TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

214 IMPROVEMENT OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL RANGELANDS
and diet of the Oulliminden tribe of the Malian Sahel. Not only
do these cue studies underscore the logic of indigenous adaptations,
but provide insight into the probable IIOcial and environmental consequences
ofinappropriately designed rangeland improvement projects
in the regions described.
With few exceptions, the livestock projects undertaken by governments
and international assistance agencies in tropical and subtropical
regions have focused on cattle. In the highly degraded rangelands
of the drier zones, however, other forms of livestock often enjoy
a comparative advantage. In recent years, renewed interest has been
expressed in the camel. Cue study 4, "Dromedary Pastoralism
in Africa and Asia," discU88e8 camel husbandry and ita potential
contributions to modern economies. Case study 5, "The Mountain
Nomads of Iran: Basseri and Bakhtiari," describes two largely sheepbased
pastoral systems seasonally adapted to the Zagros mountains
and their associated lowlands. Cue study 6, "The Marri Baluch
of Pakistan," describes a complex livelihood system that incorporates
herding, agriculture, gathering, and wage labor. Cue study
7, "Changing Patterns of Resource Use in the Bedthi-Aghanashini
Valleys of Karnataka State, India," describes the dynamic interactions
among differing human communities, external forces, and the
regional resource base in the Uttara Kannada district of the Western
Ghats.
Many contemporary efforts in rangeland improvement and regional
development are based in systematic environmental analysis
and the complementarity of Western science and traditional knowledge.
Cue study 8, "Kenya: Seeking Remedies for Desert Encroachment,"
describes the approach taken in UNESCO's Integrated
Project in Arid Lands in northern Kenya. Othercontemporary efforts
draw more heavily from the past. "The Hema. System in the Arabian
Peninsula," case study 9, describes the successful reintroduction of
one of the world's oldest systems of rangeland management into the
drylands of the Middle East.
Case study 10, "Wildlife Land Use at Athi River, Kenya," explores
the possibility that the most ecologically sound and economically
rewarding use of rangeland in many areas may be for wildlife
ranching rather than for conventional livestock projects. Cue study
11, "Camel Husbandry in Kenya: Increasing the Productivity of
Ranchland," discusses the complementary integration of camel and
cattle husbandry on four ranches in Kenya. Both papers reflect a
trend toward greater innovation in land use. Cue study 12, "The