Unforeseen plant phenotypic diversity in a dry and grazed world.

Earth harbours an extraordinary plant phenotypic diversity1 that is at risk from ongoing global changes2,3. However, it remains unknown how increasing aridity and livestock grazing pressure-two major drivers of global change4-6-shape the trait covariation that underlies plant phenotypic diversity1,7. Here we assessed how covariation among 20 chemical and morphological traits responds to aridity and grazing pressure within global drylands. Our analysis involved 133,769 trait measurements spanning 1,347 observations of 301 perennial plant species surveyed across 326 plots from 6 continents. Crossing an aridity threshold of approximately 0.7 (close to the transition between semi-arid and arid zones) led to an unexpected 88% increase in trait diversity. This threshold appeared in the presence of grazers, and moved toward lower aridity levels with increasing grazing pressure. Moreover, 57% of observed trait diversity occurred only in the most arid and grazed drylands, highlighting the phenotypic uniqueness of these extreme environments. Our work indicates that drylands act as a global reservoir of plant phenotypic diversity and challenge the pervasive view that harsh environmental conditions reduce plant trait diversity8-10. They also highlight that many alternative strategies may enable plants to cope with increases in environmental stress induced by climate change and land-use intensification.

Ancient herders enriched and restructured African grasslands.

Grasslands are one of the world's most extensive terrestrial biomes and are central to the survival of herders, their livestock and diverse communities of large wild mammals1-3. In Africa, tropical soils are predominantly nutrient-limited4-6 but productive grassy patches in wooded grassland savannah ecosystems2,4 grow on fertile soils created by geologic and edaphic factors, megafauna, fire and termites4-6. Mobile pastoralists also create soil-fertility hotspots by penning their herds at night, which concentrates excrement-and thus nutrients-from grazing of the surrounding savannahs7-11. Historical anthropogenic hotspots produce high-quality forage, attract wildlife and increase spatial heterogeneity in African savannahs4,12-15. Archaeological research suggests this effect extends back at least 1,000 years16-19 but little is known about nutrient persistence at millennial scales. Here we use chemical, isotopic and sedimentary analyses to show high nutrient and 15N enrichment in on-site degraded dung deposits relative to off-site soils at five Pastoral Neolithic20 sites (radiocarbon dated to between 3,700 and 1,550 calibrated years before present (cal. BP)). This study demonstrates the longevity of nutrient hotspots and the long-term legacy of ancient herders, whose settlements enriched and diversified African savannah landscapes over three millennia.

Human casualties are the dominant cost of human-wildlife conflict in India.

Reducing the costs from human-wildlife conflict, mostly borne by marginal rural households, is a priority for conservation. We estimate the mean species-specific cost for households suffering damages from one of 15 major species of wildlife in India. Our data are from a survey of 5,196 households living near 11 wildlife reserves in India, and self-reported annual costs include crop and livestock losses and human casualties (injuries and death). By employing conservative estimates from the literature on the value of a statistical life (VSL), we find that costs from human casualties overwhelm crop and livestock damages for all species associated with fatalities. Farmers experiencing a negative interaction with an elephant over the last year incur damages on average that are 600 and 900 times those incurred by farmers with negative interactions with the next most costly herbivores: the pig and the nilgai. Similarly, farmers experiencing a negative interaction with a tiger over the last year incur damage that is on average 3 times that inflicted by a leopard and 100 times that from a wolf. These cost differences are largely driven by differences in the incidence of human death and casualties. Our estimate of costs fluctuates across reserves, mostly due to a variation of human casualties. Understanding the drivers of human casualties and reducing their incidence are crucial to reducing the costs from human-wildlife conflict.Most of the tales were about animals, for the Jungle was always at their door. The deer and the pig grubbed up their crops, and now and again the tiger carried off a man at twilight, within sight of the village gates. "Tiger! Tiger!" (Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book, Collins Classics, 2010).

Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Heat Stress Management in Ruminant Livestock.

