Reconciling livestock production and wild herbivore conservation: challenges and opportunities.

Increasing food security and preventing further loss of biodiversity are two of humanity's most pressing challenges. Yet, efforts to address these challenges often lead to situations of conflict between the interests of agricultural production and those of biodiversity conservation. Here, we focus on conflicts between livestock production and the conservation of wild herbivores, which have received little attention in the scientific literature. We identify four key socio-ecological challenges underlying such conflicts, which we illustrate using a range of case studies. We argue that addressing these challenges will require the implementation of co-management approaches that promote the participation of relevant stakeholders in processes of ecological monitoring, impact assessment, decision-making, and active knowledge sharing. Conflicts between the interests of livestock production and those of wild herbivore conservation are an increasing global challenge. Addressing these conflicts is hindered by a poor understanding of key underlying social and ecological drivers. In particular, there is a need to reconcile the real and perceived costs–benefits of livestock–wild herbivore interactions. This includes better understanding how these interactions vary across migration ranges and are influenced by trophic network structure. In many cases, these conflicts are perpetuated by a disconnect between livestock husbandry practices and scientific research on sustainable management. Addressing these conflicts will require the development of reliable protocols for impact assessment and the implementation of participatory processes that bring together relevant stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]