RANGELANDS 18(3), June 1996 91

Rangelands of the Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve in

Daniel J. Millerand George B. Schaller

eastern part of the cious steppes and mountains that Chang Tang Reserve sweep along northern Tibet for almost based on our research in 800 miles east to west. The chang the fall of 1993 and sum- tang, a vast and vigorous landscape mer of 1994. We also comparable in size to the Great Plains discuss conservation of North America, is one of the highest, issues facing the reserve most remote and least known range- and the implications lands of the world. The land is too cold these have for develop- and arid to support forests and agricul- ment, management and ture; vegetation is dominated by cold- conservation. desert grasslands,with a sparse cover of grasses, sedges, forbs and low shrubs. It is one of the world's last Descriptionand great wildernessareas. Location The Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve was established by the Tibetan Located in the north- Autonomous governmentin of the Region western part 1993 to protect Tibet's last, major Tibetan Autonomous wildlife populationsand the grasslands Region (see Map 1), the depend upon. In the wildernessof Reserve they Chang Tang the Chang Tang Reservelarge herdsof encompasses approxi- Tibetan still follow ancient mately 110,000 square trails on their annual migrationroutes to A nomad bundled the wind while Tibetan lady up against miles, (an area about birthing grounds in the far north. Wild herding. of the size Arizona), , exterminated in most of Tibet, and is the second in maintain their last stronghold in the he Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve, area in the world. The northwesternTibet, includes one of largestprotected mountainsof the Reserve,and Tibetan T Reserve is part of the chang tang still roam across the the last, largely undisturbed rangeland wild ass steppes. (Tibetan for "northern plains"), the spa- ecosystems in the world and provides The reserve retains a grassland habitatfor a diverse assemblageof wild ungulate species, several of which are endangered and endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. The southern and westernmostparts of the Reserve also afford grazing for Tibetan pastoralists and their livestock. Geographicallyiso- lated, and, until recently, off-limits to Westerners, the Reserve's rangelands and its wildlife have been little studied. MAP A cooperative wildlife conservation 1 program in the Chang Tang Reserve between the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Tibet Forest Bureau began in 1988 with rangeland surveys and investigations on the distribution and status of wildlife, primarily large ungulates. This paper provides an overview of the rangelands,wildlife and pastoral production systems in the 92 RANGELANDS 18(3), June 1996

ecosystem largely unaltered by humankind, of broad, rolling steppes broken by hills and snow-capped mountains and large basins often with saline lakes. There are no major rivers in the reserve; all drainage is internal. However, the headwaters of the Yangtze River are located just outside the reserve in the southeast. Most of the Chang Tang Reserve lies at eleva- tions between 14,500 to 16,500 feet and a number of peaks rise to eleva- tions over 20,000 feet. The Kunlun Mountains and the boundary of the Uygur Autonomous Region define the northern edge of the Reserve. The eastern limit of the Reserve follows the border of Province. The "northern road", which crosses Tibet from east to west and continuesto Xinjiang, marks part of the Rangelands in the southern part of the Chang Tang Reseive at 14,500 feet used for southernand westernlimit. grazing by Tibetanpastoralists. The climate of the Reserve is harsh with no frost-freeseason. Daytime tem- Rangelands Much of the alpine is dominat- in and steppe peratures July August may ed by a plant communitycharacterized reach 75° F, but in most places, even We categorizedthe rangelandsof the by a Stipa, often known as in the height of summer, nighttime tem- Reserve purple into three major vegetation feathergrassfor its long, featheryawns. peratures are often below freezing. types: desert Winters are cold and alpine steppe, steppe, Vegetationcover in these rangelandsis extremely windy and alpine meadow. The with temperaturesthat below —40° alpine steppe usuallya meager 10 to 15 percent.Two drop is the dominant in the southern F. Annual precipitation ranges from type species of Stipa make up 50—60 per- about 12 inches in the southeast to half of the Reserve and provides the cent of total most vegetation composition. less than 4 inches in the northwest,and important grazing land for wild Other Gramineae include blue about ungulates and livestock. The desert grasses 75 percent occurs during the and sedges, another 15—20 months of is found in the uninhabited comprising July, August, and steppe percent of total vegetative September, much of it as snow and northern part of the reserve and the composition. Common forbs were a tiny Potentila, a sleet. Large areas have permafrost 2—3 alpine meadow is located in the mainly species of and feet below the surface and these