Heat stress impacts ruminant livestock production on varied levels in this alarming climate breakdown scenario. The drastic effects of the global climate change-associated heat stress in ruminant livestock demands constructive evaluation of animal performance bordering on effective monitoring systems. In this climate-smart digital age, adoption of advanced and developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is gaining traction for efficient heat stress management. AI has widely penetrated the climate sensitive ruminant livestock sector due to its promising and plausible scope in assessing production risks and the climate resilience of ruminant livestock. Significant improvement has been achieved alongside the adoption of novel AI algorithms to evaluate the performance of ruminant livestock. These AI-powered tools have the robustness and competence to expand the evaluation of animal performance and help in minimising the production losses associated with heat stress in ruminant livestock. Advanced heat stress management through automated monitoring of heat stress in ruminant livestock based on behaviour, physiology and animal health responses have been widely accepted due to the evolution of technologies like machine learning (ML), neural networks and deep learning (DL). The AI-enabled tools involving automated data collection, pre-processing, data wrangling, development of appropriate algorithms, and deployment of models assist the livestock producers in decision-making based on real-time monitoring and act as early-stage warning systems to forecast disease dynamics based on prediction models. Due to the convincing performance, precision, and accuracy of AI models, the climate-smart livestock production imbibes AI technologies for scaled use in the successful reducing of heat stress in ruminant livestock, thereby ensuring sustainable livestock production and safeguarding the global economy.

Predicted changes in distribution and grazing value of Stipa-based plant communities across the Eurasian steppe.

The Eurasian steppe is one of the world's largest continuous areas of grassland and has an important role in supporting livestock grazing, the most ubiquitous land use on Earth. However, the Eurasian steppe is under threat, from irrational grazing utilization, climate change, and resource exploitation. We used an ensemble modeling approach to predict the current and future distribution of Stipa-dominated plant communities in three important steppe subregions; the Tibetan Alpine, Central Asian, and Black Sea-Kazakhstan subregions. We combined this with an assessment of the grazing value of 22 Stipa species, the dominant grassland species in the area, to predict how grazing value might change under future climate change predictions. We found that the effects of changing climates on grazing values differed across the three subregions. Grazing values increased in the Tibetan alpine steppe and to a lesser extent in Central Asia, but there were few changes in the Black Sea-Kazakhstan subregion. The response of different species to changing climates varied with environmental variables. Finally, our trait-based assessment of Stipa species revealed variations in grazing value, and this had major effects on the overall grazing value of the region. Our results reinforce the importance of trait-based characteristics of steppe plant species, how these traits affect grazing value, and how grazing values will change across different areas of the Eurasian steppe. Our work provides valuable insights into how different species will respond to changing climates and grazing, with important implications for sustainable management of different areas of the vast Eurasian steppe ecosystem.

Anchoring grassland sustainability with a nature-based small burrowing mammal control strategy.

Over the last 40 years, a burrowing mammal eradication policy has been prevalent on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). This policy is based on similar burrowing mammal eradication programs in other areas and is justified on the assumptions that burrowing mammals compete with livestock for forage and contribute to grassland degradation. However, there is no clear theoretical or experimental evidence supporting these assumptions. This paper synthesizes the ecological functioning of small burrowing mammals in natural grasslands and discusses the irrationality and consequences of burrowing mammal eradication for sustainable livestock grazing and grassland degradation. Past burrowing mammal eradication efforts have failed because increased food availability for the remaining rodents and reduced predator populations led to rapid population rebounds. Herbivores differ in diet, and there is clear evidence that burrowing mammals, especially plateau zokors Myospalax baileyi, have a different diet than livestock. In QTP meadows, burrowing mammal eradication induces a shift towards plant communities with fewer species preferred by livestock and more species preferred by burrowing mammals. Thus, eradicating burrowing mammals has the opposite effect, a reduction in livestock preferred vegetation. We suggest that the policy of poisoning burrowing mammals needs to be reconsidered and revoked as soon as possible. We argue that incorporating density-dependent factors such as predation and food availability are essential for maintaining a low burrowing mammal density. For degraded grasslands, we suggest that the optimal sustainable approach is to decrease the intensity of livestock grazing. Lower grazing induces changes in vegetation structure and plant species composition that increases predation on burrowing mammals and decreases the abundance of plants preferred by burrowing mammals. Such a nature-based grassland management system maintains the density of burrowing mammals at a low stable density while minimizing human management and interventions.

