Assessing the net climate benefits of improved grazing intensity in global rangelands

Powell, R.S., Davis, S.J., Encarnation, D.G., Piipponen, J., Chang, J., Currier, C.M., Erb, K., Eze, S., Hong, C., Ploton, P., Ren, S., Smith, P., Su, J., Tempio, G., Terrer, C., Wisser, D., Xu, F. and Pellegrini, A.F.A. (2026) Assessing the net climate benefits of improved grazing intensity in global rangelands. Science, 392 (6803). pp. 1161-1166. ISSN 0036-8075

Preview

Text S Eze Assesing the net-climate benefits of improved grazing OCR UPLOAD.pdf - Accepted Version Download (543kB) | Preview

Abstract

Improved rangeland grazing could mitigate climate change through carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in soils and vegetation. However, altering grazing practices to increase ecosystem carbon storage may also decrease livestock production and/or increase greenhouse gas emissions through the supply chain, such that the net emissions impacts remain unclear. Here, we assess the global net mitigation potential of improving grazing intensity by quantifying potential CO2 sequestration alongside systems-level impacts of plant productivity changes, livestock emissions, feed requirements, and production constraints. Improving grazing intensity in global rangelands could sequester 2.2 ± 0.43 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Gt/CO2eq) per year in the near term, but maintaining livestock production through supplemental feeding would reduce net mitigation by 2 to 31% (to 1.8 ± 0.45 GT/CO2eq per year). Our results suggest that neglecting systems-level emissions impacts may substantially overestimate the global climate benefits of improved grazing.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Departments > Agriculture and Environment (from 1.08.20) Research Centres > Centre for Crop and Environmental Science > Soil and Water Science Group
Depositing User:	Miss Anna Cope
Date Deposited:	25 Jun 2026 13:38
Last Modified:	25 Jun 2026 13:38
URI:	https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18392

Actions (login required)

Edit Item