Summary
This empirical field study isolated the separate contributions of cattle urine and dung to N₂O emissions under UK grazing conditions, addressing a significant data gap in country-specific emission factors. By measuring N₂O fluxes across multiple sites and timing conditions, the authors provide an evidence base for refining UK national agricultural greenhouse gas inventories and improving the accuracy of livestock production's climate impact quantification. The findings support more precise emissions accounting and inform targeted mitigation strategies for pastoral farming systems.
UK applicability
The study was conducted under UK environmental and management conditions, making the derived emission factors directly applicable to UK national greenhouse gas inventory calculations and policy frameworks for agricultural emissions reporting. The country-specific data addresses limitations of using generic international emission factors and supports more accurate representation of UK pastoral farming's climate footprint.
Key measures
N₂O flux rates (mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹) from urine and dung patches; emission factors (kg N₂O-N per kg N excreted); temporal variation in emissions across seasons and soil conditions
Outcomes reported
The study quantified nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission factors separately for cattle urine and dung under UK grazing conditions across multiple sites and seasons. The research generated country-specific emission factor data to improve the accuracy of UK national agricultural greenhouse gas inventories.
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