The Impact of Conservation Grazing on GHG emissions.
Abstract
This work focuses on assessing the impact of conservation grazing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), with the aim of developing a tool to help practitioners understand and potentially mitigate emissions associated with different grazing management approaches. The project developed an Excel-based model based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 methodologies to calculate methane emissions from enteric and manure pathways, and N2O emissions from deposition for various livestock species including cattle, sheep, water buffalo, and bison. The model allows users to input data on habitat type, grazing area, livestock species, breed (proxy for size), and stocking density. It then provides outputs indicating the total annual emissions of methane and nitrous oxide per hectare or per site from the livestock. Additionally, the model offers indicative stocking rates to guide users in data entry.