Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from cattle raising in Brazil

Bustamante, Mercedes M. C.; Nobre, Carlos A.; Smeraldi, Roberto; Aguiar, Ana Paula Dutra; Barioni, L. G.; Ferreira, Laerte Guimarães; Longo, Karla M.; May, Peter H.; Pinto, Alexandre de Siqueira; Ometto, Jean Pierre

doi:10.1007/s10584-012-0443-3

Cited by 152 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The largest fraction of these emissions is associated with deforestation, with enteric emissions contributing to about 25% of total emissions and pasture burning being a minor fraction (Bustamante et al, 2012). The high level of emissions from cattle-ranching make it the sector with the highest mitigation potential of the Brazilian economy.…”

Section: Nutrient Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Brazilian pasturelands, due to their total area (~159 million hectares v. 60 million hectares for crops) and low productivity (Valentim and Andrade, 2009) have been suggested as a priority for reconciling agricultural expansion with the reduction of its environmental footprint (Bowman et al, 2012;Bustamante et al, 2012;Martha et al, 2012). Indeed, studies carried out at the regional scale suggest that cropland intensification and expansion during the 2000s displaced cattle ranching to the frontier region, causing deforestation (Barona et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intensification of cattle ranching production systems: socioeconomic and environmental synergies and risks in Brazil

Latawiec

Strassburg

Valentim

et al. 2014

Animal

108

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Intensification of Brazilian cattle ranching systems has attracted both national and international attention due to its direct relation with Amazon deforestation on the one hand and increasing demand of the global population for meat on the other. Since Brazilian cattle ranching is predominantly pasture-based, we particularly focus on pasture management. We summarize the most recurrent opportunities and risks associated with pasture intensification that are brought up within scientific and political dialogues, and discuss them within the Brazilian context. We argue that sustainable intensification of pasturelands in Brazil is a viable way to increase agricultural output while simultaneously sparing land for nature. Since environmental degradation is often associated with low-yield extensive systems in Brazil, it is possible to obtain higher yields, while reversing degradation, by adopting practices like rotational grazing, incorporation of legumes and integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems. Technical assistance is however essential, particularly for small-and medium-scale farmers. Sound complementary policies and good governance must accompany these measures so that a 'rebound effect' does not lead to increased deforestation and other adverse social and environmental impacts. It is also important that animal welfare is not compromised. Although the discussion is presented with respect to Brazil, some aspects are relevant to other developing countries.

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Section: Nutrient Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intensification of cattle ranching production systems: socioeconomic and environmental synergies and risks in Brazil

Latawiec

Strassburg

Valentim

et al. 2014

Animal

108

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“…For instance, the demand for meat and other animal products (e.g., eggs, milk, and cheese) in developing countries is expected to double by 2050 (Garnett 2009), and satisfying this rising demand will be a substantial challenge for the livestock sector (FAO 2005;Valin et al 2013). In fact, a number of studies have analyzed the GHG implications of global increasing demand for livestock (e.g., Naylor et al 2005;Reay et al 2012;Bustamante et al 2012), anticipating, for instance, that CH 4 emissions from enteric fermentation could increase by 31 % between 1990 and 2030 and that N 2 O emissions from manure management could increase by 20 % mainly due to developing countries (EPA 2011). Inventories that resolve livestock emissions in time and space are therefore important to efforts to cost-effectively reduce GHG emissions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Global and regional trends in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock

et al. 2014

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“…The system can provide environmental benefits such as soil conservation, building up soil carbon, reducing environmental externalities and ultimately increasing productivity. CPSs include but are not restricted to the following: no-till, the use of cover crops, elimination of agricultural fires (slash and burn), and restoration of vast areas of degraded pastures (Machado et al, 2011;Bustamante et al, 2012;Lapola et al, 2014). Additionally, the Brazilian law (Law no.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus due to land-use changes in Brazil

Groppo

Lins²,

Camargo³

et al. 2015

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. In this paper, soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and stocks were investigated in agricultural and natural areas in 17 plot-level paired sites and in a regional survey encompassing more than 100 pasture soils In the paired sites, elemental soil concentrations and stocks were determined in native vegetation (forests and savannas), pastures and crop-livestock systems (CPSs). Nutrient stocks were calculated for the soil depth intervals 0-10, 0-30, and 0-60 cm for the paired sites and 0-10, and 0-30 cm for the pasture regional survey by sum stocks obtained in each sampling intervals (0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-60 cm). Overall, there were significant differences in soil element concentrations and ratios between different land uses, especially in the surface soil layers. Carbon and nitrogen contents were lower, while phosphorus contents were higher in the pasture and CPS soils than in native vegetation soils. Additionally, soil stoichiometry has changed with changes in land use. The soil C : N ratio was lower in the native vegetation than in the pasture and CPS soils, and the carbon and nitrogen to available phosphorus ratio (P ME ) decreased from the native vegetation to the pasture to the CPS soils. In the plotlevel paired sites, the soil nitrogen stocks were lower in all depth intervals in pasture and in the CPS soils when compared with the native vegetation soils. On the other hand, the soil phosphorus stocks were higher in all depth intervals in agricultural soils when compared with the native vegetation soils. For the regional pasture survey, soil nitrogen and phosphorus stocks were lower in all soil intervals in pasture soils than in native vegetation soils. The nitrogen loss with cultivation observed here is in line with other studies and it seems to be a combination of decreasing organic matter inputs, in cases where crops replaced native forests, with an increase in soil organic matter decomposition that leads to a decrease in the long run. The main cause of the increase in soil phosphorus stocks in the CPS and pastures of the plot-level paired site seems to be linked to phosphorus fertilization by mineral and organics fertilizers. The findings of this paper illustrate that land-use changes that are currently common in Brazil alter soil concentrations, stocks and elemental ratios of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. These changes could have an impact on the subsequent vegetation, decreasing soil carbon and increasing nitrogen limitation but alleviating soil phosphorus deficiency.

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Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from cattle raising in Brazil

Cited by 152 publications

References 27 publications

Intensification of cattle ranching production systems: socioeconomic and environmental synergies and risks in Brazil

Intensification of cattle ranching production systems: socioeconomic and environmental synergies and risks in Brazil

Global and regional trends in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock

Changes in soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus due to land-use changes in Brazil

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