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Livestock enclosures in drylands of Sub-Saharan Africa are overlooked hotspots of N2O emissions

Author

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  • Klaus Butterbach-Bahl

    (International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mazingira Centre
    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology & Climate Research (IMK-IFU))

  • Gretchen Gettel

    (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)

  • Ralf Kiese

    (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology & Climate Research (IMK-IFU))

  • Kathrin Fuchs

    (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology & Climate Research (IMK-IFU))

  • Christian Werner

    (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology & Climate Research (IMK-IFU))

  • Jaber Rahimi

    (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology & Climate Research (IMK-IFU))

  • Matti Barthel

    (ETH Zurich, Sustainable Agroecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science)

  • Lutz Merbold

    (International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mazingira Centre)

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to approximately ¼ of the global livestock population, which in the last 60 years has increased by factors of 2.5–4 times for cattle, goats and sheep. An important resource for pastoralists, most livestock live in semi-arid and arid environments, where they roam during the day and are kept in enclosures (or bomas) during the night. Manure, although rich in nitrogen, is rarely used, and therefore accumulates in bomas over time. Here we present in-situ measurements of N2O fluxes from 46 bomas in Kenya and show that even after 40 years following abandonment, fluxes are still ~one magnitude higher than those from adjacent savanna sites. Using maps of livestock distribution, we scaled our finding to SSA and found that abandoned bomas are significant hotspots for atmospheric N2O at the continental scale, contributing ~5% of the current estimate of total anthropogenic N2O emissions for all of Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Klaus Butterbach-Bahl & Gretchen Gettel & Ralf Kiese & Kathrin Fuchs & Christian Werner & Jaber Rahimi & Matti Barthel & Lutz Merbold, 2020. "Livestock enclosures in drylands of Sub-Saharan Africa are overlooked hotspots of N2O emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-18359-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18359-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Damien Beillouin & Marc Corbeels & Julien Demenois & David Berre & Annie Boyer & Abigail Fallot & Frédéric Feder & Rémi Cardinael, 2023. "A global meta-analysis of soil organic carbon in the Anthropocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Laurent Bigaignon & Claire Delon & Ousmane Ndiaye & Corinne Galy-Lacaux & Dominique Serça & Frédéric Guérin & Tiphaine Tallec & Lutz Merbold & Torbern Tagesson & Rasmus Fensholt & Sylvain André & Sylv, 2020. "Understanding N 2 O Emissions in African Ecosystems: Assessments from a Semi-Arid Savanna Grassland in Senegal and Sub-Tropical Agricultural Fields in Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-26, October.
    3. Graham, Michael W. & Chelanga, Philemon & Jensen, Nathaniel D. & Leitner, Sonja M. & Fava, Francesco & Merbold, Lutz, 2021. "A framework for assessing the effects of shock events on livestock and environment in sub-Saharan Africa: The COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Kenya," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

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