That makes it much easier for families to take care of large herds of animals. One family might have 200 – 3000 animals that they take care of. People move around so that the grass has time to grow back after animals eat it.
Nomadic Mongolians are able to live alongside their animals in very rural environments because their animals traditionally provide almost everything for them! The meat and dairy products that make up the Mongolian diet are all provided by animals. So are the clothes that they wear, as well as the fabric that their homes are made out of (felt). And in the past, when Mongolians wanted other products (like silk, flour and other luxury products), they used animal furs to trade with their neighbors (like the Chinese).
Now, most products are much easier to get than they were in the past, but animal herding is still an important part of the Mongolian lifestyle. So, if future generations of Mongolians want to be able to do the same, they have to make sure to protect the environment.
The biggest problem is desertification. A mixture of climate change and human factors have led to the Gobi desert, located in southern Mongolia, to grow bigger and bigger. Steppes that used to have green grass and other plants are now sandy, with very little water. The land can’t support the animals and people that try to survive on it. Besides climate change, the ways that people use the land often hurt it.
Cashmere, very fine wool from goats, makes a lot of money. Because of that, lots of Mongolians are raising more goats than ever before!
