Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems

Agricultural Systems

Volumn 162, Issue , 2018, Pages 249-258

  Stanley, Paige L ^a,c   Rowntree, Jason E ^a   Beede, David K ^a   DeLonge, Marcia S ^b   Hamm, Michael W ^a  

^a MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Adaptive multi paddock grazing; Beef production; Feedlot finishing; Greenhouse gas emissions; Life cycle assessment; Soil carbon sequestration

Indexed keywords

ANIMALIA; BOS;

EID: 85042354124     PISSN: 0308521X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2018.02.003     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. Alemu, A.W., Janzen, H., Little, S., Hao, X., Thompson, D.J., Baron, V., Iwaasa, A., Beauchemin, K.A., Kröbel, R., Assessment of grazing management on farm greenhouse gas intensity of beef production systems in the Canadian Prairies using life cycle assessment. Agric. Syst. 158 (2017), 1–13.
2. Asner, G.P., Elmore, A.J., Olander, L.P., Martin, R.E., Harris, A.T., Grazing systems, ecosystem responses, and global change. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 29 (2004), 261–299, 10.1146/annurev.energy.29.062403.102142.
3. Beauchemin, K.A., Henry Janzen, H., Little, S.M., McAllister, T.A., McGinn, S.M., Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada: a case study. Agric. Syst. 103:6 (2010), 371–379.
4. Beauchemin, K.A., Janzen, H.H., Little, S.M., McAllister, T.A., McGinn, S.M., Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada – evaluation using farm-based life cycle assessment. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 166–167 (2011), 663–677.
5. Brilli, L., Bechini, L., Bindi, M., Carozzi, M., Cavalli, D., Conant, R., Dorich, C.D., Doro, L., Ehrhardt, F., Farina, R., Ferrise, R., Fitton, N., Francaviglia, R., Grace, P., Iocola, I., Klumpp, K., Léonard, J., Martin, R., Massad, R.S., Recous, S., Seddaiu, G., Sharp, J., Smith, P., Smith, W.N., Soussana, J.-F., Bellocchi, G., Review and analysis of strengths and weaknesses of agro-ecosystem models for simulating C and N fluxes. Sci. Total Environ. 598 (2017), 445–470, 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.208.
6. Briske, D.D., Joyce, L.A., Polley, H.W., Brown, J.R., Wolter, K., Morgan, J.A., McCarl, B.A., Bailey, D.W., Climate-change adaptation on rangelands: linking regional exposure with diverse adaptive capacity. Front. Ecol. Environ. 13 (2015), 249–256, 10.1890/140266.
7. Camargo, G.G.T., Ryan, M.R., Richard, T.L., Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from crop production using the farm energy analysis tool. Bioscience 63 (2013), 263–273, 10.1525/bio.2013.63.4.6.
8. Capper, J.L., Is the grass always greener? Comparing the environmental impact of conventional, natural and grass-fed beef production systems. Animals 2 (2012), 127–143.
9. Cassady, C.J., Felix, T.L., Beever, J.E., Shike, D.W., Effects of timing and duration of test period and diet type on intake and feed efficiency of Charolais-sired cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 94 (2016), 4748–4758, 10.2527/jas.2016-0633.
10. Chambers, A., Lal, R., Paustian, K., Soil carbon sequestration potential of US croplands and grasslands: implementing the 4 per thousand initiative. J. Soil Water Conserv. 71 (2016), 68A–74A.
11. Chiavegato, M.B., Rowntree, J., Powers, W.J., Carmichael, D., Enteric methane from lactating beef cows managed with high- and low-input grazing systems. J. Anim. Sci. 93 (2015), 1365–1375.
12. Chiavegato, M.B., Rowntree, J.E., Powers, W.J., Carbon flux assessment in cow-calf grazing systems. J. Anim. Sci. 93 (2015), 4189–4199, 10.2527/jas.2015-9031.
13. Conant, R.T., Six, J., Paustian, K., Land use effects on soil carbon fractions in the southeastern United States. I. Management-intensive versus extensive grazing. Biol. Fertil. Soils 38 (2003), 386–392, 10.1007/s00374-003-0652-z.
