Pastoralism, or extensive grazing on rangelands for livestock production, is a key production system of the world’s dryland areas. It provides a livelihood for between 100 and 200 million people (CBD Secretariat 2010), supplies 10% of the world’s meat production through approximately one billion heads of livestock, and makes a significant economic contribution to some of the world’s poorest regions (FAO 2001; WISP 2010).

Guided tours to the reindeer herders are an established tourist attraction promoted by national and international tourism companies. In the West Taiga, tourists stay in tourist camps established beside the Shishged River, outside the summer pasture area. Herders from Camp 1 in the East Taiga prefer pastures close to the sum centre from May to September so that their camps are easily accessible to tourists. Apart from sporadic income fro...