S9317716 Cohen This project involves the dissertation research of a student in cultural anthropology from Columbia University. The student will investigate human exploitation of a grasslands region of northern China. Using survey techniques as well as in-depth interviews and participant observation in a sample of Mongol herding households, the student will investigate the people's concepts of range management and conservation. This research is important because it will contribute to our understanding of the process of land degradation in a large area of the world. Advanced understanding of the concepts and understandings of peasant-herding families can help planners design programs to ameliorate the problem of land degradation. The project also contributes to the scientific capacity of the US by training a student in both the critical area of resource conservation and in area studies of northern China. ***
