change and human activities and fertilization has been used to improve grassland production. However, fertilizer inputs can substantially alter species diversity, but it is uncl\ear how productivity and species diversity respond to nutrient enrichment in the mountain meadows of Tajikistan. Therefore, a 5-year (2018-2022) continuous in-situ mineral fertilizer experiment was conducted to examine the effects of three nitrogen (N) levels (0, 30, and 90kg N ha-1 year-1), two phosphorus (P) levels (0 and 30kg P ha-1 year-1), and their combinations on above-ground biomass (AGB) and species diversity in a mountain meadow grassland in Ziddi, Varzob region, Tajikistan. Five species diversity metrics-Margalef's species richness (Dma), the Shannon-Wiener index (H), the Simpson index (C), Pielou's equitability index (Epi), and the Evar Species Evenness index (Evar)-were used to measure species diversity. The results indicated that the addition of different N and P amounts and their various combinations considerably increased both total and dominant species AGB, with the highest increase occurring in the N90P30 (90kg N ha-1 year-1 combined with 30kg P ha-1 year-1) treatment in 2022; during the experiment, the importance value of Prangos pabularia (dominant species) first decreased and then increased, but its dominant status did not change or fluctuate among the years. Furthermore, N, P, and their different combinations had no significant effect on species diversity (Dma, H, C, Epi, and Evar). All the species diversity indexes fluctuated among years, but there was no interaction with mineral fertilizer addition. Total AGB had a negative relationship with species diversity and low concentration N fertilizer addition (N30; P30) strengthened this negative trend. However, this trend decreased under the high N fertilizer condition (N90P30). Overall, nutrient addition to the natural mountain grassland of the Varzob region improved AGB, which meant that there was more forage for local animals. Mineral fertilizers had no significant effect on species diversity, but may enhance P. pabularia dominance in the future, which will help maintain the stability of the plant community and improve the quality of the forage because P. pabularia is an excellent and important winter fodder. Our study suggests that scientific nutrient management could effectively promote grassland production, conserve plant variety, and regenerate degraded grassland, which will counteract the desertification process in northwest Tajikistan mountain meadows.

Some legal issues regulating the rational use of agricultural land in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The article was prepared within the framework of the grant project of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan No AP14870596 «Problems of legal regulation of the rational use and protection of pasture ecosystems».Kazakhstan ranks sixth in the world in terms of pasture resources. As you know, more than 40 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Many of them would have nothing to spare if their own animals were neither their main income nor their living wage. However, the shortage of pastures has become a big problem for rural residents in recent years. In the 2021 Head of State Address, special attention was paid to this issue. At that time, Kassym-Zhomart Kemelovich paid special attention to the issues of providing pasture lands for personal subsidiary plots.The Address stipulates that, according to the Land Code, agricultural land will not be provided to foreigners, as well as priority provision of pasture for livestock in household plots of the population and an increase in the volume of land required for the procurement of feed, and is also instructed to ensure openness in the land sector and access to the land cadastral information and create a unified national database on the land fund and real estate.The Tax Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan does not provide benefits for enterprises processing agricultural products and agriculture. Processors purchase 90% of raw materials from peasant farms, and they are exempt from value added tax. At the same time, 50% of the price of finished products is the cost of raw materials. As a result, processing enterprises cannot credit value added tax that is subject to offset. All this today does not stimulate the competitiveness of enterprises processing agricultural products.One of the main problems of enterprises processing agricultural raw materials is the low competi-tiveness of domestic products. As you know, the basis of competition for any product is its quality and price. The high level of prices for the products of Kazakhstani processing enterprises is due to an increase in interest rates on bank loans, prices for transport services, as well as the current taxation system, espe-cially the value added tax.The level of tax revenue from agriculture is low and it is focused only on agricultural processing. Compared to other industries, taxes from agriculture are minimal.Taxes are the main source of financing the political and economic activities of the state, since 90 percent of state budget revenues come from tax revenues. Today, in order for taxation and tax structure to help the whole world become competitive, it is necessary to stimulate efficiency and stability, and for this it is necessary to have a tax policy, to effectively, expediently implement tax regulation.

