Traditional herders’ ecological knowledge and its importance a case study in the mountain forest steppe region in Mongolia
Researchers collaborating closely with traditional ecological knowledge holders, such as herders, farmers, and fishers increasingly show that traditional ecological knowledge and management are crucial for effective nature conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity.
Our objectives were to understand how Mongolian herders partition their landscape, how they perceive ongoing ecological changes, and to assess how viable traditional herding practices are, documented 80 years ago, in present-day Mongolia.

Since 2017, we have conducted indoor and outdoor interviews with 109 herders in the mountain forest-steppe region in Mongolia, including long-term participatory fieldwork and many landscape walks on various pastures. During our collaborations, we collected comprehensive data and documented 153 folk plant taxa, 88 habitat types and landscape change perceptions and traditional herding practices. Meanwhile, we had a chance to build a close collaboration with herders, which is a crucial step for working together effectively.
Date: 12 May 2025, 14:00
Venue: Dyson Perrins Building, off South Parks Road OX1 3QY
Venue Details: Desert Room
Speaker: Gantuya (Batdelger)
Organising department: School of Geography and the Environment
Organiser: Ariell Ahearn (School of Geography and the Environment)
Organiser contact email address: ariell.ahearn@ouce.ox.ac.uk
Part of: SoGE Economy and Society Cluster Events
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Public
Editor: Ariell Ahearn Ligham