Indigenous livestock resources in a changing climate: Indian perspective.

Abstract

Biological diversity, the variability of life on earth, exists in the form of different species and breeds within the animal kingdom. This diversity is created in the process of molecular/biochemical/metabolic reactions, and acts as a critical measure of adaptation in changing climatic conditions. Indigenous breeds have adapted to climatic variations since time immemorial, and hence have acquired unique traits that make them suitable in given agroclimatic zones; for example, the Indian cattle breeds, Tharparkar and Sahiwal, are heat and tick resistant. Similar cases have also been observed worldwide in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and the south-west Pacific region, having a total of 1144, 1300, 345, 104 and 108 breeds of major livestock species, respectively. Native breeds, namely N'Dama cattle, Red Massai sheep, etc., have developed trypanosomiasis resistance and gastrointestinal nematode tolerance by continuous natural selection. The overwhelming majority of indigenous livestock around the world are bred locally and kept by small-scale livestock keepers; hence, there is a need to promote local indigenous livestock species, as they represent a genetic resource that is relatively resilient to climate variability.