Pastoralism and Conflict Transformation in Nyangatom, Hammer, and Dassanech Community of Ethiopia

This study examined the practices of conflict transformation in Nyangatom, hammer, and Dassanech community of South Omo Zone Ethiopia using Qualitative research methodology, case study research design and employed FGD, semi structured interview, non-participant observation and document analysis. The issue of conflict transformation traced back to the works of Lederach in the 1980s and Galtung in the late 1970s. The concept, however, gained recognition because of the coming of the issue of human security by the international community and scholars. The nature of pastoralist and agro pastoralist conflicts arising in the study area led to examine the practices of the conflict transformation by various actors. This study indicated that the various actors working on conflict and peace do a very little activity to transform conflicts. They focus on conflict management, prevention, and resolution activities. This has been as a result of lack of attention to plan the issue of conflict transformation by the government. This study, therefore, sought to find out the role of the various actors in conflict transformation. The findings show those grievances, animal raiding, land claims, fishing rights, competition on water and pasture resources use are the sources of conflict. The study also examines the practices of conflict transformation activities in the study area. Resilience, rangeland management, NGOs intervention in peace dialogue, integration of pastoralism and agro pastoralism with commercial agricultures, drought and conflict early warning system, water resource management and development, development, rehabilitations of range land, and providing education to the conflict affected community are the activities done for conflict transformation. These activities had been instrumental in addressing conflicts and transforming relationships. The pastoralist conflict transformation and peace are not given emphasis by the government. The activities are not enough to transform conflicts but they are served as the driver of peace. The researcher recommends that the current conflict transformation mechanism tried in the area is did not change the conflict situation but the beginnings are goodly appreciated.

Forecasting the favorable growth conditions and suitable regions for chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) on the Qinghai plateau under current climatic conditions

The Qinghai plateau has long grappled with a host of issues, such as grassland overloading and a severe shortage of forage supply, significantly jeopardizing the sustainable development of animal husbandry. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) has been regarded as an ideal and sustainable supplemental or alternative feed for livestock. To introduce this high-quality forage grass and enhance pasture resources on the Qinghai Plateau. We explored the adaptability of chicory on the Qinghai Plateau through 2384 chicory distribution records, 8 major environmental variables, and 5 cultivation validation pilots using the Maxent model and actual cultivation planting. The results emphasized that the primary environmental factors affecting the suitable areas for chicory included the precipitation of the driest month, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month, and temperature of the coldest month. The regions with high and medium suitability for chicory cultivation are predominantly situated in the eastern, central, and southern areas of Qinghai. The high suitable area covers 29,479 km2, while the medium suitable area extends over 85,090 km2, and the arable land appropriate for chicory cultivation encompasses approximately 40.45 × 104 hm2, constituting 71.7% of the province's arable land. Moreover, practical chicory cultivation across different arable zones revealed that growth and yield in high arable regions significantly outperformed those in medium arable zones. We developed a multivariate linear regression (MLR) model, which identified annual precipitation (AP), evaporation (E), and sunshine duration (SD) as the key climatic factors influencing chicory yield on the Qinghai plateau. These findings furnish a theoretical foundation for the establishment of high-yield, high-efficiency cultivation systems, digital production management, and the future promotion of chicory cultivation on the Qinghai plateau.

Assessing the Livelihood Vulnerability of Herders to Changing Climate in Chui Oblast, Kyrgyz Republic

Kyrgyzstan is a country that is heavily reliant on agricultural products and animal husbandry, making it particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Using the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI), this study attempted to assess vulnerability to climate change impacts on land, biodiversity, herders, and livestock in Kyrgyzstan’s mountainous areas. The survey was conducted using respondent interviews. In the Chon-Kemin valley target area, we interviewed 198 nomad households with livestock. The study found that communities rely heavily on pasture resources, that there are almost no human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs), and that climate disasters have limited impact. Major components of herders’ sensitivity and adaptive capacity resulted in low numbers. This, combined with rare climate disasters such as droughts and thus low exposure, reduced vulnerability under the IPCC framework. However, any increase in climate disasters, combined with continued land-use pressure, will severely impact herders and their livelihoods. In Kyrgyzstan, hundreds of livestock and dozens of wild animals have already died as a result of late frosts in pastures. National policies and programs should be revised to improve adaptive capacity. This study calls into question the importance of improving wildlife research and capacity building, as well as cooperation between local and national stakeholders.

