Pastoralism in Transition: Livestock Abundance and Herd Composition in Spiti, Trans-Himalaya

Recent discourse on pastoralism and ecology has focused on increased stocking densities and subsequent consequences on grasslands and productivity. It has been shown that increase in livestock numbers may adversely affect wildlife populations associated with high altitude pastures. In this study, we examine the decadal trend in livestock numbers and composition in five villages in Spiti in the Trans-Himalaya region to determine social-ecological linkages in these agro-pastoral communities. As opposed to previously reported trends, we find that livestock numbers have essentially halved in the last decade and the reduced holdings also are compositionally different from the original stock. We examine the societal, agricultural and perceived ecological changes associated with the decline in livestock. We conclude that the decline in livestock is associated with large-scale changes in the social, cultural and economic landscape and that this decline may benefit wildlife conservation programmes in the region.