Differing Impacts of Livestock Farming and Ranching on Aquatic Insect Biodiversity: A Global Meta-Analysis

Recent studies examining global insect biodiversity trends have shown declines for many terrestrial species but increases in some aquatic species, albeit with limited spatial coverage. However, the impact of a wide range of threats on insect biodiversity remains uncertain at a global scale. Livestock farming and ranching constitute approximately 30% of global land use and represent a major and growing threat to biodiversity. Although we know livestock farming and ranching affect aquatic macroinvertebrates via degradation of water quality and habitat, there are no global syntheses of the impacts of livestock on the biodiversity of aquatic insects. Here, we investigate the impact of livestock farming and ranching on the abundance and richness of five major aquatic insect orders: Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Megaloptera (dobsonflies and alderflies), and Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). Our meta-analysis shows that livestock farming significantly reduces species richness of Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Plecoptera compared to areas with no livestock present. In contrast, we found no overall impact of livestock farming on the abundance of aquatic insects or individual orders, even after accounting for moderators such as livestock type, riparian vegetation presence, and stocking density. The apparent stability in insect abundance, combined with declines in richness, suggests there may be shifts in community composition that cannot be captured with a broad-scale analysis. Further research is needed at finer taxonomic resolution, coupled with increased reporting of quantitative stocking density and livestock water access, to better understand the apparently heterogeneous effects of livestock on aquatic insects and predict the impacts of further spread and intensification of livestock farming.