Livestock play a special role in the provision of ecosystem services and are an essential part of many agro-ecosystems. They do so by: (1) transforming feeds unsuited for human consumption into nutritious foods and useful products, for example, by converting grass into milk or meat; (2) interacting directly with ecosystems through grazing, browsing, trampling and the production of dung and urine; and (3) moving around, meaning they can respond to fluctuations in resource availability and climate. Over millennia, humans have selected and bred livestock species, creating a range of breeds with their own special traits. Called “specialists”, these breeds are adapted to specific environments, for the conversion of particular types of vegetation and feed into locally-distinct foods, or for the production of specific products. Different livestock species and breeds are able to provide ecosystem services as a result of their adaptation to different environments, production systems, societal needs and cultural preferences. High-output animals – intensively bred to supply uniform products under controlled management conditions – exist alongside multipurpose breeds kept by small-scale farmers and herders, mainly in low external input production systems