Climate change and the characterization, breeding and conservation of animal genetic resources

Abstract

Summary Livestock production both contributes to and is affected by climate change. In addition to the physiological effects of higher temperatures on individual animals, the consequences of climate change are likely to include increased risk that geographically restricted rare breed populations will be badly affected by disturbances. Indirect effects may be felt via ecosystem changes that alter the distribution of animal diseases or affect the supply of feed. Breeding goals may have to be adjusted to account for higher temperatures, lower quality diets and greater disease challenge. Species and breeds that are well adapted to such conditions may become more widely used. Climate change mitigation strategies, in combination with ever increasing demand for food, may also have an impact on breed and species utilization, driving a shift towards monogastrics and breeds that are efficient converters of feed into meat, milk and eggs. This may lead to the neglect of the adaptation potential of local breeds in developing countries. Given the potential for significant future changes in production conditions and in the objectives of livestock production, it is essential that the value provided by animal genetic diversity is secured. This requires better characterization of breeds, production environments and associated knowledge; the compilation of more complete breed inventories; improved mechanisms to monitor and respond to threats to genetic diversity; more effective in situ and ex situ conservation measures; genetic improvement programmes targeting adaptive traits in high‐output and performance traits in locally adapted breeds; increased support for developing countries in their management of animal genetic resources; and wider access to genetic resources and associated knowledge.

A Qualitative Evaluation of CSA Options in Mixed Crop-Livestock Systems in Developing Countries

“…The last several decades have seen species substitution in several parts of Africa, as a result of long-and/or short-term climate and vegetation changes. In parts of the Sahel, dromedaries have replaced cattle and goats have replaced sheep, in the wake of the droughts of the 1980s (Hoffmann 2010). In Ethiopia, smallholders are adopting goats and sheep rather than cattle in response to market opportunities: there is strong urban demand for meat, it is easier to sell small animals, and profits accrue more quickly and are generally less risky.…”

“…More widespread adoption of camels and goats in the drylands of Africa is now being observed in many other places -unlike cattle and sheep, browsers feed on shrubs and trees, and browse may be a relatively plentiful feed resource even in situations where herbaceous feed availability is declining. Livestock species substitution may also arise from considerations of GHG emissions, given that there are considerable differences in emissions and emission intensities between ruminant livestock production systems and monogastric systems producing chickens and pigs, for example (Hoffmann 2010).…”

Livestock production in a changing climate: adaptation and mitigation research in Australia

“…The lack of experimentation and simulation of livestock physiology and adaptation to climate change makes it difficult to predict impacts or develop adaptation strategies (Hoffmann 2010).…”

“…Species and breeds that are well adapted to such conditions may become more widely used (Hoffmann 2010). Genetic variability for heat tolerance within a species occurs within and between breeds.…”

Is cross-breeding with indigenous sheep breeds an option for climate-smart agriculture?

“…Climate-smart agriculture aims to improve food security by increasing productivity and producer incomes, strengthening resilience to climate change, and reducing GHG emissions (FAO 2013). Improved animal genetics has frequently been identified as a climate-smart approach that could increase animal and herd productivity while also improving adaptation to and mitigation of climate change (Hoffmann 2010;Gerber et al 2013b;Porter et al 2014). While the benefits of genetic improvement for achieving these objectives have been well documented in intensive production systems (e.g., Shook 2006;Sosnicki and Newman 2010), there have been few studies on the effects of breeding with indigenous animal genetic resources in more marginal production systems, where the adaptive traits of indigenous breeds can be expected to play a significant role in supporting resilience to climate change (Thornton et al 2007).…”