Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

�� Phase-II from 1965 to 1984: During this period the central government
released a series of polices to encourage economic development in Tibet.
However, the negative impact of the “cultural revolution” (1966–1976)
on the socio-economic development of Tibet resulted in reform in Tibet.
Tibet was not opened-up to the outside world until nearly six years after
mainl<strong>and</strong> China became accessible from overseas.
�� Phase-III from 1984 to the present: In 1984, when the positive
achievements <strong>and</strong> benefits from the reform of the “Household Contract
Responsibility System” (HCRS) had been experienced <strong>and</strong> the inl<strong>and</strong>
areas were opened-up, these policies were extended to the TAR. In
pastoral areas livestock was owned <strong>and</strong> raised by individual herder
households. In this regard, 1984 is usually regarded as a key year for
Tibetan pastoral systems as it influenced most changes that took place in
the socio-economic system of the pastoral areas of the TAR. This chapter
will mainly address these changes in the pastoral systems of the TAR after
1984.
2 General geographic <strong>and</strong> natural Conditions in the TAR
The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is located at the border area of Southwest
of China. Its borders touch India, Nepal <strong>and</strong> Bhutan in the south, <strong>and</strong> it is connected
to the Kusmare Region in the west. The TAR covers 1.22 million km2
ranging from E 78° 25’ to 90° 06’ <strong>and</strong> N 26° 50’ to 36° 53’. It connects with the
provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai <strong>and</strong> the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region. With an average altitude of over 4,000 m above sea level, it forms the
main body of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Figure 1).
Given this unique geographical condition, the climate in the TAR varies
gradually from warm <strong>and</strong> moist to cold <strong>and</strong> dry from the southeast towards
the northwest. The vegetation changes from forest, bush, meadow <strong>and</strong> steppe
to desert. The complex <strong>and</strong> varied l<strong>and</strong>scapes <strong>and</strong> ecosystems have created a
natural paradise for biodiversity. More than 85 % of the total l<strong>and</strong> area in the
TAR is used for animal-husb<strong>and</strong>ry or farming-pastoral production (Figure 1).
The north <strong>and</strong> northwest parts of Tibet are the main areas of pastoralism.
Therefore, the socio-economic changes in these areas provide an overview of
the entire pastoral system in Tibet.
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> > > 5. Pastoral Practices <strong>and</strong> their Transformations