Global distribution data for cattle, buffaloes, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks in 2010

TLDR

Global livestock distribution data are essential for agricultural socio‑economics, food security, environmental impact assessment, and epidemiology. The study introduces GLW 3, a 2010 subnational livestock distribution database. GLW 3 offers two versions per species: a dasymetric weighting version that disaggregates census counts using high‑resolution covariates, and an areal weighting version that distributes counts uniformly within polygons, with detailed metadata on year, resolution, and data sources. GLW 3 delivers 10‑km resolution global density maps for eight livestock species.

Abstract

Abstract Global data sets on the geographic distribution of livestock are essential for diverse applications in agricultural socio-economics, food security, environmental impact assessment and epidemiology. We present a new version of the Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW 3) database, reflecting the most recently compiled and harmonized subnational livestock distribution data for 2010. GLW 3 provides global population densities of cattle, buffaloes, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks in each land pixel at a spatial resolution of 0.083333 decimal degrees (approximately 10 km at the equator). They are accompanied by detailed metadata on the year, spatial resolution and source of the input census data. Two versions of each species distribution are produced. In the first version, livestock numbers are disaggregated within census polygons according to weights established by statistical models using high resolution spatial covariates (dasymetric weighting). In the second version, animal numbers are distributed homogeneously with equal densities within their census polygons (areal weighting) to provide spatial data layers free of any assumptions linking them to other spatial variables.