The current state of plant communities of landscape-ecological profile Chu-Ili Mountains - Taukum sand desert

main reason for the decrease in the productivity of pastures, which provide about half of pasture forages, is their irrational use and overgrazing. The composition and structure of plant communities of different habitats differ markedly, which determines their response to anthropogenic impact and various consequences of pasture load. The purpose of the study is to assess the current state of vegetation and identify trends in land degradation for further development of the basis for sustainable management of pasture resources. The article deals with the main patterns of vegetation distribution on the landscape-ecological profile, which covers the eastern spurs of the Chu-Ili Mountains, the sand desert Taukum and the Bozoi plateau located between them. The territory has not been covered by geobotanical studies for a long time and there is no up-to-date data on the state of vegetation. According to the results of our study, the consequences of anthropogenic influence on the composition and structure of plant communities associated with landscape formations of various genesis are described. The series of digression of zonal plant communities under the influence of grazing have been revealed, which differ in different segments of the profile depending on soil conditions. The final stages of digression are completed by the catacenosis of the annual saltwort Ceratocarpus arenarius and sparse communities of perennial herb Peganum harmala in the low-mountain and foothill sections of the profile; in the Taukum desert - by communities of wormwood (Artemisia scoparia).

Multi-temporal Landsat imagery and MSAVI index for monitoring rangeland degradation in arid ecosystem, case study of Biskra (southeast Algeria).

The Algerian Saharan rangelands are an arid ecosystem characterized by limited soil, water, and vegetation resources, which make it very susceptible to degradation. This research focuses on the diachronic assessment and multi-temporal mapping of the degradation of steppe vegetation in the south of Biskra during the period 1987-2019, using remote sensing data (MSAVI index), for extracting spatiotemporal data to monitor the rangeland vegetation dynamics. We examined demographic evolution, number of livestock, and land use from quantitative data. The results show that during this period, the landscape of the region changed considerably. The area of rangelands decreased from 19,939ha (1987) to 3605ha (2019), where 58% of the pre-existing vegetation was transformed into bare soil. This study confirmed that the rangeland vegetation health is closely related to climate, and its degradation is mainly due to the recurrence, duration, severity, and magnitude of drought events. Manmade activities were also a determinant factor of long-term degradation of the rangeland, such as the expansion of new land development areas that increased from 3754ha (1987) to 24,410ha (2019). This trend was found throughout the region, including predominantly pastoral regions such as Oumache and El Haouch, leading to overgrazing with a loss of about 2% of vegetation cover. All these factors have led to a severe and continuous degradation of pastoral resources in a vulnerable environment. The preservation of these limited resources requires appropriate management of the ecosystem and a rational exploitation of its vegetation, soil, and water resources.

Pastoralists’ Socioecological Trends: The Case of Laikipia County in Kenya

Pastoralism is a complete way of life involving ecological, political, economic and social dimensions, and is dependent on a continuous balance of diverse factors. However, pastoral systems are faced with emerging and accelerating shocks and stresses that challenge their resilience and the ability to meet household livelihood needs sustainably. In response to these pressures, pastoralist socioecological systems in Africa are undergoing a process of rapid transformation that is marked by positive and negative socio-ecological trends. This study, therefore, analyzed the socioecological trends of pastoral systems with a focus on Laikipia County, Kenya. The study used a participatory action research design and multi-stage sampling design. Data collection and analysis were done using the participatory trend analysis method, while Mann-Kendall Z Test and Kendall’s correlation coefficient were used to test the trends and their relationships. This study finds that pastoralists’ culture and lifestyles are changing as shown by the negative trend in observation of cultural practices (Z = - 4.22, P<0.001) and effectiveness of customary governance systems (Z = - 0.401, P<0.001). Secondly, although the total number of livestock is increasing (Z = 3.11, P<0.01), there is a downward trend in the livestock holding per household (Z = -3.83, P<0.001), and, hence increasing diversification to non-pastoral livelihoods (Z = 4.28, P<0.001). These changes are caused by the growing pressure on pastoral resources and ecological stresses due to various factors, including the increasing human population (Z = 4.22, P<0.001), land degradation (Z = 4.17, P<0.001), and climate change and variability (Z = 4.05, P<0.001). Therefore, the study enabled an understanding of pastoralists’ socioecological trends and the underlying drivers. Moreover, the study showed the impacts of the drivers, their feedback on each other, and the responses of the pastoral system. The study will strengthen pastoral development planning and policy-making processes.