Consumption in Non-Pastoral Regions Drove Three-Quarters of Forage-Livestock Conflicts in China.

Forage-livestock conflict (FLC) is a major anthropogenic cause of rangeland degradation. It poses tremendous threats to the environment owing to its adverse impacts on carbon sequestration, water supply and regulation, and biodiversity conservation. Existing policy interventions focus on the in situ FLCs induced by local production activities but overlook the role of consumption activities in driving FLCs. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal variations in China's FLCs and the domestic final consumers at the county level by combining remote sensing data and multi-regional input-output model. Results show that during 2005-2015, China's pastoralism induced an average of 82 million tons of FLCs per year. Domestic final demand was responsible for 85-93% of the FLCs in China. There was spatiotemporal heterogeneity in domestic consumption driving China's FLCs. In particular, the final demand of non-pastoral regions was responsible for around three-quarters (74-79%) of the total FLCs throughout the decade. The rangeland-based livestock raising, agricultural and sideline product processing, and catering sectors are important demand-side drivers. These findings can support targeted demand-side strategies and interregional cooperation to reduce China's FLCs, thus mitigating rangeland degradation.

Environment to embryo: intersections of contaminant exposure and preimplantation embryo development in agricultural animals†.

Environmental impacts on reproductive function are well documented in humans, yet little information is known about the effects on large animals. The interface of environment and reproduction has evolved prudently with a concerted effort to ensure global food sustainability tightly integrated with the application of technological advances in agriculture production that include nutrient and resource management. Exposure to environmental toxicants through chemical pesticide application and industry practices has coincided with a decline in cattle and human fertility. The increased adoption of agriculture animals for human biomedical models further emphasizes the importance of understanding the consequences of livestock exposure to environmentally and physiologically relevant levels of contaminants to preimplantation embryo development. In addition, increased awareness of paternal contributions to the early embryo that include both genetic and nongenetic factors supports the need to define environmental interactions from gamete to genome. Herein we summarize current knowledge of common environmental contaminants on reproductive function including direct and indirect effects on embryo development success in livestock. Information obtained from a diverse number of species including humans is presented to illustrate gaps in knowledge within livestock directly pertaining to agriculture success, sustainability, clinical practice, and biomedical research.

Methods to quantify heat stress in ruminants: Current status and future prospects.

The physiology of hyperthermia or heat stress in mammals is complex. It is a totally systemic condition that in varying degrees involves all organs, tissues and body fluid compartments. The nature and magnitude of the response is influenced by animal specific characteristics (e.g. age, diet, body condition, gender, reproductive stage), environment and animal management. Given the multifaceted nature of heat stress, and the varied ruminant production systems based in varied geoclimatic zones, it has been difficult to find appropriate measures of heat stress for production ruminants. This has become an urgent challenge as production systems intensify globally in a warming climate. Bioclimatic indices such as the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) have evolved to incorporate some measure of animal physiology. However, these indices do not have strong relationships with core temperature trajectories and altered respiratory dynamics of animals with excessive heat load. In recent decades, the careful physiology studies of the 1950-80s, have given way to numerous studies trialling a plethora of new technologies and computational approached to measure heat stress. Infrared thermography of body surface temperatures, automated measures of respiration rate and radiotelemetry of internal body temperatures are the most intensively researched. The common goal has been to find the 'holy grail' decision-making threshold or timepoint as to the animal's wellbeing. Are we making any progress?

Rumen metaproteomics: Closer to linking rumen microbial function to animal productivity traits.

