ABSTRACT
References ................................................................................................................................... 251
Manure is often considered to be the primary or only contribution of domestic livestock to
maintaining soil fertility. Little attention is paid to the many other ways in which animals
affect soil health. Domestic and wild animals can alter soil microbial populations (Bardgett
and Wardle, 2003), compact soils (Ritz et al., 2004), influence soil pH (Powell et al., 1998),
affect carbon and nitrogen dynamics (Abril and Bucher, 2001), and influence the amount of
land cultivated and the intensity with which it is cultivated (Wilson, 2003). Because
animals are used to till more than half of the cultivated land in the world, they have a
tremendous impact on soil texture, erosion potential, and compaction (Wilson, 2003). As
livestock often represent the most valuable, easily convertible assets owned by rural
households, they buffer farming communities against inflation, political instability, and
crop failures, indirectly affecting how much stress is put on soil systems. Profits realized
from the sale of livestock and their products can be used for natural resource investments,
education, or health expenses. Investments in all of these areas have impacts on the status
of the soil.
