the political economy of changing property rights: dismantling a pastoral commons

Ensminger, Jean; Rutten, Andrew

doi:10.1525/ae.1991.18.4.02a00030

Cited by 65 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Overall, the study indicates that communal land ownership, which forms the basis for pastoralism, is under pressure as a result of state intervention and natural challenges, as also depicted by several other studies in pastoral areas (Blench, 2001;Markakis, 2004;Ensminger and Rutten, 1991;Helland, 2002). Though the same collective property rights might be shared, the individual capability of the right holder to utilize the resource varies to a great extent.…”

Section: Summary and Policy Implicationssupporting

confidence: 69%

The transformation of the Afar commons in Ethiopia: State coercion, diversification and property rights change among pastoralists

Hundie¹,

Padmanabhan²

2008

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Section: Summary and Policy Implicationssupporting

confidence: 69%

The transformation of the Afar commons in Ethiopia: State coercion, diversification and property rights change among pastoralists

Hundie¹,

Padmanabhan²

2008

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“…Most pastoralists today cannot move as far or as frequently as their predecessors (Ensminger and Rutten 1991;Fratkin et al 1999), and herders are forced to use smaller parcels of land more intensively. As a result of these processes, boma densities have increased dramatically in some parts of East Africa (Lamprey and Reid 2004), with detrimental impacts on widlife (Ogutu et al 2010).…”

Section: Bomas In the Modern Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons on the relationship between livestock husbandry and biodiversity from the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE)

et al. 2012

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Although livestock and wildlife share most of their ranges worldwide, little controlled experimental research has been done on their interactions. Since 1995 we have been manipulating the presence of cattle and large wild ungulates in a Kenyan savanna rangeland in order to better understand the nature of competition and coexistence between these two guilds of herbivores and how they affect biodiversity. In a replicated experiment in which different combinations of cattle and wild herbivores are allowed access to large-scale plots, we have been monitoring the impacts of these herbivores on vegetation, on the wild herbivores, and cattle themselves, and on a variety of other taxa. We have also been conducting experimental research to examine other ways in which livestock management in eastern Africa might affect biodiversity. These include studies on the impacts of fire, livestock corrals, and changes in tree density. This research has revealed the following patterns. (1) Cattle suppress many species of wild herbivores, presumably through competition for their shared resources. The nature of this competition, however, is contingent on rainfall and the presence of other herbivores. (2) Wild herbivores both compete with and facilitate cattle, depending on rainfall. (3) The pastoral practice of housing livestock nightly in protective corral enclosures ("bomas") over time produces long-lived nutrient hotspots preferred by both livestock and wild herbivores. (4) Fire, frequently used by pastoralists in the past, is valuable for improving grass quality, with benefits for many species of wild herbivores. (5) Pastoral practices that reduce woody cover, including burning and boma construction, create local habitat patches that are preferred by wild herbivores, apparently for their greater anti-predator visibility. (6) Despite competition between livestock and wild herbivores, coexistence between these two guilds can be managed, and there are several positive (facilitative) pathways between livestock husbandry and wild herbivores and other biodiversity.

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“…New economic norms of pasture leasing are present, but at this time they are not the dominant mechanism of maintaining mobility and access in the post-subdivision environment. Previous research suggests that land tenure and economic changes would challenge the ongoing viability and strength of social and cultural ties in pastoral societies (Kituyi 1990, Ensminger 1991 however, the widespread emergence of sharing mechanisms questions the inevitability of these assertions. Those pursuing collective strategies do so both for economic expediency and for productive reasons -in an effort to access additional forage resources and re-create access to a full compliment of pasture types.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Group Ranch Subdivision: Collective Action for Livestock Mobility, Ecological Viability, and Livelihoods

2007

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This paper leverages datasets and results from two separate studies carried out across eight Kajiado group ranches and offers a unique opportunity to look at emergent pre-and postsubdivision trends from an interdisciplinary framework that combines ecological, political, and human-ecological research perspectives. It provides insights into the following issues: the loss of flexibility and mobility for Maasai herders' dues to subdivision, the nature of collective activities that individuals pursue after subdivision, and the emergence of pasture sharing arrangements.NDVI profiles show that forage options for individual herders decrease dramatically under privatization, but rebound somewhat when parcels are shared between households located adjacent to each other. Interviews show that households redistribute portions of their herds for long periods and swap/share pastures. Parcel sharing translates into more grazing flexibility, particularly when it occurs between households in different locations. The Maasai also continue to develop and finance collective structures for the provision and maintenance of boreholes, earthen dams, schools and health clinics. Although new economic innovation characterizes some of these strategies, most are grounded within traditional social networking mores. There is need for policy makers to support these efforts as they evolve.

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the political economy of changing property rights: dismantling a pastoral commons

Cited by 65 publications

References 22 publications

The transformation of the Afar commons in Ethiopia: State coercion, diversification and property rights change among pastoralists

The transformation of the Afar commons in Ethiopia: State coercion, diversification and property rights change among pastoralists

Lessons on the relationship between livestock husbandry and biodiversity from the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE)

Beyond Group Ranch Subdivision: Collective Action for Livestock Mobility, Ecological Viability, and Livelihoods

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