Greenhouse Gases in Intensive Agriculture: Contributions of Individual Gases to the Radiative Forcing of the Atmosphere
Open accessAbstract
Agriculture plays a major role in the global fluxes of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. From 1991 to 1999, we measured gas fluxes and other sources of global warming potential (GWP) in cropped and nearby unmanaged ecosystems. Net GWP (grams of carbon dioxide equivalents per square meter per year) ranged from 110 in our conventional tillage systems to −211 in early successional communities. None of the annual cropping systems provided net mitigation, although soil carbon accumulation in no-till systems came closest to mitigating all other sources of GWP. In all but one ecosystem, nitrous oxide production was the single greatest source of GWP. In the late successional system, GWP was neutral because of significant methane oxidation. These results suggest additional opportunities for lessening the GWP of agronomic systems.
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Rotations of annual and perennial crops are common and the diversity of individual crops will affect greenhouse-gas fluxes of the cropping system.
“Rotations of annual and perennial crops are common and the diversity of individual crops will affect GHG fluxes of the cropping system (Robertson et al. 2000).”
From LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF NET GREENHOUSE-GAS FLUX FOR BIOENERGY CROPPING SYSTEMS (2007) · cites this paper as Robertson et al. 2000
The supplied passages (labeled Abstract; page not supplied) report different N₂O fluxes for alfalfa and poplar, supporting the point that crop choice can affect greenhouse-gas fluxes. But the paper studies a corn–soybean–wheat rotation and separate perennial crop systems; it does not say that rotations mixing annual and perennial crops are common or measure the effect of diversity within such rotations. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredData from soybean and alfalfa cropping in Canada and Michigan suggest that IPCC (2000) methodology overestimates N2O emissions from N fixers.
“Data from soybean and alfalfa cropping in Canada (Rochette et al. 2004) and Michigan (Robertson et al. 2000) suggest that IPCC (2000) methodology overestimates N2O emissions from N fixers.”
From LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF NET GREENHOUSE-GAS FLUX FOR BIOENERGY CROPPING SYSTEMS (2007) · cites this paper as Robertson et al. 2000
The paper reports N₂O measurements from soybean rotations and alfalfa in the Midwest United States, and says alfalfa fluxes were equivalent to those from annual crops. Our copy mentions IPCC methodology, but the relevant passage is garbled and does not establish that it overestimates emissions from nitrogen-fixing crops. The Canada data are attributed to a different citation in the citing sentence. (LLM, conf=0.78)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn a nine year study in Michigan, United States, five to six times smaller N2O emissions were measured for a poplar plantation compared with conventional cropland systems.
“In a nine year study in Michigan, United States, five to six times smaller N 2 O emissions were measured for a poplar plantation compared with conventional cropland systems (Robertson et al., 2000).”
From Land‐use change to bioenergy production in <scp>E</scp> urope: implications for the greenhouse gas balance and soil carbon (2012) · cites this paper as Robertson et al., 2000
The major sources of greenhouse-gas fluxes associated with crop production are soil nitrous oxide emissions, soil CO2 and methane fluxes, and CO2 emissions associated with agricultural inputs and farm equipment operation.
“The major sources of GHG fluxes associated with crop production are soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, soil CO2 and methane (CH4) fluxes, and CO2 emissions associated with agricultural inputs and farm equipment operation (Robertson et al. 2000, Del Grosso et al. 2001 a , West and Marland 2002).”
From LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF NET GREENHOUSE-GAS FLUX FOR BIOENERGY CROPPING SYSTEMS (2007) · cites this paper as Robertson et al. 2000
Perennials sequester much more carbon in soil.
“and, importantly, to sequester much more carbon in soil (Robertson et al., 2000;Kardol and Wardle, 2010).”
From Breeding crop plants with deep roots: their role in sustainable carbon, nutrient and water sequestration (2011) · cites this paper as Robertson et al., 2000
Changes in agricultural practice are needed.
“This implies changes in agricultural practice (Robertson et al., 2000;Lal, 2004Lal, , 2008aLal, , b, 2011;;Sartori et al., 2006;Pretty, 2008;Smith et al., 2008;Burney et al., 2010;Follett and Reed, 2010;Smith and Olesen, 2010;Powlson et al., 2011)”
From Breeding crop plants with deep roots: their role in sustainable carbon, nutrient and water sequestration (2011) · cites this paper as Robertson et al., 2000
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Impact of Nitrogen Fertilization and Cropping System on Carbon Sequestration in Midwestern Mollisols
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“We combined our field measurements with published carbon costs for agricultural inputs (Robertson et al 2000, Farrell et al 2006, Schmer et al 2008, Gelfand et al 2011, 2013) to estimate overall GWI in units of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) for each of our N treatments (table S3).”
MethodSelf-citationOates, L. G., Duncan, D. S., Gelfand, I., Millar, N., Robertson, G. P., & Jackson, R. D. (2016) · GCB Bioenergy · doi:10.1111/gcbb.12268 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
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“Agriculture is an essential human activity but at the same time a substantial emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Robertson et al., 2000).”
BackgroundInfluentialSimulated effects of land use, soil texture, and precipitation on N gas emissions using DAYCENT
Del Grosso, S. J., Parton, W. J., Mosier, A. R., Hartman, M. D., Keough, C. A., Peterson, G. A., Ojima, D. S., & Schimel, D. S. (2001) · Nitrogen in the Environment: Sources, Problems and Management · doi:10.1016/b978-044450486-9/50018-2 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Duncan, D. S., Oates, L. G., Gelfand, I., Millar, N., Robertson, G. P., & Jackson, R. D. (2019) · GCB Bioenergy · doi:10.1111/gcbb.12572 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Robertson, G. P., Paul, E. A., & Harwood, R. R.
- Affiliations
- Michigan State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Robertson, G. Philip
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2000-09-15
- Volume
- 289
- Issue
- 5486
- Pages
- 1922-1925
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2156101426
- Cited by
- 1,358
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 55 · 2020: 63 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 63 · 2016: 76 · 2015: 72 · 2014: 66 · 2013: 76 · 2012: 85
- FWCI
- 89.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Collections of Colorado (Colorado State University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Keywords
- greenhouse gases, radiative forcing, global warming potential, nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, agricultural emissions, soil carbon accumulation, no-tillage, conventional tillage, early successional communities, late-successional forest, methane oxidation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction
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