Conserving indigenous animal genetic resources as a coping strategy to adapt to climate change: the Azikheli Buffalo in Northern Mountains of Pakistan

摘要

Thereareclearsignsthattheagro-pastoralistsintheHimalayanandHindu-Kushmountainrangeswillhavelesscroppingopportunitiesduetoreducedpossibilitiesforirrigatedagricultureasaresultofclimatechange.Theimportanceofextensivelivestockproductionbasedonwelladaptedlivestockspeciesmayonceagainincrease.Thiscallsforabetterdocumentationandunderstandingoftheadaptationcapabilitiesofindigenousbreedsconsideringachangingenvironment.ThecurrentstudyinvestigatestheadaptivetraitsoftheAzikhelibuffalotomountainenvironmentsthroughcalculatingmean,standarderrorandpercentagesfordifferentvariables.nbsp;Resultsfromthisstudysuggestthatthebrowncoatcolor,thesmallbodysizeandthehighfertilityareadaptivetraitsoftheAzikhelibuffalothatmaywellsuitharshmountainousenvironmentconditionswithgreaterclimatevariability.LocalfarmersfindithardtosustaintheAzikhelibuffalo#8217;skeyadaptivetraitsbecauseofalowbulltobuffaloratio,possibilityofinseminationwithsemenfromimportedbreedsandalackofinstitutionalsupporttoconservetheAzikhelibreed.Thebreediscrucialforsustainingcustodiancommunitiesinthesemountainsandthusneedstobeconserved.