southeastern of the reserve and Leontopodium legumes may margin of the and Astra- become quagmires in the summer, along streamselsewhere. genera Oxytropis making vehicle travel difficult. ga/us; makingup 10—15 percent of veg- etation composition. Low to procum- Table 1. Composition of vegetation (by percentage)of plant communities in the eastern bent shrubs such as Ceratoides corn- Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve, Tibet. Based on transects with a 0.25 m" circular plot. Potenti/la Fall 1993 pacta, sp., Myricariaprostrata survey. and Ajania fruticolosa are also found in St/pa' Mountain Carex locally Stipa rangelands. Steppe Meadows Steppe In the alpine steppe, ungulates such as Tibetan are selective feed- Number of Plots 180 60 40 ers, concentrating on particular forbs. Average % BareGround 84.5 76.4 89.4 , blue and Average % Vegetation 13.9 22.1 9.5 are mixed feeders, consuming Average% Litter 1.6 1.5 1.1 both graminoids and forbs while the GRAMINOIDS larger ungulates like wild and Grasses 61.9 29.7 42.8 Tibetan wild ass Carexmoorcroftii 3.0 5.3 38.6 consume mainly Kobresiaspp. 12.4 17.5 10.1 grasses. In winter, herds of wild ass FORBS 17.8 35.0 6.4 and Tibetan antelope congregate on the DWARF SHRUBS 5.7 12.2 2.7 extensive Stipa rangelands in the southern part of the Reserve. RANGELANDS 18(3), June 1996 93

On mountain slopes the alpine layer and vegetation is dominated by steppe flora tends to be more diverse sedges of the Kobresia. These than on the plains. In this type, grasses meadows usually have a rich forb com- only make up about 30 percent of total ponent with genera such as Bistorta, vegetation composition and only about Gentiana, Pedicularis. They are nor- half of it is Stipa. Other grasses, such mally fed by snow and glacial melt as species of Elymus, Deyeuxia, Poa springs. Such riparian areas initiate and Festuca are also common, and plant growth earlier than other habitats species of Kobresia sedges often which depend on summer precipitation for amount to 15 percent of total composi- growth. We found in the reserve tion. A variety of forbs comprise 40 to rangelands to be spatially heterogenous ranging 50 percent of total vegetative composi- from patch to landscapescales in com- tion. These alpine grass-meadowspro- position, structure and productivity. Tibetanwild ass. vide forage for all species of wild ungu- Although fairly limited in overall plant lates including blue sheep and Tibetan species richness the rangelands are Reserve now argali. ment. The Chang Tang neverthelessquite diverse and provide the last and best In the desert steppe, which extends habitat for six wild represents place across the northern of the ungulate species affording most of these species a part reserve, and four domesticlivestock species as plant communitiesare often dominated well as a of future. variety large predators, We were especially interested to by the sedge, Carex moorcroftii, and small mammalsand birds.The diversity the shrub Ceratoides This learn how the wild ungulates coexist. compacta. in the vegetation is often subtle and type is found on sandier soils and With plant species few and vegetation easily overlooked, yet it is frequently cover do the although Stipa grasses are still part of differences that define sparse, species compete the delicate for with each other and with live- the community they are eclipsed by behavior of forage movements and foraging stock? The season is short, Carex moorcroftii.The forb component both wildlife and domesticanimals. growing in this type is also reduced, often mak- from late May or early June until nutritious ing up only 5 percentof total vegetation September, making green available.To assess composition. Expanses of Carex are Wildlife forage only briefly more common as one travels north in the impact of wildlife on the rangelands census distribu- the Reserve. Low sand dunes are The Chang Tang supports a unique we had to , plot and food the last sometimesfound in these grasslands. community of large that tion, study habits, by — for of The alpine meadow vegetation type includes six wild ungulate species collecting droppings analysis is found in the southeastern of chiru or Tibetan antelope, Tibetan plant fragmentsin them. portion The more than other the Reserve,which receives more pre- gazelle, Tibetan argali, blue sheep, chiru, species, defines the A cipitation, and also along rivulets else- kiang or Tibetanwild ass, and . Chang Tang ecosystem. where. Plant communities here are All but the blue sheep occur only on the few small chiru populations are seden- but most animals are characterizedby a thick turf or sod Tibetan Plateau, and all probably tary, migratory. evolved in this high and harsh environ- Chirus spend autumn and winter along the northern margin of the alpine steppewhere forage is abundant.They rut there in December. In May, the pregnant females with their female off- spring of the previous year migrate north, often in large herds numbering several hundred individuals, along tra- ditional routes for as much as 200 miles to give birth in the high and deso- late desert steppe. Unlike chirus, Tibetan are sedentary.They are usually alone or in small herds, seldommore than a dozen animals. Though still widespread on alpine steppe, on plains as well as on _ - hills, they are highly dependent on - rangeland with a variety of forbs. ______Consequently gazelles congregate in certain localities and are absent from Tibetannomad tents which are made out ofyak hair and are designed to withstand the much of the desert steppe in the north. strong windsof the Tibetanwinter. 94 RANGELANDS 18(3), June 1996

