Scientists have found restoring cattle pastures brings an unlikely environmental benefit by cutting the greenhouse gas emissions from cattle urine.

The planet-warming power of methane gas emitted by cows is well known, but their urine is also a contributor to climate change.

When the animals urinate on pastures, they produce the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, which like methane has a far more powerful climate effect that CO2.

Previous research on the Somerset Levels in the UK has shown how adding cow urine to grassland stimulates gas production by adding nitrogen to the system and increasing soil water content.

In a new study, scientists investigated the levels of nitrous oxide coming from cow pastures across Latin America and the Caribbean after pouring samples of urine onto them.