The Where and Why of Livestock Movement Patterns: Understanding Herder Decision-Making in an Agropastoral Context
Free-ranging animal movement (or lack thereof) is one of the key differences between native and domestic ungulate grazing strategies. This is because domestic livestock movements are controlled by a human manager whose decisions are constrained by a host of physical and socio-economic constraints, as well as by various perceptions they hold regarding aspects of their environment. This difference in mobility across native and domestic systems is significant as grazer movement strategies affect the spatial pattern, and thereby the magnitude and direction, of grazer impacts on a variety of ecosystem properties and could play a role in why grazing by native herbivores may positively affect ecosystem properties while grazing by domestic stock often does not.
In order to understand the broader context within which decisions regarding domestic animal grazing are made, I conducted a social survey of livestock owners to learn about factors affecting herd management and movement decisions. I used initial focus group interviews and then individual questionnaires (n = 31) to uncover the various environmental, socioeconomic and other influences on herder decisions within two sub-villages surrounding the Serengeti ecosystem of northern Tanzania.
In order to understand the broader context within which decisions regarding domestic animal grazing are made, I conducted a social survey of livestock owners to learn about factors affecting herd management and movement decisions. I used initial focus group interviews and then individual questionnaires (n = 31) to uncover the various environmental, socioeconomic and other influences on herder decisions within two sub-villages surrounding the Serengeti ecosystem of northern Tanzania.
Results revealed that while the search for water and forage resources consistently ranked as the highest concern when making movement decisions, a host of other factors, such as herd size or whether livestock are kept for subsistence or commercial purposes, play a role in decisions such as whether to leave the village area or to enter illegally into a protected area for grazing.
These results further indicate the necessity of recognizing the larger historical context in which agropastoral communities are set in order to better comprehend regional differences in decision-making. Understanding the context in which herd movement decisions are made can reveal clues into the drivers of grazer impacts on ecosystem properties, such as a system’s resistance to or propensity for plant compositional change.
This work was done with Mark Ritchie while at Syracuse University.
These results further indicate the necessity of recognizing the larger historical context in which agropastoral communities are set in order to better comprehend regional differences in decision-making. Understanding the context in which herd movement decisions are made can reveal clues into the drivers of grazer impacts on ecosystem properties, such as a system’s resistance to or propensity for plant compositional change.
This work was done with Mark Ritchie while at Syracuse University.