Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

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TABLE 7.3
Projected total population to 2020.
Grasslands of the world
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
2 781 700 3 195 000 3 612 300 3 945 500 4 284 800
SOURCE: Development scenario for 21st century. UNDP pilot project report. Ulaanbaatar, 1998. MAP-21, MON/95-G81.
Plate 7.3
Migrating flock crossing the Ulan Dava pass on the way to summer pasture – Uvs.
university level – many post-graduates have trained abroad. There are technical
schools in each aimag (� province). More girls than boys follow secondary and
university studies – their families do not require them for herding and there are
adequate women to attend to dairy duties.
The herders all practice transhumance ; this means that they must move seasonally
(see Plate 7.3) with their livestock on the pastures. They live in gers (yurt
in Russian ), cylindrical, domed structures (Plate 7.4) with a wooden framework
covered with felt; They are free-standing, not held in place by guy-ropes like
a tent. While the ger is easy to take down and erect and domestic equipment
is designed for ease of transport, the moving of the family’s gers and baggage
requires frequent hard work and transport. Fuel for cooking and heating is generally
dried dung, except in the forest zone, where firewood is also used.
Mongolia is rich in wildlife and its herds share the grazing with antelope,
gazelle , elk and deer . Rodents are widespread and can cause much local damage
to grassland through feeding and burrowing; control was once done through
poisoning but this has now stopped. There are abundant predators , hawks, buzzards,
eagles and foxes that feed on them. Wolves prey on sheep flocks and in
the Gobi Altai the protected snow-leopard may cause damage.
J.M. SUTTIE