The effect of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on emissions of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane from a wheat field in a semi-arid environment in northern China

There are no reports on the effects of elevated carbon dioxide [CO2] on the fluxes of N2O, CO2 and CH4 from semi-arid wheat cropping systems. These three soil gas fluxes were measured using closed chambers under ambient (420 ± 18 μmol mol−1) and elevated (565 ± 37 μmol mol−1) at the Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment experimental facility in northern China. Measurements were made over five weeks on a wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Zhongmai 175). Elevated [CO2] increased N2O and CO2 emission from soil by 60% and 15%, respectively, but had no significant effect on CH4 flux. There was no significant interaction between [CO2] and N application rate on these gas fluxes, probably because soil N was not limiting. At least 22% increase in C storage is required to offset the observed increase in greenhouse gas emissions under elevated [CO2].