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GHG Mitigation Potential of Different Grazing Strategies in the United States Southern Great Plains

Author

Listed:
  • Tong Wang

    (Department of Economics, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA)

  • W. Richard Teague

    (Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Vernon, TX 76384, USA)

  • Seong C. Park

    (Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Vernon, TX 76384, USA)

  • Stan Bevers

    (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Vernon, TX 76384, USA)

Abstract

The possibility of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by ruminants using improved grazing is investigated by estimating GHG emissions for cow-calf farms under light continuous (LC), heavy continuous (HC) and rotational grazing, also known as multi-paddock (MP), management strategies in Southern Great Plain (SGP) using life cycle assessment (LCA). Our results indicated a GHG emission with these grazing treatments of 8034.90 kg·CO 2 e·calf − 1 ·year − 1 for cow-calf farms in SGP region, which is high, compared to that for other regions, due to the high percentage (79.6%) of enteric CH 4 emissions caused by relatively lower feed quality on the unfertilized rangeland. Sensitivity analyses on MP grazing strategy showed that an increase in grass quality and digestibility could potentially reduce GHG emission by 30%. Despite higher GHG emissions on a per calf basis, net GHG emissions in SGP region are potentially negative when carbon (C) sequestration is taken into account. With net C emission rates of −2002.8, −1731.6 and −89.5 kg C ha − 1 ·year − 1 after converting from HC to MP, HC to LC and from LC to MP, our analysis indicated cow-calf farms converting from continuous to MP grazing in SGP region are likely net carbon sinks for decades.

Suggested Citation

  • Tong Wang & W. Richard Teague & Seong C. Park & Stan Bevers, 2015. "GHG Mitigation Potential of Different Grazing Strategies in the United States Southern Great Plains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:10:p:13500-13521:d:56625
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Teague, W.R. & Kreuter, U.P. & Grant, W.E. & Diaz-Solis, H. & Kothmann, M.M., 2009. "Economic implications of maintaining rangeland ecosystem health in a semi-arid savanna," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 1417-1429, March.
    2. McBride, William D. & Mathews, Kenneth H., Jr., 2011. "The Diverse Structure and Organization of U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Farms," Economic Information Bulletin 102764, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    2. Blignaut, James & Meissner, Heinz & Smith, Hendrik & du Toit, Linde, 2022. "An integrative bio-physical approach to determine the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sinks of a cow and her offspring in a beef cattle operation: A system dynamics approach," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    3. Stanley, Paige L. & Rowntree, Jason E. & Beede, David K. & DeLonge, Marcia S. & Hamm, Michael W., 2018. "Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 249-258.
    4. Jie Zhang & Zhencheng Xing & Jigan Wang, 2016. "Analysis of CO 2 Emission Performance and Abatement Potential for Municipal Industrial Sectors in Jiangsu, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Wang, Tong & Jin, Hailong & Kreuter, Urs & Teague, Richard, 2021. "Expanding grass-based agriculture on marginal land in the U.S. Great Plains: The role of management intensive grazing," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    6. Hardeep Singh & Brian K. Northup & Gurjinder S. Baath & Prashanth P. Gowda & Vijaya G. Kakani, 0. "Greenhouse mitigation strategies for agronomic and grazing lands of the US Southern Great Plains," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 819-853.
    7. Emilie C. Baker & Andy D. Herring & Tonya S. Amen & Jason E. Sawyer & James O. Sanders & Clare A. Gill & Penny K. Riggs & David G. Riley, 2022. "Evaluation of Post-weaning Efficiency in Nellore-Angus Crossbred Steers through Model Predicted Residual Consumption," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(2), pages 1-46, April.
    8. Hardeep Singh & Brian K. Northup & Gurjinder S. Baath & Prashanth P. Gowda & Vijaya G. Kakani, 2020. "Greenhouse mitigation strategies for agronomic and grazing lands of the US Southern Great Plains," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 819-853, May.
    9. Tianyi Zeng & Hong Jin & Zhifei Geng & Zihang Kang & Zichen Zhang, 2022. "The Effect of Urban Shrinkage on Carbon Dioxide Emissions Efficiency in Northeast China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, May.

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