Crop burning linked to N2O emissions
Comparing All Crops — Burning crop residues (Emissions N2O) with Crop Residues — Emissions (N2O) across 159 countries, 1980–2050.
- Rank correlation
- +0.94
- Holding size constant
- +0.76
- Countries compared
- 159
- Period
- 1980–2050
What might link these
The strong correlation between burning crop residues and N2O emissions from crop residues might be due to agricultural practices and soil conditions. A careful reader should consider the potential impact of fertilizer use, a likely confounder. The relationship could be influenced by various factors beyond just the burning of residues.
Why this is not proof of anything
This is a correlation across countries, not an experiment. It cannot show that either indicator causes the other, and both may simply follow a third thing. This correlation might mislead by suggesting a direct causal link between burning crop residues and N2O emissions, when in fact other factors like fertilizer application could be driving the relationship.
The second figure above repeats the measurement with national population and income held constant. It is the more conservative number: a relationship that largely disappears there was mostly telling you that larger, richer countries have more of most things.
How this was measured
Both indicators were ranked across every country reporting each, and the two rankings compared — ranks rather than raw values, because a handful of very large countries can otherwise manufacture a relationship on their own. The calculation is arithmetic over figures already published on this site; the commentary above is drafted from the two indicator names and the resulting coefficients.