14. Crosson, P., Shalloo, L., O'Brien, D., Lanigan, G.J., Foley, P.A., Boland, T.M., Kenny, D.A., A review of whole farm systems models of greenhouse gas emissions from beef and dairy cattle production systems. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 166–167 (2011), 29–45, 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.04.001.
15. de Vries, M., van Middelaar, C.E., de Boer, I.J.M., Comparing environmental impacts of beef production systems: a review of life cycle assessments. Livest. Sci. 178 (2015), 279–288, 10.1016/j.livsci.2015.06.020.
16. Desjardins, R., Worth, D., Vergé, X., Maxime, D., Dyer, J., Cerkowniak, D., Carbon footprint of beef cattle. Sustainability 4:12 (2012), 3279–3301.
17. EPA, Emission Factors for Greenhouse Gas Inventories. 2015, EPA Center for Corporate Climate Leadership https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/emission-factors_nov_2015.pdf.
18. FAO, Livestock and Landscapes. 2012, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/emission-factors_nov_2015.pdf.
19. Gerrish, J., Management-Intensive Grazing: The Grassroots of Grass Farming. 2004, Green Park Press.
20. Griscom, B.W., Adams, J., Ellis, P.W., Houghton, R.A., Lomax, G., Miteva, D.A., Schlesinger, W.H., Shoch, D., Siikamäki, J.V., Smith, P., Woodbury, P., Zganjar, C., Blackman, A., Campari, J., Conant, R.T., Delgado, C., Elias, P., Gopalakrishna, T., Hamsik, M.R., Herrero, M., Kiesecker, J., Landis, E., Laestadius, L., Leavitt, S.M., Minnemeyer, S., Polasky, S., Potapov, P., Putz, F.E., Sanderman, J., Silvius, M., Wollenberg, E., Fargione, J., Natural climate solutions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 114:44 (2017), 11645–11650 (October).
21. IPCC, IPCC Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Inventories. 2006.
22. IPCC, Anthropogenic and natural radiative forcing. Myhre, G., Nakajima, T., A.R., (eds.) Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014, Cambridge University Press.
23. Izaurralde, R.C., Williams, J.R., Post, W.M., Thomson, A.M., McGill, W.B., Owens, L.B., Lal, R., Long-term modeling of soil C erosion and sequestration at the small watershed scale. Clim. Chang. 80:1–2 (2007), 73–90.
24. Janzen, H.H., What place for livestock on a re-greening earth?. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 166–167 (2011), 783–796, 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.04.055.
25. Kim, S., Dale, B.E., Life cycle assessment of fuel ethanol derived from corn grain via dry milling. Bioresour. Technol. 99 (2008), 5250–5260.
26. Lal, R., Soil erosion and the global carbon budget. Environ. Int. 29 (2003), 437–450, 10.1016/S0160-4120(02)00192-7.
27. Liebig, M.A., Gross, J.R., Kronberg, S.L., Phillips, R.L., Hanson, J.D., Grazing management contributions to net global warming potential: a long-term evaluation in the Northern Great Plains. J. Environ. Qual. 39 (2010), 799–809, 10.2134/jeq2009.0272.
28. Lupo, C.D., Clay, D.E., Benning, J.L., Stone, J.J., Life-cycle assessment of the beef cattle production system for the northern Great Plains, USA. J. Environ. Qual. 42 (2013), 1386–1394.
29. Machmuller, M.B., Kramer, M.G., Cyle, T.K., Hill, N., Hancock, D., Thompson, A., Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter. Nat. Commun., 6, 2015, 6995, 10.1038/ncomms7995.
30. Mathew, I., Shimelis, H., Mutema, M., Chaplot, V., What crop type for atmospheric carbon sequestration: results from a global data analysis. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 243 (2017), 34–46, 10.1016/j.agee.2017.04.008.
31. McSherry, M.E., Ritchie, M.E., Effects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: a global review. Glob. Chang. Biol. 19 (2013), 1347–1357, 10.1111/gcb.12144.
