Recent land use and management changes decouple the adaptation of livestock diversity to the environment

Native livestock breeds are locally adapted domesticated animals that conserve genetic resources, support food security and provide agroecosystem services, yet they are threatened by agricultural intensification and rural abandonment. Knowledge gaps about breed–environment relationships hinder effective conservation. This study analyzes links between livestock diversity (richness of native breeds) and broad-scale environmental factors over time, comparing distributions before and after agricultural intensification in mainland Spain. Strong associations exist between native breed distributions and environmental factors, but these weaken in contemporary distributions, reflecting a shift toward more productive environments. Areas with higher breed richness are undergoing land abandonment. Effective conservation of threatened native breeds requires integrating ecological and sociocultural perspectives, beyond genetic and production-oriented views, as global change processes shape livestock agrobiodiversity.

Elena Velado-Alonso, Ignacio Morales-Castilla, Antonio Gómez-Sal