Global agriculture and nitrous oxide emissions

David Reay, Eric Davidson, Keith Smith, Pete Smith, Jerry Melillo, Frank Dentener, Paul Crutzen

Research output: Contribution to journalLiterature reviewpeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas and agriculture represents its largest source. It is at the heart of debates over the efficacy of biofuels, the climate-forcing impact of population growth, and the extent to which mitigation of non-CO2 emissions can help avoid dangerous climate change. Here we examine some of the major debates surrounding estimation of agricultural N2O sources, and the challenges of projecting and mitigating emissions in coming decades. We find that current flux estimates — using either top-down or bottom-up methods — are reasonably consistent at the global scale, but that a dearth of direct measurements in some areas makes national and sub-national estimates highly uncertain. We also highlight key uncertainties in projected emissions and demonstrate the potential for dietary choice and supply-chain mitigation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)410-416
Number of pages7
JournalNature Climate Change
Volume2
Issue number6
Early online date13 May 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2012

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • nitrogen
  • food waste
  • climate change

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