What is the Difference between Transhumance and Nomadic Pastoralism?

Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry. It is the movement of herders with their herds to other areas for grazing and herding purposes. Transhumance and nomadic pastoralism are two types of pastoralism.

Transhumance

Transhumance is the regular and seasonal movement of the herders for livestock farming. Only the animal herds along with a few important people travel, the rest of the population stays back at the base. They prefer higher pasturelands in summer and low valleys in winter. They repeat this cycle every year and only go to the trails and lands they know. They practise temporary crop cultivation in the areas they travel to. It has been practised traditionally all over the world, especially in Europe and Western Asia.

Nomadic Pastoralism

Nomadic pastoralism is the irregular movement of herders seeking fresh lands for their herd to graze on. They do not follow a pattern in their movement, and are hence called nomads. They prefer higher plateaus in summers and desert plains in winter. Their livestocks include cattles, yaks, llamas, sheeps, goats, horses, donkeys, camels, etc. These nomads are commonly found in Eurasia, central Asia and Sahel regions of the West and North Africa.

Let us find the differences between transhumance and nomadic pastoralism.

Transhumance	Nomadic Pastoralism
Definition
Transhumance is the regular movement of herders with their livestock for herding and grazing.	Nomadic Pastoralism is the irregular movement of the herds to seek fresh pasture.
Region
It is mainly practised in mountainous highlands and valleys.	It is practised in regions with arable lands.
Movement
Regular and predictable	Irregular and unpredictable

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between nomadic and pastoral?

Nomadics are a group of people who keep moving in search of a home, whereas pastorals are people whose occupation is to take care of the livestock.

What is the difference between nomadic herding and ranching?

Nomadic herding is the phenomenon where herders grow crops secondary to the livestock grazing, and ranching is where crops are grown primarily and commercially.

Is nomadic herding commercial or subsistence?

Nomadic herding is subsistence, where crop cultivation is secondary to livestock grazing.