Grazing Management Influences Gut Microbial Diversity of Livestock in the Same Area

Pengfei Song, Wen Qin, YanGan Huang, Lei Wang, Zhenyuan Cai and Tongzuo Zhang
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Pengfei Song: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23th, Xinning Road, Xining 810001, China
Wen Qin: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23th, Xinning Road, Xining 810001, China
YanGan Huang: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23th, Xinning Road, Xining 810001, China
Lei Wang: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23th, Xinning Road, Xining 810001, China
Zhenyuan Cai: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23th, Xinning Road, Xining 810001, China
Tongzuo Zhang: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23th, Xinning Road, Xining 810001, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: The composition of gut microbiota is closely related to health and nutrition of livestock. Research on the interaction between gut microbiota in livestock and grazing management strategies is unfortunately sparse. By studying the compositions of gut microbiota in sheep and goats in a single, mixed grazing population under the control of herdsman, as well as those of free-range camels in the same area of Qaidam Basin, we found that the composition of gut microbiota between sheep and goats showed no significant difference. However, there were significant differences between mixed group and camels at α- and β-diversities. We speculate that grazing management can shape gut microbial diversity indirectly. Mixed grazing under the control of herdsman lead to similarities in the diversity of gut microbiota among different species and limit their diversities of gut microbiota, which is not conducive to healthy growth of the host. On the contrary, free-range grazing is better for the diversity of gut microbiota. In order to sustainably manage populations of livestock, gut microbiota analysis may prove to be an important indicator for evaluating the merits of different grazing management strategies. Our results lay a foundation to improve the health of livestock and grazing management.

Keywords: gut microbiota; grazing management; livestock; diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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