Jan.
23, 2013 — Amongst the range of domestic livestock species, the goat is
not just the 'black sheep' but a resource of survival in impoverished countries,
and many breeds are at great risk of disappearing. This is the case according
to researchers of the Regional Service of Agro-Food Research and Development in
their first monographic study tackling the global impact of this species.
A study from the Regional Service of Agro-Food Research and Development (SERIDA) has analysed the situation of the global goat population.
The study took into account the state of different breeds, the multiple implications of their conservation, the interaction with other animal species (wild and domestic) and the consequences of goat grazing from an environmental point of view.
"The risk of the gene pool of the goat disappearing has increased due to intensive animal husbandry systems that use a very limited number of breeds. Strangely enough, the biggest loss in the genetic resources of indigenous animals has been observed in Europe, although the situation is unknown in many areas," as explained to SINC by Rocío Rosa García, researcher at SERIDA and coauthor of the study.
The bad reputation given to goats stems from one of its main virtues: it has an extraordinary capacity to adapt to the most difficult of environmental conditions in places where other domestic livestock species would not survive.
"It is a reality that the grazing of these animals can cause damaging effects on the environment but ecosystems become overloaded because of inadequate practices of handling," ensures the scientist.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!