Livestock Greenhouse Gases Emissions Under Grazing Conditions in the TropicLivestock Greenhouse Gases Emissions Under Grazing Conditions in the Tropic

Abstract

The livestock activity is linked to processes with environmental repercussions. Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are two important greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere by livestock during the processes of enteric fermentation and excreta management, which contribute to global warming. The objective of this paper was to review the amount of GHG emitted (kg CO2e) per kg of product generated from the main ruminant species (sheep, goats, buffaloes and bovines) used in tropical areas, under grazing conditions. For small ruminants, according to previous researches, emission intensities (EI) for meat was between 25 - 49.5 kg CO2e and for milk was within 5.5 and 11.2 kg CO2e; for buffaloes, EI was among 2.5 – 5.8 kg CO2e / kg FPCM and 21 – 70 kg CO2e / kg CW; for meat cattle, EI was amid 21- 76 kg CO2e; and for dairy cattle, EI was betwixt 2 – 9 kg CO2e. The differences found between the regional averages and the data for the same area of a country, can be due to different factors such as the quality of the pastures, level of intensification of the systems and climatic conditions.