See the connection between climate change and your livestock production!!!

from PxHere

Today, we are going to discuss the problem of climate change and how it affects animals, specifically how it affects cattle and how we can adapt. Also, I'll be discussing how climate change (namely, global warming) affects livestock in terms of their overall health and the quality of their lives, as well as the production and reproduction of their offspring, and how we could mitigate the negative consequences through successful adaptation. Today, we are going to discuss the problem of climate change and how it affects animals, specifically how it affects cattle and how we can adapt. Also, I'll be discussing how climate change (namely, global warming) affects livestock in terms of their overall health and the quality of their lives, as well as the production and reproduction of their offspring, and how we could mitigate the negative consequences through successful adaptation.

Global warming is growing, putting ecosystems, animal species variety, and food security in danger, and recently the intergovernmental group of experts on climate change assembled in South Korea to raise attention to the gravity of this crisis. Now, it's generally agreed that countries in both tropical and temperate zones, where high-ambient temperatures are becoming a problem, have good reason to worry about the thermal comfort of their agricultural animals. An increase in global animal production is needed over the coming decades to meet the surging demand for meat and other animal products. We may anticipate that climate change, especially global warming, will have more detrimental effects on livestock systems (whether based on grazing, mixed farming, or industrialized practices).

In their 2019 article, Pasqui and Di Giuseppe provide compelling evidence that the climate is indeed shifting. Extreme occurrences, like the number of hot days and the number of heat waves, are becoming more often as temperatures rise. Heat waves, which are the culmination of a prolonged period of extremely hot weather, can have serious consequences for human and animal health and production. In recent decades, scientists have made significant discoveries into the underlying processes that regulate Earth's climate, as well as the causes, effects, and consequences of global warming. Today, people are working to find ways to adapt to the climatic changes that have already begun and to reduce the trends in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

The cattle industry has spent the last 25 years prioritizing productivity increases, environmental changes, and better nutritional management above efforts to increase animals' natural tolerance to stress. Animals used for food production were much more productive as a result of this method, but they also became less tolerant of high temperatures (their thermal flexibility decreased). Resilience depends on domestic animals' capacity to adapt to new conditions, yet these processes might have unintended consequences for livestock operations' bottom lines. Gaining insight into the regulatory mechanisms governing these processes will pave the way for novel approaches to enhancing resistance to thermal stress.

Heat stress is highlighted as an example of an environmental stressor that Robert J Collier discusses in detail, along with the related concepts of acclimation and acclimatization. Acclimatization and adaptation are coordinated phenotypic responses to environmental stresses, and they degrade after the stressors are no longer present. In the long run, the acclimatization reaction will become "fixed" in the animal's DNA and the animal will have acclimated to its environment if it has been subjected to chronic stress for numerous generations. To better understand the genes involved in adaptation, it is helpful to learn more about the genetic variations between animals that have adapted to different environments. Data like these will be helpful in the search for genes that contribute to increased stress tolerance.

With an emphasis on adaptation, Rust provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on both extensive and intensive livestock production systems. A better understanding of how climate change may affect various livestock systems, as well as how best to adapt to this phenomenon, is crucial. Even in regions with challenging climates, the demand for livestock products is rising, prompting an increase in both the size and relative production output of livestock systems worldwide. Adaptation strategies for climate change will need to be tailored to the specifics of each livestock production system, which will vary depending on how extensively or intensively animals are raised.

There is no denying the detrimental effects of heat stress on animal health and wellbeing. Warmer temperatures and more frequent and severe heat waves are mostly to blame for the immediate consequences. These environmental factors can have devastating effects on animals, including metabolic changes, oxidative stress, and immunological suppression that can lead to infections and even death. Changes in the distribution and abundance of disease-causing microorganisms and the vectors that spread them, as well as the availability and quality of feedstuffs and drinking water, are examples of indirect impacts. To better prevent illnesses and to better mitigate and adjust the reactions of animals to heat stress, new methodologies, tools, and approaches to integrate climatic data with disease monitoring systems should be deployed in the future.

It has been shown that dairy cows all over the world have a significantly lower conception rate when the weather is hot and humid in the summer. Disruption of egg developmental competence, reduced embryonic growth and early embryonic mortality owing to impaired hormone production, altered ovarian follicular growth dynamics, inadequate development of the corpus luteum, and attenuated uterine endometrial responses are only some of the reproductive processes that can be negatively impacted by a body temperature of 39.5 °C. If we want to reduce the negative health effects of overexposure to heat, we must employ effective cooling strategies. Reduced summer heat stress is helpful, but it is not always adequate to maintain reproductive function once the stressor has been removed. To boost fertility, it is recommended that chilling be used in conjunction with other therapies. Heat-stressed dairy cows may need progesterone supplementation before and after artificial insemination, as well as treatments aimed at improving the timing of ovulation, the removal of impaired follicles, the induction of ovulation of healthy follicles, the transfer of embryos, and the success of pregnancy.

