Greenhouse gas emissions from simulated beef and dairy livestock systems in the United States
Article
- 2.6k Downloads
- 64 Citations
Abstract
Computer spreadsheets were developed to evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from U.S. beef and dairy livestock systems from nine locations. Of the beef systems the cow-calf herd emitted the most and feedlot cattle the least methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) per unit product. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per unit product were the least for the cow-calf and greatest for the feedlot scenarios. In the dairy systems approximately one-half of the total GHG CO2 equivalents were from CH4 and one-third from N2O. Mitigation strategies, such as intensive grazing, reduced GHG emissions by approximately 10%.
carbon dioxide farming system greenhouse gas mitigation strategies methane nitrous oxide
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
- Cederberg C (1998) Life cycle assessment of milk production - a comparison of conventional and organic farming. SIK-Rapport Nr 643, Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology, Gothenburg, SwedenGoogle Scholar
- Gibbs M & Johnson DE (1994) Methane emissions from the digestive processes of livestock. In: International anthropogenic methane emissions estimates for 1990, U.S. EPA 230–R-93–010, Washington, D.C., USAGoogle Scholar
- IPCC (1996a) Technologies, Policies and Measures for Mitigating Climate Change, Technical Paper 1. United Nations: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
- IPCC (1996b) Climate Change 1995 Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific Analyses, Cambridge, UK Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
- IPCC (1996c) Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Reference Manual. United Nations: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
- National Research Council (1989) Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle, 6th edn. Washington, D.C: National Academy PressGoogle Scholar
- National Research Council (1996) Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle, 7th edn., Washington, D.C., USA: National Academy PressGoogle Scholar
- Paustian K, Andren O, Janzen HH, Lal R, Smith P, Tian G, Tiessen H, Van Noordwijk M & Woomer PL (1997) Agricultural soils as a sink to mitigate CO2 emissions. Soil Use & Manage 13: 230–244Google Scholar
- Pimentel D (1980) Handbook of Energy Utilization in Agriculture, Ed. D. Pimentel. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC PressGoogle Scholar
- RLEP (1998) Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program, U.S. EPA: Washington, D.C., USAGoogle Scholar
- U.S. EPA (1999) The draft 1999 inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks 1990–1997: Washington, D.C., USAGoogle Scholar
- Velthof GL & Oenema O (1997) Nitrous oxide emission from dairy farming systems in the Netherlands. Netherlands J Agric Sci 45: 347–360Google Scholar
Copyright information
© Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001