Estimation of N2O emission factors for soils depending on environmental conditions and crop management

Nitrous oxide (N2O) contributes 8% to anthropogenic global warming, of which about one third are direct emissions of agricultural soils. These N2O emissions are often estimated using the default IPCC 2006 emission factor of 1% of the amount of N applied for mineral fertilizer, manure and crop residues. However, a large variation in emission factors exists due to differences in environment (e.g. weather and soil conditions), crops (grassland, arable land, crop residues) and management (e.g. type of manure and fertilizer, application rates, time of application). We developed a simple approach to determine N2O emission factors that depend on environmental, crop and management factors. The main factors controlling N2O emission are nitrate content, oxygen content, available C content, temperature and pH. The starting point of the method was a two-year monitoring study of Velthof et al. (1996), who found an emission factor of exactly 1% for grassland on a sandy soil fertilized with calcium ammonium nitrate. The conditions of this experiment were set as the reference from which the effects of other environmental conditions and management on the N2O emission factor were estimated. Based on literature and expert knowledge we determined for 19 sources of N input, three soil types, two land use types, three precipitation classes, two pH classes and three temperature classes the effect on the default emission factor. The calculated N2O emission factors ranged from 0 to 10%. The approach was applied to a European scale, using the INTEGRATOR model. The results were also produced with the standard IPCC approach and the empirical approach by Stehfest and Bouwman (2006). Differences in the overall results at EU27 scale and at regional scale are discussed. The emission factors derived from this inference scheme can improve predictions of N2O emissions with integrated large-scale model

Policy options for including LULUCF in the EU reduction commitment and policy instruments for increasing GHG mitigation efforts in the LULUCF and agriculture sectors

Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) is an inventory sector defined by the Intergovern-mental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that covers anthropogenic emissions and removals of GHGs resulting from changes in terrestrial carbon stocks. The EU has committed unilaterally to reduce its overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 20 % be-low 1990 levels by 2020, and to 30 % below 1990 levels if conditions are right

LULUCF values under the Kyoto Protocol : background document in preparation of the National Inventory Report 2011 (reporting year 2009)

This report collects all background information that is used for the 2011 submission under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) for the Netherlands. It includes the full text of the National Inventory Report (NIR)-II for LULUCF, as well as a description of the table-bytable methodologies, choices and motivations. In 2009 afforestation and reforestation activities produced a sink of 546.68 Gg CO2 equivalents while deforestation caused an emission of 780,45 Gg CO2 equivalents. These values were based on changes in above- and belowground biomass, dead wood, litter and soil (mineral as well as organic), and agricultural lime application on deforested areas. The values for 2008 were recalculated from last year, and the recalculation included changes due to: (i) This was the first year emissions from mineral and organic soils were reported for Afforestation, Reforestation, and Deforestation (ARD). (ii) An error in harvested wood was corrected, and (iii) The calculation of dead wood was improved. Some minor gaps remain to be solved in the coming year(s), especially for the estimation of uncertainty of all reported values

The protein puzzle : the consumption and production of meat, dairy and fish in the European Union

In het rapport 'The protein puzzle. The consumption and production of meat, dairy and fish in the European Union' brengen onderzoekers van het Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL) in kaart wat de gevolgen van de productie en consumptie van dierlijke eiwitten zijn voor milieu, natuur en gezondheid. Vervolgens schetst het PBL welke opties er in Europees verband zijn om de negatieve effecten te verminderen. Met deze studie verschaft het PBL relevante feiten en cijfers ten behoeve van het debat over eiwitconsumptie, inclusief een indicatie van de onzekerheden daarbij

Uncertainties in model predictions of nitrogen fluxes from agro-ecosystems in Europe

To assess the responses of nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions to pan-European changes in land cover, land management and climate, an integrated dynamic model, INTEGRATOR, has been developed. This model includes both simple process-based descriptions and empirical relationships and uses detailed GIS-based environmental and farming data in combination with various downscaling methods. This paper analyses the propagation of uncertainties in model inputs and parameters to outputs of INTEGRATOR, using a Monte Carlo analysis. Uncertain model inputs and parameters were represented by probability distributions, while spatial correlation in these uncertainties was taken into account by assigning correlation coefficients at various spatial scales. The uncertainty propagation was analysed for the emissions of NH<sub>3</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O and NO<sub>x</sub>, N leaching to groundwater and N runoff to surface water for the entire EU27 and for individual countries. Results show large uncertainties for N leaching and runoff (relative errors of ∼ 19% for Europe as a whole), and smaller uncertainties for emission of N<sub>2</sub>O, NH<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub> (relative errors of ∼ 12%). Uncertainties for Europe as a whole were much smaller compared to uncertainties at country level, because errors partly cancelled out due to spatial aggregation

Management practices as risk factors for the presence of bulk milk antibodies to Salmonella, Neospora caninum and Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo in Irish dairy herds

peer-reviewedA survey of management practices in 309 Irish dairy herds was used to identify risk factors for the presence of antibodies to Salmonella, Neospora caninum and Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo in extensively managed unvaccinated dairy herds. A previous study documented a herd-level seroprevalence in bulk milk of 49%, 19% and 86% for Salmonella, Neospora caninum and leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo, respectively in the unvaccinated proportion of these 309 herds in 2009. Association analyses in the present study were carried out using multiple logistic regression models. Herds where cattle were purchased or introduced had a greater likelihood of being positive to leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo (P<0.01) and Salmonella (P<0.01). Larger herds had a greater likelihood of recording a positive bulk milk antibody result to leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo (P<0.05). Herds that practiced year round calving were more likely to be positive to Neospora caninum (P<0.05) compared to herds with a spring-calving season, with no difference in risk between herds that practiced split calving compared to herds that practiced spring calving. No association was found between presence of dogs on farms and prevalence of Neospora caninum possibly due to limited access of dogs to infected materials including afterbirths. The information from this study will assist in the design of suitable control programmes for the diseases under investigation in pasture-based livestock systems

Nitrogen on the table: the influence of food choices on nitrogen emissions and the European environment

This ENA Special Report has been prepared by the Expert Panel on Nitrogen and Food of the UNECE Task Force on Reactive Nitrogen. It examines nitrogen and other pollution losses from the food system and assesses the potential impacts of alternative diets on emissions of nitrogen to air and water. It then considers the potential impacts on land-use change and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The study finds that reductions in reactive nitrogen emissions associated with decreased intake of meat and dairy products would have substantial benefits, not only within the EU, but also at continental and global scales. The scenarios also match to consumption patterns that are better aligned with international dietary recommendations