Mobile Pastoralism Contributes to Habitat Heterogeneity
The Bacak family’s spring migration in Turkey demonstrates mobile pastoralism’s role in enhancing habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity. Their movement improves structural and functional ecosystem connectivity, vital for species diversity and resilience. Conservation measures are essential to support and preserve these migration routes.
This spring, we are accompanying the Bacak family of Sarıkeçili nomadic pastoralists in Turkey during their hundreds of kilometres of spring migration from their wintering site on the shores of the Mediterranean to their summering sites in Central Anatolia, beyond the Taurus Mountains. Their journey highlights various dimensions of mobile pastoralism as a biodiversity and climate-friendly cultural practice. We are excited to share our in-situ observations day by day, each focusing on a particular aspect of mobile pastoralism.
The movement of mobile pastoralists with their livestock between winter and summer ranges contributes significantly to habitat heterogeneity and supports the diversity of species across different taxonomic groups. This scale of connectivity and heterogeneity is inextricably linked, enhancing both structural and functional connectivity within ecosystems. Structural connectivity is maintained through the physical integration of separate habitat patches, while functional connectivity involves the movement of species and ecological processes that occur within and between these patches. By moving livestock, mobile pastoralists help create a single functioning system where these patches affect each other indirectly, maintaining a diverse and resilient ecosystem.
Furthermore, migration routes contribute to evolutionary connectivity for plant species, especially important in the context of climate change and other threats. As species shift their ranges to track suitable conditions, these routes help maintain genetic flow and adaptability. Despite the decline in mobile pastoralism, it still plays a crucial role in maintaining a connected protected area system integrated into the wider landscape.
Supporting and empowering mobile pastoralists is essential for conserving these migration routes. Conservation mechanisms, such as recognizing migration routes within the framework of Areas of Connectivity Conservation and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures, are vital for ensuring the continued ecological and evolutionary benefits of mobile pastoralism.
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