Blue sheep are fairly common, with herds sometimes numbering 50 or more animals.They prefer habitat near precipitousterrain, cliffs providing them with refuge from , which limits their distribution. , large wild sheep, were rare, found only in a few places. Kiang are found mainly in the alpine steppe where they congregrate in herds of up to 300 animals in the fall, after the rut. For much of the summer, kiang roam singly or in small herds, usuallywith fewer than 25 animals. Wild yaks prefer to be in mountains where they ascend to about 17,700 feet at the limit of vegetation. They are often found on slopes near glaciated peaks where there is fresh water, luxu- riant plant growth along rivulets, and terrain that enables them to shift sea- sonally up and down slopes for the most nutritious forage. Bulls are often alone or in small all-male groups, whereas females with their offspring lesser extent chiru, sought out these unavailable. The wild ungulates have and any attending bulls are in herds plants, a selection especially evident evolved to survive blizzards and preda- for the Potenti/la. There was some tors not the additional stress of with 10—25 members and occasionally tiny but as many as 100—200. Such herds roam resource partitioning but considerable unrestrained hunting by people. widely, making seasonal shifts for 30 overlap remained. Diets differed in pro- miles or more. portion of plant types they ate, not of eaten. Pastoralists and Livestock These 6 ungulate species overlapped plant species in their use of The harsh and high steppes of the Production in broadly terrain, although the Reserve blue sheep, argalis, and wild yaks were Chang Tang probably had a relatively in mountains. All six fed on low density of wildlife even in the past. usually only Although most of the Reserveis unin- a few plant species, mostly on Carex Natural mortality is high. In October moorcroftii and two kinds of as 1993 we noted that only about half of habited, a belt of rangelands in the Stipa southern and well as on several the chiru females had an offspring at part supports pastoralists forbs, including their livestock who for centuries have legumes of the genera Astraga/us and heel and the following June only one the cushion Leonto- female in three had a surviving young. managedto exist there, despite living in Oxyfropis, plant one of the world's harshest environ- and the flow- Over half of the young had died in their podium pusi/lum yellow ments and at altitudes as as ered Potentilla bifurca. In summer, first year of life, probablyweakened by high any snow and wind other on earth. north- when forage is abundant and nutritious, shortly after birth and people Today's is less than some killed by predators. Among the ern-most grazing areas around the vil- competition likely during of Garco and the long winter when leaves are dor- predators, snow are rare, con- lages Tsatsang, mant or dead. We collected fecal sam- fined to a few rocky ranges, and lynx Shuanghu, however, were settled less for in October when tem- are uncommon. However, wolves than a quarter century ago by pastoral- ples analysis ists who were peratureswere at times 0° F and below remain widespread, even though much moved north from the administrativecenter of Xainza. and winds fierce. Stipa was at that time persecuted by herdsmen. Once we Today, the feed of all observed a lone pursue a chiru there are about 3,500 nomad families principal species except and their livestock that gazelle and argali. The coarse and herd and after a long chase pull down a depend upon lands in the Carex moorcroff11 was female. grazing Reservefor a liveli- sharp-pointed hood. The much grazed by argali, blue sheep and Small mammals, especially marmot average size of a nomad and are also in the Reserve is little over five chiru, but not kiang. There were almost pikas important wolf prey. family a no wild yak in our October survey area Pika colonies are ubiquitous. Unlike members, making a total population of and we obtained fecal samples the fol- marmots, pikas do not hibernate and about 19,000 people. These nomads thus are the maintain an estimated 1.5 million head lowing June farther north after vegeta- they year-roundbasic food of from of livestock in the Reserve. tion had begun to green in places. At many predators upland hawks that time, yaks also ate Carex. Even and saker falcons to Tibetan sand Domestic yaks, which are descended with forbs and shrubs scarce and dry, foxes and brown bears; even wolves from wild yaks, provide milk, meat, gazelle, argalis, blue sheep, and to a subsist on them when larger prey is fiber, and dung and are also used as RANGELANDS 18(3), June 1996 95 pack animals. Although yaks character- husbandry and grazing