Talk on An insight of yaks' natural and social features on the Asian Highlands

Cambridge Central Asia Forum invites you to a talk

 on

An insight of yaks' natural and social features on the Asian Highlands

with

Ruijun Long, Lanzhou University & Head, Tibetan Rangeland

Date: 13 June

Time: 11am-1pm

Venue: Room S2, Alison Richard Building & Online Zoom registration link: https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/CKbftfEzQDa9PMk6OGRBIQ#/registration

Everyone is welcome.

Abstract: The yak (Bos grunniens), an indigenous herbivore raised at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 m above sea level. The total yak population (~20 million) is closely linked to more than 40 ethnic communities in the Asian highlands. It plays a vital role in the ecological stability, livelihood and food security, socio-economic development, and ethnic cultural traditions across the alpine regions of South Asia, Central Asia, and China. They provide the highlanders with meat, milk, fibre, leather, and dung (fuel). They are also used for the transportation of goods, travelling, as well as ploughing, and hold importance in many religious and traditional ceremonies. The Asian highlands are known for an extremely, harsh environment, namely low air temperature and oxygen content and high ultraviolet light. After long-term natural selection processes, yaks have adapted excellently to the harsh conditions not only at the genetic, physiological, histological, and rumen microbial features, but also evolve the advantages of low methane (CH4) emission and urinary nitrogen excretion in response to the shortage of forage grass in the rangelands during the cold season, thereby obtaining ‘low-carbon’ and ‘nitrogen-saving’ traits, and thus shaping them to be environmentally friendly ruminant species. We calculated that the CH4 emission of the total yak population is 43% lower than the current IPPC Tier2 emissions estimates, confirming the low CH4 emissions feature of this indigenous Bovidae. A better understanding the multifunctionality of yaks’ pastoralism will be in improving its management and gaining benefits in ecosystem services and a more resilient livelihood and nomadic culture to climate change in the Asian highlands.

Biography: Professor Ruijin Long is the Director of the International Centre for Tibetan Plateau Ecosystem Management, Lanzhou University and the Head of the Tibetan Rangeland and Yak Research Institute, Lanzhou University.