How were the routes of desert pastoralists different from Himalayan pastoralists?

Desert routes depended more on scattered water and fodder availability

Pastoral routes are shaped by the resources needed by animals and people. In desert regions, water and fodder are scarce and may be available only at separated places. Pastoralists therefore plan routes around wells, seasonal grazing areas and other scattered resources. Himalayan pastoralists also move seasonally, but their movement is strongly connected with changes in altitude, snow and mountain pastures.

Option A is correct because it identifies the main contrast: desert journeys depend more directly on scattered water and fodder. Melting snow is associated with some mountain conditions, not the defining basis of desert routes. The claim that Himalayan pastoralists never changed altitude is false, and neither group used only sea routes. The geography of each region explains the different movement patterns.

This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: Pastoralists in the Modern World. Topic: Pastoral Nomads and their Movements.