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Question 2 SLM
SLM to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improve Carbon Sequestration in Wales
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Q: What SLM practices help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Wales? | A: Practices include restoring peatlands, increasing woodland cover, adopting low-carbon farming (reduced tillage, cover cropping), and integrating agroforestry. |
| Q: How does peatland restoration contribute to carbon sequestration? | A: Rewetting degraded peat bogs stops carbon loss and enables peat to accumulate, acting as a long-term carbon sink. Wales has significant peatland areas suitable for restoration. |
| Q: What is paludiculture and how is it relevant to Wales? | A: Paludiculture is farming on wet peatlands using crops suited to high water tables, reducing emissions compared to drained peatland agriculture and providing new economic opportunities. |
| Q: How does woodland creation support climate goals in Wales? | A: Planting native trees on suitable land sequesters carbon, enhances biodiversity, and can provide timber or other products, supporting both climate and rural development goals. |
| Q: What are the challenges to implementing SLM for climate mitigation in Wales? | A: Challenges include balancing food production with land for carbon storage, financial costs, knowledge gaps, and the need for coordinated policy and stakeholder engagement. |
| Q: What are the main greenhouse gases emitted from crop systems? | A: Nitrous oxide (N₂O) from soils (90% of agricultural N₂O), CO₂ from on farm energy and storage, and CH₄ from anaerobic decomposition (e.g., rice paddies) PostNote 486. |
| Q: Why is nitrogen management the most important SLM strategy? | A: Because “the more nitrogen added to soil the greater the nitrous oxide emissions,” making N management the largest mitigation opportunity. PostNote 486. |
| Q: How does precision farming reduce GHG emissions? | A: By applying fertiliser at the right time, right place, right amount, reducing excess nitrogen and N₂O emissions.PostNote 486. |
| Q: How does agroecology reduce emissions? | A: Organic and agroecological systems use biological nitrogen fixation (e.g., clover), reducing synthetic fertiliser use and associated N₂O emissions. PostNote 486. |
| Q: How can soil carbon management reduce emissions? | A: Increasing manure inputs and crop residues can raise soil organic carbon, though UK potential is limited and may be offset by N₂O increases. PostNote 486. |
| Q: How can methane emissions from rice be reduced? | A: Introducing dry periods in flooded rice reduces methane by 48% without yield loss; composting straw also lowers CH₄. PostNote 486. |
| Q: Why is global fertiliser efficiency part of SLM? | A: Over application (e.g., China uses 30–60% above optimum) increases N₂O; improving efficiency boosts yields and reduces emissions. PostNote 486. |
| Q: How does agroforestry contribute to GHG mitigation? | A: Trees reduce nitrogen leaching, recycle nutrients, and increase carbon storage, lowering net emissions. PostNote 486. |
| Q: Why must SLM consider whole system impacts? | A: To avoid “pollution swapping” (reducing one pollutant but increasing another) and “exporting emissions” abroad. PostNote 486. |
| Q: Why is behaviour change part of SLM? | A: Efficiency alone cannot meet climate and food security goals; reducing food waste and shifting diets are required. |
| Q: What are the main greenhouse gases emitted by livestock farming? | A: Methane (CH₄) from enteric fermentation and manure, and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from soils, dung, urine, and manure management. Around 8% of the UK’s GHG emissions are methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture . POSTnote 453. |
| Q: Why are livestock GHG emissions difficult to measure and manage? | A: They stem from biological processes influenced by soil type, climate, drainage, and uneven nitrogen distribution, making emissions “hard to measure” and “difficult to eliminate.” POSTnote 453. |
| Q: How does improving livestock efficiency reduce GHG emissions? | A: Better fertility, feed efficiency, and animal health reduce the number of animals needed and shorten time to slaughter, lowering methane and N₂O per unit of product. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: How can dietary changes reduce livestock methane and nitrous oxide emissions? | A: High sugar grasses, high quality forage, high starch diets, and fat/oil supplements reduce methane; lower protein diets reduce N₂O emissions from excreted nitrogen. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: How can manure and fertiliser management reduce GHG emissions? | A: • Optimising timing and amount of nitrogen fertiliser reduces N₂O. • Clover reduces fertiliser need. • Allowing slurry crusts reduces methane. • Anaerobic digestion captures methane for energy. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: What role do nitrification inhibitors play in reducing emissions? | A: They block microbial conversion of nitrogen to nitrous oxide, reducing N₂O emissions by up to 80%. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: How does selective breeding contribute to GHG reduction? | A: Breeding for feed efficiency and productivity reduces methane per unit of output; genomic selection may allow future selection for low methane animals. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: How can consumer behaviour reduce agricultural emissions? | A: Reducing food waste and shifting diets (e.g., less red meat) can save 3–13 Mt CO₂e, freeing land for nature recovery. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: Why will agriculture form a larger share of UK emissions in future? | A: Because agricultural emissions are biologically constrained and “difficult to eliminate,” while other sectors can decarbonise more rapidly. POSTnote 453. |
| Q: What is the overarching SLM approach to reducing livestock emissions? | A: Increase resource efficiency, reduce nitrogen losses, improve soil and manure management, and integrate dietary, breeding, and behavioural strategies. POSTnote 453. |
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BIRDINATREE
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