In a paper published in the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research this week, University of Wyoming researchers identified a gap in existing studies of livestock methane emissions: soil carbon sequestration.
Globally, there are growing concerns about methane emissions from beef cattle, which produce more methane than any other domesticated species. In the United States, beef cattle contribute 18 percent of the country’s total methane emissions.
Proposed mitigation strategies have included changes in cattle diets, genetic selection and the implementation of methane taxes. But a few studies have explored whether soil carbon sequestration can help offset emissions.
In their review of existing literature on the topic, UW researchers analyzed 82 peer-reviewed, published papers on methane emissions produced by grazing cattle in locations around the world. Studies of methane emissions in confined feeding environments were not included.
The new literature review, titled “Global Review of Grazing Beef Cattle and Methane Emissions: More Simultaneous Animal and Soil Sampling Needed to Inform Appropriate Policy and Management,” was led by Nicki Nimlos, UW Extension state range management specialist, and colleagues in the UW Department of Ecosystem Science and Management and the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
Source : uwyo.edu