Manure N2O emissions correlate strongly with total N2O emissions from pasture
Comparing Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure left on Pasture with Manure Management — Indirect emissions (N2O) across 178 countries, 2023–2050.
- Rank correlation
- +1.00
- Holding size constant
- +0.99
- Countries compared
- 178
- Period
- 2023–2050
What might link these
The strong correlation suggests that practices influencing indirect N2O emissions from manure management are a significant driver of total N2O emissions from manure left on pastures. While this is statistically robust, it's important to remember that correlation does not imply causation. The underlying agricultural practices driving these emissions are the likely common cause.
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. The indicators are very closely related, focusing on different aspects of the same N2O emission source, making it difficult to disentangle their independent contributions.
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.