Abstract: Aerobic composting is an effective way to treat and recycle livestock manure. However, the aerobic composting of livestock manure is a potential source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O), which closely relates to the global greenhouse effect and ozone depletion. With the expansion of livestock industry and the dramatic increasing yield of manure compost, the N₂O emission during the aerobic composting has become a severe problem. The researches on the mechanisms of N₂O emission during livestock manure composting have attracted increasing concerns. In this paper, the recent researches on the N₂O generation approaches, emission dynamics, potential affecting factors, and microbiological mechanisms of N₂O emission during livestock manure aerobic composting were reviewed, and the measures to control the N₂O emission during composting process were summarized. Some perspectives for the future researches in this field were suggested.

Key words: livestock manure, nitrous oxide, aerobic composting, nitrification, denitrification.