To examine the effect of increased livestock numbers on nitrous oxide emissions the authors report year-round nitrous oxide flux measurements at ten steppe grassland sites in Inner Mongolia. They find that nitrous oxide emission is much higher during spring thaw and is highest in ungrazed steppe, decreasing with increasing stocking rate, which suggests that grazing decreases rather than increases nitrous oxide emissions

To examine the effect of increased livestock numbers on nitrous oxide emissions the authors report year-round nitrous oxide flux measurements at ten steppe grassland sites in Inner Mongolia. They find that nitrous oxide emission is much higher during spring thaw and is highest in ungrazed steppe, decreasing with increasing stocking rate, which suggests that grazing decreases rather than increases nitrous oxide emissions