The rumen microbiome constitutes a dense and complex mixture of anaerobic bacteria, archaea, protozoa, virus and fungi. Collectively, rumen microbial populations interact closely in order to degrade and ferment complex plant material into nutrients for host metabolism, a process which also produces other by-products, such as methane gas. Our understanding of the rumen microbiome and its functions are of both scientific and industrial interest, as the metabolic functions are connected to animal health and nutrition, but at the same time contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. While many of the major microbial members of the rumen microbiome are acknowledged, advances in modern culture-independent meta-omic techniques, such as metaproteomics, enable deep exploration into active microbial populations involved in essential rumen metabolic functions. Meaningful and accurate metaproteomic analyses are highly dependent on representative samples, precise protein extraction and fractionation, as well as a comprehensive and high-quality protein sequence database that enables precise protein identification and quantification. This review focuses on the application of rumen metaproteomics, and its potential towards understanding the complex rumen microbiome and its metabolic functions. We present and discuss current methods in sample handling, protein extraction and data analysis for rumen metaproteomics, and finally emphasize the potential of (meta)genome-integrated metaproteomics for accurate reconstruction of active microbial populations in the rumen.

Carnivore conservation needs evidence-based livestock protection.

Carnivore predation on livestock often leads people to retaliate. Persecution by humans has contributed strongly to global endangerment of carnivores. Preventing livestock losses would help to achieve three goals common to many human societies: preserve nature, protect animal welfare, and safeguard human livelihoods. Between 2016 and 2018, four independent reviews evaluated >40 years of research on lethal and nonlethal interventions for reducing predation on livestock. From 114 studies, we find a striking conclusion: scarce quantitative comparisons of interventions and scarce comparisons against experimental controls preclude strong inference about the effectiveness of methods. For wise investment of public resources in protecting livestock and carnivores, evidence of effectiveness should be a prerequisite to policy making or large-scale funding of any method or, at a minimum, should be measured during implementation. An appropriate evidence base is needed, and we recommend a coalition of scientists and managers be formed to establish and encourage use of consistent standards in future experimental evaluations.

Phenomes: the current frontier in animal breeding.

Improvements in genomic technologies have outpaced the most optimistic predictions, allowing industry-scale application of genomic selection. However, only marginal gains in genetic prediction accuracy can now be expected by increasing marker density up to sequence, unless causative mutations are identified. We argue that some of the most scientifically disrupting and industry-relevant challenges relate to 'phenomics' instead of 'genomics'. Thanks to developments in sensor technology and artificial intelligence, there is a wide range of analytical tools that are already available and many more will be developed. We can now address some of the pressing societal demands on the industry, such as animal welfare concerns or efficiency in the use of resources. From the statistical and computational point of view, phenomics raises two important issues that require further work: penalization and dimension reduction. This will be complicated by the inherent heterogeneity and 'missingness' of the data. Overall, we can expect that precision livestock technologies will make it possible to collect hundreds of traits on a continuous basis from large numbers of animals. Perhaps the main revolution will come from redesigning animal breeding schemes to explicitly allow for high-dimensional phenomics. In the meantime, phenomics data will definitely enlighten our knowledge on the biological basis of phenotypes.

New residual feed intake criterion for longitudinal data.

BACKGROUND: Residual feed intake (RFI) is one measure of feed efficiency, which is usually obtained by multiple regression of feed intake (FI) on measures of production, body weight gain and tissue composition. If phenotypic regression is used, the resulting RFI is generally not genetically independent of production traits, whereas if RFI is computed using genetic regression coefficients, RFI and production traits are independent at the genetic level. The corresponding regression coefficients can be easily derived from the result of a multiple trait model that includes FI and production traits. However, this approach is difficult to apply in the case of multiple repeated measurements of FI and production traits. To overcome this difficulty, we used a structured antedependence approach to account for the longitudinality of the data with a phenotypic regression model or with different genetic and environmental regression coefficients [multi- structured antedependence model (SAD) regression model]. RESULTS: After demonstrating the properties of RFI obtained by the multi-SAD regression model, we applied the two models to FI and production traits that were recorded for 2435 French Large White pigs over a 10-week period. Heritability estimates were moderate with both models. With the multi-SAD regression model, heritability estimates were quite stable over time, ranging from 0.14 ± 0.04 to 0.16 ± 0.05, while heritability estimates showed a U-shaped profile with the phenotypic regression model (ranging from 0.19 ± 0.06 to 0.28 ± 0.06). Estimates of genetic correlations between RFI at different time points followed the same pattern for the two models but higher estimates were obtained with the phenotypic regression model. Estimates of breeding values that can be used for selection were obtained by eigen-decomposition of the genetic covariance matrix. Correlations between these estimated breeding values obtained with the two models ranged from 0.66 to 0.83. CONCLUSIONS: The multi-SAD model is preferred for the genetic analysis of longitudinal RFI because, compared to the phenotypic regression model, it provides RFI that are genetically independent of production traits at all time points. Furthermore, it can be applied even when production records are missing at certain time points.

