Quantifying Ammonia Emissions: Climate Impact and Management Strategies

This lecture discusses the quantification of climate-dependent ammonia emissions, focusing on their environmental impacts and management strategies. The instructor introduces ammonia as a significant form of reactive nitrogen that adversely affects air, water, and soil quality. The lecture highlights the development of the AMmonia-CLIMate (AMCLIM) model, which simulates agricultural ammonia emissions by considering various climatic and management factors. The model's findings indicate that ammonia emissions are primarily driven by agricultural activities and are sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature and water availability. The instructor presents data showing that global agricultural ammonia emissions accounted for 22% of nitrogen input in 2010, with significant spatial and temporal variations. The lecture emphasizes the importance of local management practices in reducing emissions, suggesting that a combination of improved strategies could lead to a 40% reduction in ammonia emissions globally. The discussion concludes with insights into future projections of ammonia emissions under different climate scenarios and the necessity for effective mitigation measures.