Livestock, Degraded Ecosystems and Biodiversity

What is Biodiversity?

Examples from Important Western Ecosystems

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Habitat

Livestock Simplify Habitat Structure and Reduce Productivity

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Livestock and Productivity Loss
Aspen

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Livestock and Productivity Loss
Sage-Steppe

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Livestock Effects on Stream Habitat

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Effects of Habitat Change on Stream Invertebrate Functional Groups

Livestock and Productivity Loss
Riparian

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As the graph shows, increasing habitat structural complexity and increasing ecosystem productivity are related to increasing diversity, not only of habitats, but species of plants and animals

Now consider what removal of forage by livestock in the 11 western states implies for wildlife aside from the loss of habitat complexity

Forage Consumed by Livestock
in 11 Western States

Competition with Wildlife

Then, consider the impact of both habitat simplification and loss of productivity on plant and animal populations based on the following relationships…

Productivity Variation, Climate and Extinction

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