Environmental Consequences of Livestock Intensification on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Abstract

Intensive farming of livestock has contributed to high global production of food, but livestock intensification has also caused a great deal of environmental pressure on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This review critically summarizes the ecological impacts of intensive livestock farming based on recent research into habitat destruction, loss of species, nutrient enrichment, greenhouse gas emissions and degrading ecosystem services. It explores moving away from traditional grazing and production systems and how land-use change, excessive resource use and waste production impacts terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The review also assesses effects on soil quality, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, water resources, air quality and ecosystem resilience, under intensive production systems. The potential for precision livestock farming, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, environmental monitoring, and climate-smart practices to minimize ecological impacts and maintain productivity are discussed. The future research priorities focus on integrated assessments of biodiversity, long-term monitoring of ecosystems, adaptive management and frameworks for conservation based on policy. The review shows that mitigating the negative impacts of livestock intensification will need a multidisciplinary, multi-scale approach that integrates technological innovation, sustainable resource management, ecological restoration and evidence-based decision making, to improve biodiversity conservation, ecosystem stability, climate resilience and long-term agricultural sustainability in different situations around the world and in the context of various production landscapes.