Earliest isotopic evidence in the Maya region for animal management and long-distance trade at the site of Ceibal, Guatemala.

This study uses a multiisotope (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium) approach to examine early animal management in the Maya region. An analysis of faunal specimens across almost 2,000 years (1000 BC to AD 950) at the site of Ceibal, Guatemala, reveals the earliest evidence for live-traded dogs and possible captive-reared taxa in the Americas. These animals may have been procured for ceremonial functions based on their location in the monumental site core, suggesting that animal management and trade began in the Maya area to promote special events, activities that were critical in the development of state society. Isotopic evidence for animal captivity at Ceibal reveals that animal management played a greater role in Maya communities than previously believed.

DNA G-quadruplexes: functional significance in plant and farm animal science.

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical structures that can be formed in DNA and RNA sequences which carry four short runs of guanines. They are distributed in the whole genome but are enriched in gene promoter regions, gene UTRs and chromosome telomeres. The whole array of their functional roles is not fully explored yet but there is solid evidence supporting their implication in a number of processes like regulation of transcription, replication and telomere organization, among others. During the last decade, there is an increased research interest for G4s that has resulted in a better understanding of their role in several physiological and pathological conditions. On the other hand, these structures are poorly studied in plant species and animals of agricultural interest. Here, we summarize the current methods that are used for studying G4s, we review the studies concerning plants and farm animals and we discuss the advantages of a more thorough inclusion of G4s research in the agricultural sciences.

Current scenario and challenges ahead in application of spermatogonial stem cell technology in livestock.

PURPOSE: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the source for the mature male gamete. SSC technology in humans is mainly focusing on preserving fertility in cancer patients. Whereas in livestock, it is used for mining the factors associated with male fertility. The review discusses the present status of SSC biology, methodologies developed for in vitro culture, and challenges ahead in establishing SSC technology for the propagation of superior germplasm with special reference to livestock. METHOD: Published literatures from PubMed and Google Scholar on topics of SSCs isolation, purification, characterization, short and long-term culture of SSCs, stemness maintenance, epigenetic modifications of SSCs, growth factors, and SSC cryopreservation and transplantation were used for the study. RESULT: The fine-tuning of SSC isolation and culture conditions with special reference to feeder cells, growth factors, and additives need to be refined for livestock. An insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining stemness and proliferation of SSCs could facilitate the dissemination of superior germplasm through transplantation and transgenesis. The epigenetic influence on the composition and expression of the biomolecules during in vitro differentiation of cultured cells is essential for sustaining fertility. The development of surrogate males through gene-editing will be historic achievement for the foothold of the SSCs technology. CONCLUSION: Detailed studies on the species-specific factors regulating the stemness and differentiation of the SSCs are required for the development of a long-term culture system and in vitro spermatogenesis in livestock. Epigenetic changes in the SSCs during in vitro culture have to be elucidated for the successful application of SSCs for improving the productivity of the animals.

Environmental stress and livestock productivity in hot-humid tropics: Alleviation and future perspectives.

Tropical environments are characterized by persistently high temperature and relative humidity and the harsh environmental conditions pose a serious limitation on the optimal performance of the animals raised in this region. Heat stress causes deleterious effects on welfare, immunology and physiology of farm animals with a resultant impact on their productivity as the use of body resources is re-organized and the metabolic priorities of animals shift away from production, growth, health and reproduction. It is imperative to understand the mechanisms involved in the thermoregulation of animals under tropical conditions in order to develop appropriate strategies for their improvement. This review focuses on the available data on the increasing global temperature and the adverse impact of tropical conditions on animals' adaptive mechanism affected during thermal stress on production performance, intestinal and ileal microbiome, physiological responses, antioxidant system, metabolic responses, cellular and molecular response, adaptive mechanism strategies to heat stress and also strategies to palliate environmental stress on livestock under humid tropical conditions including environmental manipulation, genetic opportunity, epigenetic and feeding modification. Overall, the present review has identified the disturbance in the physiological indices of tropical livestock and the need for concerted efforts in ameliorating the adverse impacts of high ambient temperature aggravated by high humidity on livestock in tropical environments. Further research is needed on genotype-by-environment interaction on the thermotolerance of different livestock species in the tropics.

