Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

The contribution of cattle urine and dung to nitrous oxide emissions: Quantification of country specific emission factors and implications for national inventories

David R. Chadwick, L. M. Cardenas, M.S. Dhanoa, N. Donovan, T. H. Misselbrook, J. R. Williams, R. E. Thorman, Karen McGeough, Catherine J. Watson, M.J. Bell, S.G. Anthony, Robert M. Rees

The Science of The Total Environment · 2018

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Summary

This empirical study separated nitrous oxide emissions from cattle urine and dung to develop evidence-based, UK-specific emission factors for grazing livestock excreta—a major source in national agricultural inventories. The findings suggest the UK emission factor differs from the IPCC default, with implications for national greenhouse gas accounts and carbon footprinting of ruminant livestock products.

UK applicability

The study was conducted in the United Kingdom and explicitly developed UK-specific emission factors to replace or refine IPCC default values in the national inventory. The results directly inform UK climate accounting for ruminant agriculture and carbon footprinting of domestic livestock production.

Key measures

N₂O emission factors (EF₃, pasture, range and paddock) for excretal nitrogen from cattle urine and dung; effects of site and timing of application on emissions

Outcomes reported

The study quantified nitrous oxide emissions separately from cattle urine and dung deposited during grazing, and generated country-specific emission factors for the United Kingdom to inform national agricultural greenhouse gas inventories.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
United Kingdom
System type
Pasture-based livestock
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.152
Catalogue ID
BFmoc27pk5-qceb1d

Topic tags

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