THE ROLE OF MONGOLIAN NOMADIC PASTORALISTS' ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Past stereotypes of indigenous pastoralists as ignorant and environmentally destructive are being revised as ecological and social science research advances. As yet, little documentation of pastoralists' ecological knowledge exists, and even less is known about how this knowledge is, or can be, applied to resource management. This paper outlines the ecological knowledge of Mongolian nomadic pastoralists and its role in rangeland management, showing how herders' knowledge is reflected in pasture use norms and attitudes toward pasture privatization, as well as herding practices. The paper explores the potentially contradictory roles of pastoralists' ecological knowledge and perceptions in the current management context.