Characteristics and Transformation of Pastoral System in Mongolia

Abstract

Mongolian Pastoral System has high mobility and has two characteristics in husbandry. One is the high ratio of castrated males in the herds and the other is the diverse use of animals. These characteristics are adaptations to the natural and social environments of the Mongolian Plateau. Mongolian nomadic pastoralism is not simply a subsistence economy, rather it is a military economy with information technology. In the 20th century, along with demilitarization associated with socialist modernization, nomadic pastoralism was turned into animal husbandry. Today, as Mongolia undergoes transformation into market economy, regional differences are widening, so are household differences. In this situation, herders still prefer to move in order to get better access to social resources, rather than natural resources.