Modeling methane emissions from cattle in Mexico

Modeling methane emissions from cattle requires data on herd size, herd distribution by weight and use, and distribution by climate. In this article, it is shown how empirical and semi-empirical models were obtained for these data in Mexico. Some shortfalls in the Tier 2 approach of the 1994 IPCC's methodology for emissions from enteric fermentation are discussed and an intermediate procedure is proposed. These methods could also be applied in other countries. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.