Abstract
In the recent years, the number of endangered animals, both referred to livestock and wild species, has grown enormously. The “livestock” term refers to animals domesticated for producing commodities for man such as food, fiber and draught. Livestock biodiversity is integral to our culture, history, environment, and economy. Thousands of livestock breeds have evolved over time to suit particular environments and farming systems. Conservation and analyses of these genetic resources rely on demographic characterization and correct breeding schemes. In addition, molecular genetic studies allow to identify and monitor the genetic diversity within and across breeds and to reconstruct their evolution history. The conservation of livestock variability is also a crucial element in order to preserve and valorise specific nutritional and nutraceutical properties of animal products. Efficient ex situ and in situ conservation strategies, as well as the creation of bio-banks and specific biotechnological and bioinformatics tools for genetic analyses and digital preservation, are obligatory requirements in order to implement an appropriate action for the conservation of animal biodiversity. The main issues concerning different species are summarised, with particular reference to the livestock biodiversity still existing. Some examples of ex situ conservation strategies, which mainly refer to cryoconservation of semen, ova, embryos or tissues, developed in Italy, are presented, and the different actions in defense of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) developed within the European Community are illustrated. Interestingly, the same strategies for biological and digital analyses and preservation of livestock biodiversity can be exported to wild endangered animals in order to plan a correct conservation and repopulation of the species. Furthermore, the European Union has set up the guidelines to safeguard the biodiversity and to combat the extinction of animal species, and has made the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems one of the main objectives of the Sixth Environment Action Programme.
Highlights
Domestic and wild animal species are undergoing a profound erosion process due to natural and genetic causes
The importance of maintaining livestock breeds and their genetic resources has become mandatory in the last decades, as it is was well stated in the Convention on Biological Diversity
There have been several extinctions in the last years and, despite several conservation plans have been set for the most critically endangered animals around the world, a comprehensive strategy for the protection of wild animals, including both in situ and ex situ, is far to be proposed. Considering all these elements, the aim of this overview is to highlight the main aspects for the conservation of endangered animals, with particular emphasis to the novel methodological tools, ranging from biotechnologies to digital preservation
Summary
Domestic and wild animal species are undergoing a profound erosion process due to natural and genetic causes. There have been several extinctions in the last years and, despite several conservation plans have been set for the most critically endangered animals around the world, a comprehensive strategy for the protection of wild animals, including both in situ and ex situ, is far to be proposed Considering all these elements, the aim of this overview is to highlight the main aspects for the conservation of endangered animals, with particular emphasis to the novel methodological tools, ranging from biotechnologies to digital preservation. Despite preserving species in their natural habitat is, especially for wild animals, the top priority, the relevance of gene banks in the safeguard of breeds in extinction is emerging as a key issue for planning the long-term conservation of biodiversity and for enduring its survival in the future Because such a strategy becomes effective, the support of bio-banks as well as of bioinformatics tools for digital preservation, storage and analysis of the biological materials collected are required and they represent one of the main target for the future
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