32. Minasny, B., Malone, B.P., McBratney, A.B., Angers, D.A., Arrouays, D., Chambers, A., Chaplot, V., Chen, Z.-S., Cheng, K., Das, B.S., Field, D.J., Gimona, A., Hedley, C.B., Hong, S.Y., Mandal, B., Marchant, B.P., Martin, M., McConkey, B.G., Mulder, V.L., O'Rourke, S., Richer-de-Forges, A.C., Odeh, I., Padarian, J., Paustian, K., Pan, G., Poggio, L., Savin, I., Stolbovoy, V., Stockmann, U., Sulaeman, Y., Tsui, C.-C., Vågen, T.-G., van Wesemael, B., Winowiecki, L., Soil carbon 4 per mille. Geoderma 292 (2017), 59–86, 10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.01.002.
33. National Academies of Sciences, E. and M, Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. 2016, National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
34. Nguyen, T.L.T., Hermansen, J.E., Mogensen, L., Environmental consequences of different beef production systems in the EU. J. Clean. Prod. 18:8 (2010), 756–766.
35. Nguyen, T.T.H., van der Werf, H.M.G., Eugène, M., Veysset, P., Devun, J., Chesneau, G., Doreau, M., Effects of type of ration and allocation methods on the environmental impacts of beef-production systems. Livest. Sci. 145:1–3 (2012), 239–251.
36. Oates, L.G., Undersander, D.J., Gratton, C., Bell, M.M., Jackson, R.D., Management-intensive rotational grazing enhances forage production and quality of subhumid cool-season pastures. Crop Sci., 51, 2011, 892, 10.2135/cropsci2010.04.0216.
37. OECD, Meat Consumption [WWW Document]. https://data.oecd.org/agroutput/meat-consumption.htm, 2016.
38. Olson, K.R., Al-Kaisi, M., Lal, R., Cihacek, L., Impact of soil erosion on soil organic carbon stocks. J. Soil Water Conserv. 71 (2016), 61A–67A, 10.2489/jswc.71.3.61A.
39. Olson, K.R., Al-Kaisi, M., Lal, R., Morton, L.W., Soil ecosystem services and intensified cropping systems. J. Soil Water Conserv. 72 (2017), 64A–69A, 10.2489/jswc.72.3.64A.
40. Paustian, K., Lehmann, J., Ogle, S., Reay, D., Robertson, G.P., Smith, P., Climate-smart soils. Nature 532 (2016), 49–57, 10.1038/nature17174.
41. Pelletier, N., Pirog, R., Rasmussen, R., Comparative life cycle environmental impacts of three beef production strategies in the Upper Midwestern United States. Agric. Syst. 103 (2010), 380–389, 10.1016/j.agsy.2010.03.009.
42. Petersen, B.M., Knudsen, M.T., Hermansen, J.E., Halberg, N., An approach to include soil carbon changes in life cycle assessments. J. Clean. Prod. 52 (2013), 217–224.
43. Picasso, V.D., Modernel, P.D., Becoña, G., Salvo, L., Gutiérrez, L., Astigarraga, L., Sustainability of meat production beyond carbon footprint: a synthesis of case studies from grazing systems in Uruguay. Meat Sci. 98:3 (2014), 346–354.
44. Powlson, D.S., Whitmore, A.P., Goulding, K.W.T., Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change: a critical re-examination to identify the true and the false. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 62 (2011), 42–55, 10.1111/j.1365-2389.2010.01342.x.
45. 2O emissions from agricultural soils in Canada. I. Development of a country-specific methodology. Can. J. Soil Sci. 88 (2008), 641–654.
46. Rowntree, J.E., Ryals, R., DeLonge, M., Teague, W.R., Chiavegato, M., Byck, P., Wang, T., Xu, S., Potential mitigation of midwest grass-finished beef production emissions with soil carbon sequestration in the United States of America. Future Food 4 (2016), 31–38.
47. Ryan, B., Tiffany, D.G., Energy use in Minnesota agriculture. Minn. Agric. Econ. 1 (1998), 4–7.
48. Savory, A., Butterfield, J., Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making. 2nd Ed., 1998, Island Press.
49. Schader, C., Muller, A., Scialabba, N.E.-H., Hecht, J., Isensee, A., Erb, K.-H., Smith, P., Makkar, H.P.S., Klocke, P., Leiber, F., Schwegler, P., Stolze, M., Niggli, U., Impacts of feeding less food-competing feedstuffs to livestock on global food system sustainability. J. R. Soc. Interface, 12, 2015, 20150891, 10.1098/rsif.2015.0891.
