A paper has been published by scientists from the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Scoland's Rural College and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre discussing the relationship between crops cows eat, and the amount of methane produced by the animals. It was discovered that plants growing in warmer temperatures have lower nutritional value and have adaptations such as thicker leaves and flowering earlier to prevent damage. Tis in turn causes the cattle to breathe heavier while chewing the tough grass, increasing the amount of methane released into the atmosphere. This is a vicious cycle because cooler climates are needed to grow wanted crops but as cows produce more methane, temperatures increase. Methane is 25 times better at trapping heat than CO2 and has significant effects on the growth of plants.
Scientists are now conducting research to identify native plants that are easy to digest and produce a higher yield of meat and milk production. It is necessary for farmers to be aware of what is being fed to their cattle because the cycle of methane entering the atmosphere will not be broken unless the plants eaten produce high yields and low methane output. http://www.victoria.ac.nz/__data/assets/image/0020/261353/varieties/ls_medium.jpg
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