Analysis of the interrelationships of stakeholders involved in the management of transhumance in southern Benin.

The management of pastoral mobility is a stakeholder-centered approach for the integration of resource conservation and agricultural development. This study aimed to characterize the stakeholders of transhumance and to analyze their influence in the municipality of Djidja in southern Benin. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 300 stakeholders involved in transhumance and pastoral resource management. The Likert scale (1 to 5) was used to assess the levels of influence and focus groups were conducted. The results showed that several stakeholders (transhumant herders, agro-pastoralists, farmers, hunters, fishermen, loggers, gendarmerie, Garso, CTAF, cattle farmers' associations, farmers' associations, SCDA, and communal transhumance committee) were involved in transhumance with diverse interests, backgrounds, knowledge, and power (P < 0.05). More than half of the farmers (72%) blame transhumant herders whose practices are source of multiple conflicts among (please mention what kind of conflicts and with whom by providing example). Statistical analysis indicated a strong influence with significant differences (P < 0.001) in the pastoral resources by four stakeholders including the communal transhumance committee, the association of herders, the Garso (scout and intermediary for transhumant herders), and the transhumant herder. This research demonstrates how the systematic analysis of the activities carried out by the stakeholders, the interconnected activities between them, and their relationships can offer insights for a better coordination of transhumance. For effective pastoral management, it is therefore important to build a dialogue between the different stakeholders involved in transhumance in southern Benin.

High quality, high reliability: The dynamics of camel milk marketing in northern Kenya

In order to analyse the transformations faced by pastoralists in coping with the uncertainties of their livelihoods, this paper analyses the evolutions of the marketing of camel milk, which has turned from a local taboo into a critical asset for the pastoral communities of Isiolo, a county typically associated with the rearing of cattle. Camel milk marketing (CMM) challenges several assumptions about pastoral societies and their supposed embedding conservativeness, inefficiency and risk aversion.A high-reliability perspective has been instrumental in revealing the ongoing dynamics that are reconfiguring pastoral resource management and livelihood patterns in Isiolo. Through this approach, the management practices and contractual relationships that underpin CMM production and marketing have been explored, with a view to unveiling the rationale inspiring the networks through which camel milk is transacted, and the related socially-regulated arrangements and practices. The social and political embeddedness of CMM networks is central to their ability to adapt and function in constantly changing local conditions.The marketing of camel milk provides an intriguing insight into how pastoral systems are informed by a high-reliability approach to operating under conditions of volatility and uncertainty. Political economy matters will have a significant influence on the evolution of this important enterprise. Adequate investments in infrastructure and public facilities would be crucial to further develop CMM and to enable its operators to respond and adapt to local dynamics, with a view to fairly share the associated risks, costs and benefits.

Estimation of the burned area with severity and its influencing factors for wildfire using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery

Wildfire is a natural disaster that harms human and animal habitats and the socio-economy. Remote sensing techniques are commonly used in the research of natural disasters, natural resources and monitoring. Timely and accurate estimation of the location of forest fires is particularly important for post-fire management and decision-making. Sentinel-2 satellite images of the European Space Agency ‘ESA’ were used to estimate the area affected by forest fires at Bayan-Uul and Bayandun soums in Dornod province, and classified the burn severity levels and comparison with other influencing factors in this study. The normalized burn ratio ‘NBR' and indices on pre-fire and post-fire were calculated. The total burned area was calculated as 58,131.6 ha, and low, moderate-low, moderate-high, and high burn severity levels cover 15,423.7 ha (26.3%), 29,529.4 ha (50.4%), 13,160.2 ha (22.5%), and 18.3 ha (0.03%), respectively. The 87.6% of the burned area is situated in Mongolian territory, while the remaining area (12.4%) belongs to the Russian Federation. Comparing 10 natural and geographical factors that can influence the burn severity and calculating the correlation coefficients by Pearson. Four of them related a positive lower, and six of them related negative lower. The weak relationships of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ‘NDVI’, elevation were 0.4 and 0.23. However, the precipitation correlation was -0.22 (negative weak). The distribution of wildfire is strongly influenced by the wind, and the correlation coefficient demonstrates a negative correlation with no effect on combustion. The conditions of socio-economic and ecological disastrous consequences such as loss of plant species and resources, changes in plant structure, depletion of pasture resources, extinction of rare animals and plants, reduction of forest resources, and large-scale air pollution resulting in the loss of human and animal in post-fire. Therefore, this research is important to due for studying the burning, distribution and, coverage area of the fire, and create conditions for the prevention of future risks.

