Project: Robust models for assessing the effectiveness of technologies and managements to reduce N2O emissions from grazed pastures

Acronym	Models4Pastures (Reference Number: 38)
Duration	01/01/2014 - 31/12/2016
Project Topic	Models4Pastures will test, improve, and then use, simulation models to provide robust assessments of the impact of N2O mitigation options in grassland systems across a large geographic and climatic range.  Our models and assessments will take into account the effects of the mitigation option, and its follow-on consequences (e.g. changes in grazing intensity) for other gases to understand the net ecosystem effect, food production and variability of production, and the effects on the ability of the soil to sustain production.  This work will be done in the company of current and proposed FACCE-JPI projects and other international activities, We will use model inter-comparisons and development to provide improved tools for climate change research.  In our case we will concentrate on exploring N2O mitigation options for grassland systems and the flow-on impacts of those mitigations on the ability of the soil to sustain production and on the needs for changed inputs or management of the grasslands.  The inclusion of New Zealand and European teams provides a wide range of datasets, including a new dataset collected at high temporal resolution and covering different climatic conditions and management practices, and a range of models that have different formulation (assumptions and parameters) and approaches. This is the ideal situation to explore the most effective model features and develop models that are robust across a range of situations that is as wide as possible. The suite of diverse models also forms an ideal ensemble with which to approach the study of mitigation options.  We expect that this combined approach (challenging/improving existing models and ensemble modelling) will result in modelling tools that can be used with confidence by scientists and mitigation assessments that policymakers can be assured are robust. Because many of the scientists in our project are also involved in other modelling inter-comparison initiatives we expect our findings will be rapidly and effectively disseminated to end users who will initially be other scientists wishing to explore potential mitigation options and their consequences.
Website	visit project website
Network	FACCE JPI
Call	Multi-partner Call on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	AgResearch Limited	Coordinator	New Zealand
2	University Court of the University of Aberdeen (acting as a UK lead for SURC, Dr Kairsty Topp, and Rothamsted Research, Dr Laura Cardenas)	Partner	United Kingdom
3	Institute National de Recherche en Agronomie (INRA)	Partner	France
4	University of Florence	Partner	Italy
5	ETH Zürich	Partner	Switzerland