The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has experienced extensive degradation in recent years since the privatization of livestock and rangeland ownership and the resulting dynamic changes in stocking rates. Herdsmen have had to adapt their behaviour in order to maximize profit. This paper outlines those changes and the consequent impacts on the ecosystem. The results show that livestock death rates have continued to increase in line with the deterioration of rangeland. Although farms have increased the proportion of yak in their herds, the total number of livestock in Maduo county has decreased significantly from one million in 1977 to 0.42 million in 2003.
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