Gaseous Nitrogen Emissions from Grasslands

This book examines the impact of gaseous nitrogen emissions from grasslands on atmospheric chemistry, acid rain, critical loads for ecosystems, climate change and ozone levels. The various stages of grassland production provide numerous opportunities for the escape of these environmentally active gases. These stages are examined and methods for controlling the emissions are explored. The interactions of the processes involved in the generation of these gases with other components of the overall nitrogen cycle are important and the chapters in this book look at these in terms of basic processes through to larger scale systems. The book brings together the leading workers in this area and provides an up-to-date account of the research along with implications for practice in this environmentally sensitive field. It is important reading for all grassland scientists, those involved in research into livestock production using grass and rangelands along with advisors to the farming community. It is also valuable for all those, such as ecologists and conservationists, concerned with pollution and the environment.

Table of Contents:
PART I: Controls and Interactions of Emissions from Grassland Soils 1: Emission processes and their interactions in grassland soils 2: Controls over denitrification and its gaseous products in a permanent pasture soil 24: Ammonia emissions following the landspreading of solid manures 25: Reduction of ammonia emission by new slurry application techniques on grassland 26: Effect of application techniques on ammonia losses and herbage yield following slurry application to grassland 27: Sources of variation in ammonia emission factors for manure application to grassland PART V: Nitrogen Emissions from Grassland Systems: Models and Budgets 28: Scaling of nitrogen fluxes from grasslands 29: Modelling nitrous oxide emissions at various scales 30: Application of a mechanistic model to calculate nitrous oxide emissions at a national scale 31: Emissions of nitric oxide, nitrous oxide and ammonia from grasslands on a global scale 32: Balancing greenhouse gases and reduction of emission in grassland farming systems 33: Reducing nitrogen emission from complete dairy farm systems 34: Nitrogen balances in permanent grassland 35: Environmentally responsible management of grassland in organic farming systems PART VI: RESEARCH NEEDS 36: Progress and challenges in measuring and modelling gaseous nitrogen emission from grasslands: an overview 23: Ammonia emissions following the application of solid manure to grassland 22: Nitrous oxide and ammonia emission from grassland following application of slurry: potential abatement practices 21: The impact of cattle slurries and their management on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from grassland PART IV: Effects of Organic Manures on Emissions 20: Nitrous oxide emission from slurry and mineral nitrogen fertilizer applied to grassland 19: Nitrous oxide emissions from excreta from a simulated grazing pattern and fertilizer application to grassland 18: Contribution of urine patches to the emission of nitrous oxide 17: Effect of pH in nitrous oxide emissions from grassland soil 16: Spatial variability of nitrous oxide fluxes from grasslands: differences between soil types 15: Spatial pattern in soil oxygen content and nitrous oxide emission from drained grassland 14: Emissions of nitrous oxide from grasslands PART III: Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Grassland Soils 13: Gradients of atmospheric ammonia concentrations and deposition downwind of ammonia emission: first results of the ADEPT Burrington Moor experiment 12: Ammonia volatilization from dairy farms: experiments and models 11: Ammonia dispersion around livestock buildings 10: Spreading of cattle urine to leys: techniques, ammonia emission and crop yields 9: Effect of protein nutrition on ammonia emission from cow houses 8: Effect of nitrogen and sodium chloride intake in production and composition of urine in dairy cows 7: Components of ammonia volatilization from cattle and sheep production PART II: Ammonia Fluxes within Grassland Systems 6: Rainfall and temperature effects on nitrogen losses from fertilizer types on grassland in the Netherlands and the UK 5: Concurrent nitrification and denitrification in compacted grassland soil 4: Biogenic emission of nitric oxide from a sub-tropical grassland: Miombo-type Savanna (Marondera, Zimbabwe) 3: Determination of controls over denitrification using a flowing helium atmosphere system

Review :
"This book reports the proceedings of a conference that discussed the ecological impact of nitrogen-based gas emissions from grasslands and the production systems based on them. The six parts of the book are devoted to (I) controls over soil processes and interactions, (II) ammonia emissions, (III) nitrous oxide evolution, (IV) manure-specific effects, (V) large scale effects and predictive models, and (VI) a review of further research needs. The intended audience for this book are agricultural and atmosphere scientists, the agriculture industry, and policymakers. . . . Along with each of the six parts, session posters with tables and figures are also given. These indicate the variety and mix of the participants from fourteen countries who attended the North Wyke meeting."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "The book Gaseous Nitrogen Emissions from Grasslands reports the proceedings of a conference [that] covered all aspects of gaseous nitrogen losses . . . There are inputs from soil and atmosphere scientists, agronomists, engineers, and modelers. These presentations manage both agricultural and ecological aspects of the subject. . . . This book brings up-to-date knowledge to the understanding of atmospheric chemistry, acid rain, critical loads for ecosystems, climatic change, and ozone levels. This book provides important reading for all grassland scientists, those involved in research into livestock production using grass and rangelands as well as advisors to the farming community. In addition, it is a valuable tool for those concerned with pollution and the environment, particularly ecologists and conservationists."--Soil Science