Loss of Habitat, Species & Biodiversity
.jpg) Livestock now account for about 20 percent of the total terrestrial animalbiomass, and occupy a vast area that was once habitat for wildlife. Livestock grazing is still considered to be the most pervasive source of upland and riparian (river bank) habitat degradation in the arid West. Globally, livestock production is one of the leading causal factors in the loss of biodiversity, and a key factor in loss of species.
Within certain regions in the US, livestock grazing was listed as the number one cause of species  being federally listed as threatened or endangered1.
Livestock exclusion-- removing the cows from the streams and waterways – has consistently resulted in the most dramatic and rapid rates of ecosystem recovery2.
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