man- kiang indeed subsist mainly on Stipa ize Tibetan pastoralism, sheep and agement developed centuries ago are during winter, and some competition for are economicallymore important well adaptedresponses to environmen- forage no doubt occurs, but there is lit- in the reserve. Sheep are milked for a tal conditions found on the harsh tle evidence of rangelanddeterioration few months in the summerand are also Tibetan steppes. The fact that most yet. So far, problems between livestock an important source of meat for nomads continue to live, and live well, and wildlife are more perceived than nomads. Each nomad family will is proof of the rationalityfor many tradi- real. Livestock numbers have not slaughter about 40 sheep every fall for tional Tibetan nomadic pastoral prac- reached a level where it has degraded its own consumption. Tibetan goats tices as a meansto convertforage from rangelands, except in the vicinity of a producefine cashmere wool, which has cold, arid rangelandsinto valuable ani- few villages; the rangelands remain in increased greatly in value in recent mal products. good condition. And there are now few years. Goats are also milked, giving wild ungulates. more milk for a longer period than Rangelands on alpine steppe that sheep. ManagementIssues belonged almost exclusively to wildlife Sheep are the most common domes- as recently as the 1960s are now set- tic animal and about 60 The steppes of the Reserve are one tled, at least seasonally, to their north- comprise per- in cent of the total livestock population, of the few rangelands the world that ern limit. Beyond, good grazing is spo- have been little affected man and goats make up 30 percent,yaks about by radic, mere islands in the arid desert his little is known about 8 percent and horses only 2 percent. livestock.Yet, steppe. Yet the government has plans Although the number of livestock per the nutritional status of forage species to expand pastoralism north into this varies considerably at different seasons,plant compositions uninhabited terrain, into this area so family depending and in various and on range conditions, climate and an productivity habitats, marginal for livestock that previous extent of in food habits individual's animal husbandry skills, monthlyoverlap attempts to settle there failed. In the between the various livestock and many herders interviewedin the south- 1970s, herders were moved to one wildlife Much more information central part of the Reserve maintained species. northern site. They left within a year is also needed about current livestock an average of 500 sheep and goats because of water scarcity and remote- and 20 In the eastern of the herding and marketing practices. ness, but not until they had killed many yaks. edge Without such data the for Reserve, where rangelands are domi- impact of, wild yaks, judging by the litter of skulls on the winter is we found. in the a few nated by Kobresia sedge meadows instance, kiang range Starting 1990s, difficultto evaluate. enter the and are more productive than the arid herders began to Dogai Pastoralists in some areas area from Stipa grasslands, the number of sheep complain Coring illegally Qinghai and maintained that kiang compete with their livestock Province. Patcheswith good grazing in especially yaks by for winter Certain nomads increases. forage. village coop- these inhospitable uplands are critical eratives or have therefore to the survival of wildlife. With the The survival ofTibetan nomadstoday xiangs that the reduce now indicates that many of the strategiesof requested government alpine steppe essentially usurped the kiang population. Livestock and by pastoralists,the northern part of the reserve represents the last real refuge for wildlife and especially for the wild yak, wolf, and bear. The future of the rangelandsand the wildlife in the reserveas well as the tra- ditional life of the pastoralists will depend on innovative management programs. Any such policies and pro- grams need to address the basic issue of coexistence between livestock and wildlife and they need to be designed with the goal of maintaining the reserve as a viable and undamaged ecosys- tem. They must also be flexible enough to address specific local problems. For example, kiang are perceived to be serious competitors of livestock in a few localities but not the reserve as a whole. How can such issues be resolved? Commercialhunting for yak meat and chiru wool is a Young nomad boy taking care of the family's flock ofgoats. The goatsare tied up for major problem. milking. Unregulated hunting in the last few 96 RANGELANDS 18(3), June 1996

