Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau

The need for water quality research on the Tibetan plateau has arisen after the rangeland was allocated and leased as pasture grounds to individual nomadic families in the 1990s. These policies changed the access to water sources. The imposed fencing of the pasture tenures makes the situation even m...

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Main Authors: Mika Sillanpää, Riina-Maarit Hulkkonen, Angela Manderscheid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Septentrio Academic Publishing 2004-04-01
Series:Rangifer
Subjects:
Online Access:https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1723
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spelling doaj-cd1127a8dae4423fbc33b38f14c1e7c62020-11-25T02:22:57ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingRangifer1890-67292004-04-0124410.7557/2.24.4.17231604Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateauMika SillanpääRiina-Maarit HulkkonenAngela ManderscheidThe need for water quality research on the Tibetan plateau has arisen after the rangeland was allocated and leased as pasture grounds to individual nomadic families in the 1990s. These policies changed the access to water sources. The imposed fencing of the pasture tenures makes the situation even more delicate. Nomadic families are now obliged to use only water sources existing on their own site. The restrictions have caused the urge to use all available water, which resulted in increasing water quality and quantity problems. In the past, natural water sources were in common use. During the Collective era, machine-dug wells near the collective settlements facilitated the procurement of drinking water. Based on recent investigations in Dzoge county (Sichuan province), the nomadic families of some regions considered the availability of adequate drinking water for humans and animals as their biggest problem. For this study, eight water samples were collected from the Dzoge county area. All samples were from different kinds of sources, but all in continuous use by humans and animals. The samples were analyzed for typical potable water quality factors (hygienic and technique-aesthetic). The results show that the Chinese national guideline values were exceeded for NO4-N and PO4-P in most open sampling locations. Those parameters do not spoil the water by themselves, but together with suspended solids and organic materials produce a great environment for bacteria like E. coli and fecal streptococci to grow. The result analysis and pictures seen from the location reveal that bacterial growth may be the biggest problem in water quality. Even primitive protection around the water source (i.e. concrete rings, wooden barriers around edges, covers) seem to have a great impact on water quality.https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1723alpine pasturespastoralismTibetwater qualityaccess to water resourcesanimal husbandry
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Mika Sillanpää
Riina-Maarit Hulkkonen
Angela Manderscheid
spellingShingle Mika Sillanpää
Riina-Maarit Hulkkonen
Angela Manderscheid
Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau
Rangifer
alpine pastures
pastoralism
Tibet
water quality
access to water resources
animal husbandry
author_facet Mika Sillanpää
Riina-Maarit Hulkkonen
Angela Manderscheid
author_sort Mika Sillanpää
title Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau
title_short Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau
title_full Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau
title_fullStr Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau
title_full_unstemmed Drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern Tibetan plateau
title_sort drinking water quality in the alpine pastures of the eastern tibetan plateau
publisher Septentrio Academic Publishing
series Rangifer
issn 1890-6729
publishDate 2004-04-01
description The need for water quality research on the Tibetan plateau has arisen after the rangeland was allocated and leased as pasture grounds to individual nomadic families in the 1990s. These policies changed the access to water sources. The imposed fencing of the pasture tenures makes the situation even more delicate. Nomadic families are now obliged to use only water sources existing on their own site. The restrictions have caused the urge to use all available water, which resulted in increasing water quality and quantity problems. In the past, natural water sources were in common use. During the Collective era, machine-dug wells near the collective settlements facilitated the procurement of drinking water. Based on recent investigations in Dzoge county (Sichuan province), the nomadic families of some regions considered the availability of adequate drinking water for humans and animals as their biggest problem. For this study, eight water samples were collected from the Dzoge county area. All samples were from different kinds of sources, but all in continuous use by humans and animals. The samples were analyzed for typical potable water quality factors (hygienic and technique-aesthetic). The results show that the Chinese national guideline values were exceeded for NO4-N and PO4-P in most open sampling locations. Those parameters do not spoil the water by themselves, but together with suspended solids and organic materials produce a great environment for bacteria like E. coli and fecal streptococci to grow. The result analysis and pictures seen from the location reveal that bacterial growth may be the biggest problem in water quality. Even primitive protection around the water source (i.e. concrete rings, wooden barriers around edges, covers) seem to have a great impact on water quality.
topic alpine pastures
pastoralism
Tibet
water quality
access to water resources
animal husbandry
url https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1723
work_keys_str_mv AT mikasillanpaa drinkingwaterqualityinthealpinepasturesoftheeasterntibetanplateau
AT riinamaarithulkkonen drinkingwaterqualityinthealpinepasturesoftheeasterntibetanplateau
AT angelamanderscheid drinkingwaterqualityinthealpinepasturesoftheeasterntibetanplateau
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