Transhumance
- Variable relationship:
Commons using actor groups that are able to move across a landscape (Actor Mobility) in order to make use of multiple commons (Commons Alternatives) are more adaptive (Actor Adaptive Capacity) to fluctations in the availability of any particular commons. This arrangement also helps to avoid the exhaustion of any given local commons (Commons Condition Trend).
This mobility and its adaptive functionality is frequently coupled with flexible group boundaries regarding commons access (Commons Boundary Negotiability) that allow ad hoc arrangements to be made about who is allowed to use this commons and under what conditions. The importance of these connections is increased under conditions of low resource productivity (Productivity) and unpredictability (Inter-annual Predictability, Intra-annual Predictability).
The most common example of this phenomenon is transhumance, or the seasonal movement of natural resoure users and livestock, frequently from lowland areas in the winter to highland areas in the summer. Popular examples of this include African pastoralist societies (see Niamir-Fuller 1998).
- Project
- SESMAD
- Sector(s)
- Scientific Field
- Component Type(s)
- Natural Resource Unit, Natural Resource System
- Status
- Public
Variables
| Variable | Role | Role Explanation | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commons user mobility | Underlying independent variable | High actor mobility enables the actor group to move to different commons and adapt to changes in any one of them. | High |
| Property regime | Underlying independent variable | Transhumance communities generally use common property to manage their commons, as this is an additional adaptation to resource-scarce conditions. | Common property |
| Commons alternatives | Proximate independent variable | High mobility enables an actor group to use multiple commons, which increases its adaptive capacity. | Easily access other commons |
| Commons boundary negotiability | Moderating independent variable | The access to alternative commons is frequently enabled by rules regarding the use of these resources that create negotiable boundaries over who is allowed to use them. | Negotiable |
| Productivity | Moderating independent variable | Low levels of productivity may necessitate increased mobility and coordination on the part of resource users, since no one of them has the ability to sustain themselves with their own resources. | Poorly productive |
| Inter annual predictability | Moderating independent variable | Low intra-annual predictability makes the ability of commons users to move and adapt to changing conditions more desirable, increasing their adaptive capacity. | Low |
| Intra annual predictability | Moderating independent variable | Low intra-annual predictability makes the ability of commons users to move and adapt to changing conditions more desirable, increasing their adaptive capacity. | Low |
| Actor adaptive capacity | Final outcome | As a result of the ability to move through separate commons, the livelihood diversity of the group enables it to adapt to increasing scarcity in any one of them is increased. | Increased |
| Commons condition trend | Final outcome | The mobility of the resource users enables them to avoid over-harvesting from any particular localized commons, which helps the commons recover and avoid exhaustion. | Remained the same or improved |
Related Theories
| Theory | Relationship | Characterizing Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Roving banditry | contradictory |