Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
frequently used livestock trails, and on particularly susceptible soils, either replaced by
unpalatable plants (e.g., Saussarea , Thermopsis ) or giving way to bare soil. On north-
facing slopes, willows dominated, under which were various forbs little used by livestock.
In cooler sub-valleys at slightly higher elevations, Stipa grasslands gave way to Kobresia
meadows, and thence to cushion plant communities. Most Stipa grasslands appeared to be
in good condition, but large patches of bare soil suggested that these clay-like soils cannot
take very much trampling before they lose their ability to grow grass . Ceratoides spp., a
highly palatable shrub important to both livestock and wildlife in autumn and winter, was
rare, possibly reflecting a history of heavy winter grazing, use as supplementary winter
fuel for heating and cooking by pastoralists, or both.
I was unable to learn about the history of grazing in this area, but it is likely a long
and relatively uninterrupted one of traditional Tibetan pastoralism (the Gouli Monastery
located in this area has a history of almost 300 years). 60 The portion of Fifth Brigade
near my study site had nine encampments, each of which had approximately 500 sheep
and 150 yaks.
Yeniugou
Vegetation in Yeniugou consisted predominately of graminoids and forbs; trees and shrubs
were absent. In addition to the vegetative formations “ Stipa purpurea grassland” and the
Kobresia pygmaea meadow” that had been described by Chinese botanists, 61 a “cushion-
plant” formation, intermediate in elevation between others, dominated by Astragalus
spp., Oxytropis spp . , Androsace spp., and Ceratoides compacta , characterized Yeniugou's
grasslands. The grass-dominated S. purpurea formation was characterized by elevations
up to 4,500 m, vegetation height of 5 to 25 centimeters, and ground cover of 25 to 90
percent. Other important species in the S. purpurea formation included grasses ( Festuca
and Poa spp.), sedges ( Carex spp.), and dicotyledons such as Potentilla bifurca. The sedge-
dominated K. pygmaea formation was characterized by elevations generally greater than
4,500 m, vegetation height of 3 to 6 centimeters, and 70 to 95 percent ground cover.
Yeniugou was historically a transition zone between traditionally Mongol and Tibetan
areas, with Mongols to the north of the river bisecting the valley and Tibetans to the south. 62
Tibetans inhabiting Yeniugou were removed and their grazing rights revoked in the early
1950s. 63 From 1953 through 1983 grazing rights belonged to a group of Kazaks who were
based near Golmud, having arrived there during the 1930s seeking refuge from persecution
by warlord Sheng Shicai in Xinjiang. 64 Most Golmud-based Kazaks used Yeniugou only
for summer pasture, but usually about ten of the forty families with grazing rights would
remain year-round. 65 In 1984, the area was officially handed over to a group of Mongol
pastoralists when the majority of Kazaks moved back to Xinjiang. 66
During 1991-2005, Yeniugou was primarily used by Mongol pastoralists based in Gol-
mud. In summer 1992, I estimated a total of 17-18,000 domestic sheep, of which probably
3,000 were grazed within the area where we camped. 67 A small number of cattle, horses,
and camels also summered in the study area during the early 1990s, but most had been re-
moved by 2002 (a few domestic yaks were present in Yeniugou during 1996-97, and again
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