decades has ravaged wild yak and Additional Reading chiru populations in the more accessi- ble, southern parts of the Reserve. Cincotta, R.P., P.J. van Soest, J.B. Reserve staff are still poorly equipped Robertson, C.M. Beall, and M.C. and trained to control this illegal hunt- Goldstein. 1991. Foraging ecology of livestock on the Tibetan A ing. Changfang: comparison of three adjacent grazing The Tibet government is concerned areas. Arctic and about wildlife Alpine Research, conservation, especially 23(2):149—161. for the kiang, chiru, and wild yak which Goldstein, M.C. and C.M. Beall. 1990. are fully protected. The reserve is Nomads of Western Tibet: The Survival viewed as a multiple-use area where of aWay of Life. Odyssey, Hong Kong. the needs and aspirations of the local Goldstein, M.C., C.M. Beall, and R.P. Cincotta. 1990. Traditional nomadic people must be considered. Fortunately there is time to a that will pastoralism and ecological conservation develop plan on Tibet's northern National permit the wild herds, the live- plateau. great Geographic Research,6(2):1 39—1 56. stock, and the people to coexist. To R.B. and D.J. Miller. The Tibetan Harris, (In press) achieve this goal, several actions are settlement of Garco at 16,000 Overlap in summer habitats and diets of feet. One the most northern inhabited needed: commercial of Tibetan Plateau ungulates. Mammalia. (i) illegal hunting areas ofthe Reserve. must be controlled; (ii) any future oil Miller, D.J. and D.J. Bedunah. 1994. drilling and gold mining must be strictly Rangelands of the Kunlun Mountains in Western . Rangelands, regulated and monitored to avoid Strategies for range management, excessive to the 1 6(2):71—76. damage environment; wildlife conservation, and pastoral Schalier, G.B. 1993. In a and sacred (iii) the uninhabited northern areas of high development in the Chang Tang realm: Tibet's remote Chang Tang. the reserve should be wholly reserved Wildlife Reserve should foremost NationalGeographic, 184(2):62—87. for aim wildlife and all human access pro- to maintain the condition of the Schaller, G.B. and Gu Binyuan. 1994. hibited the range- of in the except by special permit; (iv) lands and protect To Comparative ecology ungulates of fences that hinder the free biodiversity. Aru Basin of Northwest Tibet. National building achieve this it will be to movementof wildlife should be prohibit- goal necessary Geographic Research and Exploration, for sustainable live- 1 ed; (v) since livestock is in a reserve develop strategies O(3):266—293. whose stock productionthat take into account Schaller, G.B., Ren J., and Qiu M. 1991. explicit purpose is to protect Observations on the Tibetan wildlife, there will have to be limits the needs of wild ungulates and other antelope wildlife as well as the of the (Pantholops hodgsoni). Applied Animal placed on the number of livestock aspirations Behaviour Science, 29:361—378. allowed, at least in some areas at cer- local people. Developing such strate- tain seasons, such as chiru breeding gies requires a much better under- grounds; (vi) the reserve should be standing of ecosystemdynamics, more made a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve information on the status, distribution to promote greater internationalaware- and ecology of wildlife, increased ness and cooperation; and (vii) major knowledgeof pastoral productionprac- research should be conducted before tices, more thorough analysis of the rangelandsare damaged. issues and opportunities facing pas- Authorsare rangeland specialist and director toralists, and modifications in policies for science, respectively, The Wildlife and current approaches to manage- Conservation Society, Bronx, New York. Mr. Conclusions Milleris presently with the International Centrefor ment of the rangelands. These actions IntegratedMountain Development, Kathmandu, are crucial for the wildlife and . The fact that grand herds of wildlife saving their habitat and for ensuring sustain- and a prosperous culture Acknowledgements: The work in the Chang pastoral able pastoral in the face Tang Reserve was a collaborative effort between remain on the of the south- development rarigelands of growingthreats from modernization. the Tibet Forest Bureau with the Wildlife ern part of the Chang Tang Wildlife Conservation Societyof New York. The Wildlife The remarkable of the Conservation For Reserve bears witness to the remark- steppes Societyfunded the work. help in Chang Tang Wildlife Reservewill expe- various ways both in thefield and in we are able diversity and resilience of this indebted to Yin Binggao, Liu Wulin, and othersof rience a great and tragic barrenness if theTibet Forest Bureau. Li and Schaller unique ecosystem. These rangelands, Ding Kay the rangelands are degraded. Unique assisted in the field. We are grateful to the however, are under of coming increasing wildlife populations will be severely Ministry Forestry in Beijing and to various gov- pressure from an expanding human ernment departmentsof the Tibet Autonomous threatened and equally unique pastoral the Bureau of Science and population and rapidly Region, especially increasing cultures will be transformed beyond Technology, for approval of the project. Many development yet, properly managed, plants were identified by Ni Zhicheng of the Tibet recognition. With imaginative planning Plateau Institute of they could continue to provide critical Biology. Microhistological and cooperationof the pastoralists, the analyses of feceswere done by the Composition habitat for wildlife as well as Analysis Fort Collins, Colorado. grazing Chang Tang can be managed in the Laboratory, land for sustainable livestock produc- kind of tion. ecological harmony that is the basis of Tibetan Buddhism.