Influence of Acid Mine Drainage Leakage from Tailings Ponds on the Soil Quality of Desert Steppe in the Northwest Arid Region of China

As decision-making tools helping to improve the understanding of soil quality, soil quality assessment and heavy metal pollution assessment are very important for the remediation of heavy metal soil pollution. In the past, soil quality and heavy metal pollution have been studied separately, and few studies have combined them. The desert steppe in the Northwest Arid Region is an important pasture resource in China, and its soil safety has always been the focus of attention. Therefore, to understand the impact of tailing stockpiles on the soil quality of desert steppe, this study analyzed 18 indicators in the sample and analyzed the soil quality status of desert steppe based on the soil quality index (SQI) and Nemerow pollution index (Pcom). The main conclusions are as follows. (1) The evaluation results of heavy metal soil pollution show that the heavy metals Cu, Ni, Cr and Cd are significant polluters, Mn is a moderate polluter and Zn is a slight polluter. The results of the positive matrix factorization model show that Cu and Ni come from industrial sources; Cr, Cd and Zn come from industrial and traffic sources; and Mn comes from natural sources. (2) Regarding the study area, the generated minimum data set contains clay, pH, soil organic matter, available phosphorus, urease and neutral phosphatase. (3) The results of the SQI show that the soil in the study area is grade V (SQI-TDSave (total data set) = 0.42; SQI-MDSave (minimum data set) = 0.39), and the soil condition is very poor. 4) The linear fitting results show that the SQI-MDS was positively correlated with the SQI-TDS (R2 = 0.79), and SQI-MDS and SQI-TDS were negatively correlated with the Pcom (R2 &gt; 0.6). Therefore, the leakage of acid mine drainage from tailings pond accumulation has led to a significant decline in the soil quality of this desert steppe, and effective ecological restoration measures are urgently needed to ensure the sustainable stability of the steppe ecosystem.

Examining the State of Pastoral Resources under Common Property Regime, and Pastoralists Accessibility in Drylands of Niger and Nigeria

Pastoralism faces changes in Nigeria and Niger. This raised the call for interrogating the two countries’ stewardship of pastoral resources. The objectives of this study were to examine state of pastoral resources and make comparison on how legal and institutional, frameworks determine access to these resources in the drylands of Niger and Nigeria. Cropland, land under permanent meadows and pasture and forests lands data for Niger and Nigeria for 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 were downloaded from UN Food and Agricultural Organisation website. Seven communities namely: Abalak, Dakoro and Gaya (in Niger) and Augei, Dakingari, Gummi and Wurno (in Nigeria) were purposively selected and pastoralists were interviewed and/or observed. Descriptive statistics was employed in data analysis. We found that croplands in the two countries have significantly expanded. These expansions might have benefited from forestland depletion but not from land under permanent meadows and pastures (LUPMP) especially in Niger. LUPMP has increased in area in the two Countries. Pastoralists in Niger abhor privatization of pastoral resources. They also demand more access to pasture. In Nigeria, encroachment of pastoral resources by farmers, private ranches and mining, scarce and decaying infrastructure, lack of tenure right to pastoral resources are some of the problem’s pastoralists face. We conclude that agricultural intensification, through its conversion of other forestlands, threatens livestock production more essentially in Niger than in Nigeria and recommend that pastoral resources need to be prioritized by Governments as a regional strategy for communities’ livelihood enhancement and conflict prevention mechanism.