An overheating planet and its effects have disrupted the biological clocks of an important bovine species in the Himalayan highlands, potentially upsetting the balance of the ecosystem.
What's happening?
Ramlallan Yadav, a technical officer at the Yak Genetic Research Centre, told Mongabay India that yak breeding season has shifted dramatically over the past decade because of rising temperatures.
Mating patterns used to occur in June and July but have moved to September and are heavily dependent on grass availability. According to Sapunii Stephen Hanah, a senior researcher at India's National Research Centre on Yak, the species thrives as more fodder becomes more abundant, and that health improvement causes female yaks to begin to ovulate.
Warmer climates, erratic and intensifying rainfall, an increase in invasive plant species, and shrub encroachment, though, have degraded pasturelands and thus affected the well-being of a creature uniquely adapted to the high altitude of the Himalayas.
"The forage productivity and availability, and the local weather conditions, such as timely rainfall during onset of spring, are the most important factors," Shanker Raj Barsila, an associate professor at Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan, Nepal, said. "... However, grasslands are degrading, and there is additional grazing overlapping pressure from mountain sheep and goats."
While herds in controlled settings such as farms haven't displayed any behavioral changes, "nomadic yak herders face significant challenges in providing feed and fodder, especially during the winter season," Hanah added.
Why is the altered yak mating season concerning?
A study cited by Mongabay found that there are just 13 to 14 million yaks, most of which are in China. Nearby countries have experienced dwindling populations; there has been a 25% decline in yak numbers in India, from 77,000 in 2012 to 58,000 in 2019.
It's a concerning development, as "Yaks are the lifeline of this region," according to Yadav, and a flagship species in the Hindu Kush. Mongabay cited information from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, which noted that yaks are crucial in maintaining agrobiodiversity and alpine ecosystems.
They are also key cultural symbols and provide food and income for communities through their meat, milk, and wool.
What's being done about the declining yak population?
Hanah called for governments to "provide financial assistance and subsidies" and implement "regular training and education on scientific management systems, protection and restoration of pasturelands, improved veterinary services, and market development."
Meanwhile, ICIMOD suggested a transboundary approach among Nepal, India, and Bhutan to support herding communities and the species.
Through one of the organization's initiatives, representatives from the three countries have unanimously supported exchanging yak germplasm, which can boost genetic diversity and ensure the species' long-term conservation.
Investing in similar solutions has helped restore bison populations in the United States and create the closest genetic approximation of a long-extinct cattle species in Europe.
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