GRAZING MANAGEMENT, AMMONIA AND NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS: A GENERAL VIEW

Abstract

The grazing management of grassland has a direct effect on nitrogen (N) recycling. This is an important reason why management has become an alternative to improve the grassland production and quality, in turn to make it more suitable for the environment. However, the livestock system intensification induces changes in the natural dynamics of the N cycle, accelerating gas emmisions (e.g. ammonia, NH3 and nitrous oxide, N2O) and leaching losses from soil under grazing. When the amount of N in the environment increases, there is an impact on smog episodes, global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rain and eutrophication of fresh water. There are different techniques to evaluate the gases emitted from the soil. This klonowledge is useful to design the strategies to reduce the negative consequences of theses gases on the environment. In this review, the effect of grazing managements on N gas emissions from soils and the current techniques for N gas emission measurements in the field and laboratories conditions are discussed.