Mongolia: Nomadic Pastoralists, their Livestock, and their
Landscape   Fig. 12 Herd of sheep in the Middle Gobi   3.
Livestock Herding  Herding is central to the economy of
Mongolia. Livestock keeping provides food, transportation for
humans and goods, clothing, items of exchange for the
marketplace, and fuel for cooking and heating. Approximately
100,000 families care for their herds on Mongolia's 300 million
acres of pastureland.  The geography and climate of a particular
region determine which combination of animals is raised there.
Geography and ecology are important factors that impact the
density of livestock and the species selected to graze in a
particular area. Ecological factors that influence the
utilization of land by herders include: climate, distribution of
forage plants, distribution of saline soil, and water supply.
Mongolia has five ecological regions:    • Mountain steppe   •
Forest steppe   • Grass steppe   • Desert steppe   • Desert
Each region is defined by rainfall, dominant vege