50. Schroeder, J.W., Weights and Measures of Common Feeds. 2012, North Dakota State University Agriculture and Extension https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ndsuag/features/weights-and-measures-of-common-feed.
51. Sloggett, G., Estimating energy use in world irrigation. Fluck, R., (eds.) Energy in Farm Production, 1992, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
52. Smith, P., Do grasslands act as a perpetual sink for carbon?. Glob. Chang. Biol. 20:9 (2014), 2708–2711.
53. Stackhouse-Lawson, K.R., Rotz, C.A., Oltjen, J.W., Mitloehner, F.M., Carbon footprint and ammonia emissions of California beef production systems. J. Anim. Sci. 90 (2012), 4641–4655, 10.2527/jas.2011-4653.
54. Stewart, C.E., Paustian, K., Conant, R.T., Plante, A.F., Six, J., Soil carbon saturation: concept, evidence and evaluation. Biogeochemistry 86 (2007), 19–31, 10.1007/s10533-007-9140-0.
55. Stewart, A.A., Little, S.M., Ominski, K.H., Wittenberg, K.M., Janzen, H.H., Evaluating greenhouse gas mitigation practices in livestock systems: an illustration of a whole-farm approach. J. Agric. Sci., 147, 2009, 367, 10.1017/S0021859609008764.
56. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Back to Grass: The Market Potential for U.S. Grassfed Beef. http://www.stonebarnscenter.org, 2017.
57. Swain, M., Blomqvist, L., McNamara, J., Ripple, W.J., Reducing the environmental impact of global diets. Sci. Total Environ. 610–611 (2018), 1207–1209, 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.125.
58. Syswerda, S.P., Corbin, A.T., Mokma, D.L., Kravchenko, A.N., Robertson, G.P., Agricultural management and soil carbon storage in surface vs. deep layers. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 75, 2011, 92, 10.2136/sssaj2009.0414.
59. Teague, R., Barnes, M., Grazing management that regenerates ecosystem function and grazingland livelihoods. Afr. J. Range Forage Sci. 34 (2017), 77–86, 10.2989/10220119.2017.1334706.
60. Teague, W.R., Dowhower, S.L., Baker, S.A., Haile, N., DeLaune, P.B., Conover, D.M., Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 141 (2011), 310–322, 10.1016/j.agee.2011.03.009.
61. Teague, W.R., Apfelbaum, S., Lal, R., Kreuter, U.P., Rowntree, J., Davies, C.A., Conser, R., Rasmussen, M., Hatfield, J., Wang, T., Wang, F., Byck, P., The role of ruminants in reducing agriculture's carbon footprint in North America. J. Soil Water Conserv. 71 (2016), 156–164, 10.2489/jswc.71.2.156.
62. UGA, What Is Management-Intensive Grazing? [WWW Document]. http://www.caes.uga.edu/topics/sustainag/grazing/, 2015.
63. USDA, Sheet, Rill and Wind Erosion. 2012, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1187296.pdf.
64. USDA, 2012 Census of Agriculture. vol. 1, 2014, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/usv1.pdf.
65. USDA, Summary Report: 2012 National Resources Inventory. 2015, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC (Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa) http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/nri/12summary.
66. USDA, Overview of the United States Cattle Industry. 2016, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/USCatSup/USCatSup-06-24-2016.pdf.
67. USDA, Crop Production 2015 Summary. 2016, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/cropan16.pdf.
68. USDA, 2016 Agricultural Chemical Use Survey. 2017, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Chemical_Use/2016_Corn_Potatoes/ChemUseHighlights_Corn_2016.pdf.
69. van Groenigen, J.W., van Kessel, C., Hungate, B.A., Oenema, O., Powlson, D.S., van Groenigen, K.J., Sequestering soil organic carbon: a nitrogen dilemma. Environ. Sci. Technol. 51:9 (2017), 4738–4739.
70. Voisin, A., Grass Productivity: Philosophical Library. 1959.
71. Wang, T., Teague, W., Park, S., Bevers, S., GHG mitigation potential of different grazing strategies in the united states southern great plains. Sustain. For. 7 (2015), 13500–13521, 10.3390/su71013500.