Reduced milk and meat output are a direct result of heat stress. Not only can heat have a significant and detrimental impact on production levels, but also on the quality of animal products. When it comes to milk, heat stress is especially detrimental to high-quality goods like the protected designation of origin cheeses from several European nations, which enjoy a worldwide reputation for excellence. Cheesemaking properties and the commercial value of milk are negatively impacted by heat stress. Producers and consumers alike will feel the effects of these shifts economically. As a general rule, beef cattle are less susceptible to heat stress than dairy cattle due to their slower metabolism and lower body heat production. Beef cattle not only cool down by panting, sweating, and urinating, but also by changing their activity level, drinking more water, and eating less food when the temperature outside rises. Reductions in male and female fertility are the result of these effects, and lower growth rates are observed across the board.

Why animals need to adapt, and what adaptation tactics will be most successful, are questions that Gaughan attempt to answer. The ability of an animal to adapt depends on several variables that are interconnected. Everything that can increase or decrease adaptability should be taken into account. It's common knowledge that breeding livestock to produce more offspring has made them more vulnerable to natural disasters. However, while using cows with a lower production rate may alleviate heat stress, this approach may also increase the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to heat stress, other stressors may have a significant impact on an organism's ability to function normally, so it's important to take all of these factors into account. Methods of adaptation consist of tweaks to the production system and the development of heat-resistant varieties. However, it is also important to consider potential ways to lessen the impact. Adjustments to methods of animal management fall into this category (nutritional interventions, manipulation of the rumen ecosystem, provision of shade, housing, fans, and sprinklers). Reducing the negative effects of climate change on livestock will require interdisciplinary approaches, including animal breeding, nutrition, housing, and health.

When it comes to meats from animals, the pig is a popular choice across the world. Main economic losses related to heat stress in the swine business include reduced and inconsistent growth, lower feed efficiency, poorer carcass quality (increased fat deposition and decreased protein accretion), poor sow performance, impaired reproductive performance (male and female), increased mortality (particularly in sows and market pigs), and morbidity. There is mounting evidence that a mother's exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy might negatively impact her child's development and later success in life. Heat stress will continue to hurt pork production efficiency and quality in the future as a result of several factors, including climate change predictions, rising pork production in tropical and subtropical regions, and enhanced genetic capacity for lean tissue accretion and fecundity. The major method of reducing the harmful consequences of heat stress is to make actual changes to the surrounding environment. Improvements in mitigation and adaptability of pigs to adverse environmental circumstances may also be aided by additional measures, such as nutritional adjustments and genetic enhancement.

In the not-too-distant future, ensuring reliable access to food and water will be a top concern for humanity. Around the same period, the planet will undergo a worldwide climatic shift, which will have repercussions on weather patterns all over and, in turn, on agriculture on a regional and global scale. It is now generally agreed that the planet is warming and that this warming is caused by humans and will continue for some time to come due to the length of time required for climate processes and feedback. Estimates for the warming of the Earth's surface air in the 21st-century range from 1.1 to 2.9 degrees Celsius in the "low scenario" to 2.4 to 6.4 degrees Celsius in the "high scenario." There will be a decline in production efficiency, a drop in the quality of animal products, an expansion of land desertification, and a worsening of animal health as a result of climate change in the coming decades, so decision-makers, research institutions, and extension services must support livestock activities to mitigate these effects as much as possible.

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REferences

Ali, M. Z., Carlile, G., & Giasuddin, M. (2020, May 14). Impact of global climate change on livestock health: Bangladesh perspective - PMC. PubMed Central (PMC); www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7419064/

Effects of climate changes on animal production and sustainability of livestock systems. (2010, March 2). Effects of Climate Changes on Animal Production and Sustainability of Livestock Systems - ScienceDirect; www.sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871141310000740

Bernabucci, U. (2019, January 1). Climate change: impact on livestock and how can we adapt | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic. OUP Academic; academic.oup.com. https://academic.oup.com/af/article/9/1/3/5272569

Carabaño, M. J., Ramón, M., Menéndez-Buxadera, A., Molina, A., & Díaz, C. (2019, January 1). Selecting for heat tolerance | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic. OUP Academic; academic.oup.com. https://academic.oup.com/af/article/9/1/62/5272574

Collier, R. J., Baumgard, L. H., Zimbelman, R. B., & Xiao, Y. (2019, January 1). Heat stress: physiology of acclimation and adaptation | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic. OUP Academic; academic.oup.com. https://academic.oup.com/af/article/9/1/12/5146549

Gaughan, J. B., Sejian, V., Mader, T. L., & Dunshea, F. R. (2019, January 1). Adaptation strategies: ruminants | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic. OUP Academic; academic.oup.com. https://academic.oup.com/af/article/9/1/47/5168810

Grossi, G., Goglio, P., Vitali, A., & Williams, A. G. (2019, January 1). Livestock and climate change: impact of livestock on climate and mitigation strategies | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic. OUP Academic; academic.oup.com. https://academic.oup.com/af/article/9/1/69/5173494

Rust, J. M., & Rust, T. (n.d.). Climate change and livestock production: A review with emphasis on Africa. Climate Change and Livestock Production: A Review with Emphasis on Africa; www.scielo.org.za. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0375-15892013000300004