Livestock grazing is reducing the biodiversity of herbivores and pollinators worldwide, according to a new study led by University of Alberta researchers that examined the impact of grazing on a larger scale than ever before.
“We looked at the effects of livestock grazing on every continent except Antarctica and what it means for biodiversity,” said Alessandro Filazzola, lead author on the study and a Killam and NSERC post-doctoral fellow under the supervision of professors Jens Roland and JC Cahill in the Department of Biological Sciences.
“Livestock grazers consume the plants where they are found, which could have effects that trickle up the food web, such as reducing food resources for herbivores.”
The researchers compiled thousands of papers and more than 100 datasets comparing areas where livestock graze to areas without livestock. The results suggest decomposers benefit from grazing, but many other animal groups are negatively affected.
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