Transhumance

Transhumance is the seasonal movement of livestock that is commonly used by pastoralists to exploit spatiotemporal variability in forage availability in arid and semi-arid climates. Pastoralists are people for whom keeping herd animals is a way of making a living and a way of life. Pastoralists across the world use transhumance to ensure that their livestock have access to forage. The animals taken on transhumance include cattle, camels, sheep, goats, horses, llama, alpaca, yak, reindeer, and even ducks. Sometimes a distinction is made between vertical and horizontal transhumance, in which the former refers to seasonal movements between summer pastures in the mountains and winter pastures in the valleys, and the latter refers to seasonal movements between rainy season and dry season pastures, for example, among cattle pastoralists in the West African Sahel, or winter and summer pastures among reindeer pastoralists in the Siberian tundra. The terms transhumance comes originally from French and is derived from the Latin terms trans (across) and humus (ground). A more general term that is frequently used to describe transhumance is pastoral mobility. Transhumance can take many forms. In some cases, pastoralists move both their herd and household, while in other cases, the household stays in the settlement, while herders take the herd on a seasonal transhumance. Most transhumance movements are made on foot or hoof, but in some wealthier nations, animals are also transported by truck. Transhumance is an adaptive strategy that mimics the principles of animal migrations, like that of wildebeest in East Africa and bighorn sheep in North America. The seasonal movement of livestock is a sustainable strategy that increases the productivity of animals and rangelands, particularly in drylands, which are characterized by spatiotemporal variability in forage availability. Transhumance is not just an economic activity that is ecologically sustainable. It is also imbued with social and cultural values. It brings households and communities together (and it can drive them apart). The movements themselves have been described as rituals and that is also how they are celebrated in some parts of the world. The movements of humans and animals also have political consequences. States and sedentary communities are often wary of people on the move, and because many pastoralists move year-round, it is at times hard for them to claim or maintain rights and access to pastures. When pastoralists are forced to settle and can no longer go on transhumance, it often has disastrous consequences for humans, animals, and rangelands.