As Grazers Replaced Wild Life In Himalayas. – Asian Scientist Magazine

A 14-year study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science found that replacing wild herbivores with livestock in ecosystems leads to cascading impacts, affecting plant composition, soil characteristics, and insect populations like spiders, grasshoppers, ticks, and mites. The study in the Spiti region of the Himalayas showed that livestock grazing disrupts the ecosystem by altering food availability and plant proportions, leading to concerns about the spread of zoonotic diseases and the decline of predator populations like spiders. The researchers advocate for rewilding native herbivores, better surveillance of vector-borne diseases, and improved conservation policies to address the ecological consequences of large-scale livestock grazing on common lands.

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