The Mongolian pastoral nomads relied on their animals for
survival and moved their habitat several times a year in search
of water and grass for their herds. Their lifestyle was precarious,
as their constant migrations prevented them from transporting
reserves of food or other necessities. Rarely having the luxury
of surpluses to tide them through difficult times, they were
extremely vulnerable to the elements. Heavy snows, ice, and
droughts (judging from contemporary times, droughts afflicted
Mongolia about twice a decade) jeopardized their flocks and
herds and heightened their sense of fragility. The spread
of disease among the livestock could also spell disaster.
Herders hunted and farmed to a limited extent but were dependent
on trade with China in times of crisis.
"Mongolian Herders Struggling to Survive,"
by John Leicester, in Mongol Tolbo 21 (March 2001): 6-7.