Livestock systems in developing countries are characterised by rapid change, driven by factors such as population growth, increases in the demand for livestock products as incomes rise, and urbanisation. Climate change is adding to the considerable development challenges posed by these drivers of change. How can livestock keepers take advantage of the increasing demand for livestock products, where this is feasible, and how can the livestock assets of the poor be protected in the face of changing and increasingly variable climates?

People’s perceptions of their environment

in high mountain rangelands ultimately

affect the fragile ecosystems on which

they depend, and thus their welfare. This is

especially true in developing countries,

where the livelihoods of people living in such ecosystems depend on grazing

livestock. The present study, conducted in the central mountain region of Peru, used photographs and Q methodology to investigate the criteria and preferences that shepherds and local administrators apply in making