What are the two forms of pastoralism?
What are the two forms of pastoralism?
Two forms of pastoralism; nomadism and transhumance:
Pastoral nomads follow a seasonal migratory pattern that can vary from year to year. The timing and destinations of migrations are determined primarily by the needs of the herd animals for water and fodder. These nomadic societies do not create permanent settlements, but rather they live in tents or other relatively easily constructed dwellings year-round. Pastoralist nomads are usually self-sufficient in terms of food and most other necessities. Mobility is carefully managed and relies on large social networks and the rapid gathering of information on the concentrations of high-quality pasture. When a movement is planned scouts are sent out to assess the state of the rangeland and negotiate with other groups.
Transhumance pastoralists follow a cyclical pattern of migrations that usually take them to cool highland valleys in the summer and warmer lowland valleys in the winter. Transhumance6 is the regular movement of herds among fixed points in order to exploit the seasonal availability of pastures. In montane regions such as Switzerland, Bosnia, North Africa, the Himalayas, Kyrgyzstan, and the Andes this is a vertical movement, usually between established points, and the routes are very ancient. There is a strong association with higher-rainfall zones; if the precipitation is such that the presence of forage is not a problem, then herders can afford to develop permanent relations with particular sites, for example, building houses. Horizontal transhumance is more opportunistic, with movement between fixed sites developing over a few years but often disrupted by climatic, economic, or political change.
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