The Circadian Physiology: Implications in Livestock Health.

Circadian rhythms exist in almost all types of cells in mammals. Thousands of genes exhibit approximately 24 h oscillations in their expression levels, making the circadian clock a crucial regulator of their normal functioning. In this regard, environmental factors to which internal physiological processes are synchronized (e.g., nutrition, feeding/eating patterns, timing and light exposure), become critical to optimize animal physiology, both by managing energy use and by realigning the incompatible processes. Once the circadian clock is disrupted, animals will face the increased risks of diseases, especially metabolic phenotypes. However, little is known about the molecular components of these clocks in domestic species and by which they respond to external stimuli. Here we review evidence for rhythmic control of livestock production and summarize the associated physiological functions, and the molecular mechanisms of the circadian regulation in pig, sheep and cattle. Identification of environmental and physiological inputs that affect circadian gene expressions will help development of novel targets and the corresponding approaches to optimize production efficiency in farm animals.

Hippopotamus are distinct from domestic livestock in their resource subsidies to and effects on aquatic ecosystems.

In many regions of the world, populations of large wildlife have been displaced by livestock, and this may change the functioning of aquatic ecosystems owing to significant differences in the quantity and quality of their dung. We developed a model for estimating loading rates of organic matter (dung) by cattle for comparison with estimated rates for hippopotamus in the Mara River, Kenya. We then conducted a replicated mesocosm experiment to measure ecosystem effects of nutrient and carbon inputs associated with dung from livestock (cattle) versus large wildlife (hippopotamus). Our loading model shows that per capita dung input by cattle is lower than for hippos, but total dung inputs by cattle constitute a significant portion of loading from large herbivores owing to the large numbers of cattle on the landscape. Cattle dung transfers higher amounts of limiting nutrients, major ions and dissolved organic carbon to aquatic ecosystems relative to hippo dung, and gross primary production and microbial biomass were higher in cattle dung treatments than in hippo dung treatments. Our results demonstrate that different forms of animal dung may influence aquatic ecosystems in fundamentally different ways when introduced into aquatic ecosystems as a terrestrially derived resource subsidy.

Peripheral action of kisspeptin at reproductive tissues-role in ovarian function and embryo implantation and relevance to assisted reproductive technology in livestock: a review.

Kisspeptin (KISS1) is encoded by the KISS1 gene and was initially found to be a repressor of metastasis. Natural mutations in the KISS1 receptor gene (KISS1R) were subsequently shown to be associated with idiopathic hypothalamic hypogonadism and impaired puberty. This led to interest in the role of KISS1 in reproduction. It was established that KISS1 had a fundamental role in the control of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. KISS1 neurons have receptors for leptin and estrogen receptor α (ERα), which places KISS1 at the gateway of metabolic (leptin) and gonadal (ERα) regulation of GnRH secretion. More recently, KISS1 has been shown to act at peripheral reproductive tissues. KISS1 and KISS1R genes are expressed in follicles (granulosa, theca, oocyte), trophoblast, and uterus. KISS1 and KISS1R proteins are found in the same tissues. KISS1 appears to have autocrine and paracrine actions in follicle and oocyte maturation, trophoblast development, and implantation and placentation. In some studies, KISS1 was beneficial to in vitro oocyte maturation and blastocyst development. The next phase of KISS1 research will explore potential benefits on embryo survival and pregnancy. This will likely involve longer-term KISS1 treatments during proestrus, early embryo development, trophoblast attachment, and implantation and pregnancy. A deeper understanding of the direct action of KISS1 at reproductive tissues could help to achieve the next step change in embryo survival and improvement in the efficiency of assisted reproductive technology.