Realities and myths of the Teresken Syndrome--an evaluation of the exploitation of dwarf shrub resources in the Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan.

In the Eastern Pamirs extensive livestock herding is the predominant land use option and dwarf shrubs – teresken (Krascheninnikovia ceratoides) and to a lesser extent wormwood (Artemisia spp.) – are an important source of thermal energy and are crucial forage plants, particularly in winter. For the post-Soviet period, many papers and reports suggest rapidly increasing exploitation rates with sometimes alarming figures for degradation. Conventional knowledge about the Pamirs pinpoints the frightening and irreversible extraction of teresken as a dwindling resource causing land degradation – termed the ‘Teresken Syndrome’. However, these publications are based on limited empirical evidence. This paper discusses the socio-economic role of dwarf shrubs as fuel and forage – today and in the past – and provides an overview of the extent of dwarf shrub distribution and degraded areas.