Livestock's Long Shadow "that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions" GHG emissions arise from feed production (e.g. chemical fertilizer production, deforestation for pasture and feed crops, cultivation of feed crops, feed transport and soil organic matter losses in pastures and feed crops), animal production (e.g. enteric fermentation and methane and nitrous oxide emissions from manure) and as a result of the transportation of animal products. Following this approach the report estimates that livestock contributes to about 9% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, but 37% of methane and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions. Along the animal food chain, main
Nitrous oxide production of nitric acid and adipic acid are the largest sources of nitrous oxide emissions. The adipic acid emissions specifically arise from the degradation of the nitrolic acid intermediate derived from nitration of cyclohexanone. Natural processes that generate nitrous oxide may be classified as nitrification and denitrification. Specifically, they include: These processes are affected by soil chemical and physical properties such as the availability of mineral nitrogen and organic matter, acidity, and soil type; as well as climate-related factors such as soil temperature and water content. The emission of the gas to the atmosphere is limited greatly by its consumption