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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #329035
Title: Production, management, and environment symposium: Environmental footprint of livestock production - Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change

Author
item COLE, NOEL - Retired ARS Employee
item RADCLIFF, SCOTT - Purdue University
item DEVRIES, TREVOR - University Of Guelph
item Rotz, Clarence - Al
item ELY, DON - University Of Kentucky
item CARDOSO, FELIEPE - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Professional Animal Scientist
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/7/2016
Publication Date: 8/30/2016
Citation: Cole, N.A., Radcliff, S., Devries, T., Rotz, C.A., Ely, D., Cardoso, F. 2016. Production, management, and environment symposium: Environmental footprint of livestock production - Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Professional Animal Scientist. (94):3137-3138. DOI:10.2527/jas2016-0602

Interpretive Summary: Livestock production systems are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.The 2015 Production, Management, and Environment symposium titled "Environmental Footprint of Livestock Production – Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change" was held at the Joint Annual Meeting of the ASAS and ADSA The 2015 Production, Management, and Environment symposium titled “Environmental Footprint of Livestock Production – Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change” was held at the Joint Annual Meeting of the ASAS and ADSA in Orlando, FL on July 15, 2015. The purpose of the program was to provide up-to-date information regarding the impact of livestock production on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, potential mitigation strategies, and methodologies to use in research. The symposium was comprised of 5 invited presentations. The five presentations are summerized greenhouse gas emissions, different livestock productions systems with emphasis on cand and swine systems.

Technical Abstract: This manuscript is the introduction to the 2015 Production, Management, and Environment symposium titled “Environmental Footprint of Livestock Production – Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change” that was held at the Joint Annual Meeting of the ASAS and ADSA at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL on July 15, 2015. The symposium was organized by the Production, Management and Environment program committee. The purpose of the program was to provide up-to-date information regarding the impact of livestock production on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, potential mitigation strategies, and methodologies to use in research. The symposium was comprised of 5 invited presentations; two of which were expanded to full manuscripts to be published in the Journal of Animal Science. Each of the presentations is briefly discussed in the mansucript. Titles fo the invited presentatison were as follows: 1) “Analytical methods for quantifying greenhouse gas flux in animal production systems” by Dr. Wendy Powers of Michigan State University, East Lansing; 2) "Forage utilization to improve environmental sustainability of ruminant production" by Dr. Karen Beauchemin of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, 3) Environmental footprint of livestock production : A global perspective by Dr. Frank Mitloehner of the University of California, Davis; 4 Environmental impact reduction strategies for pig farms" by Dr. Richard Ulrich of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and 5) “Greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen cycling from beef production systems: Effects of climate, season, production system, and diet” by Dr. Galen Erickson of the Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln. Environmental issues continue to grow as a concern to livestock producers, regulators, and the general public. The excellent attendance at the symposium demonstrated that this subject is of increasing interest with animal science researchers as well. There are still significant gaps in knowledge. These gaps will have to be filled with high-quality, multi-disciplinary research.