Effects of elevated temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from Portuguese flooded rice fields

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from flooded rice fields have been rarely measured in Europe. A field study was carried out in an intermittent flooded rice field at central Portugal to investigate if global warming under Mediterranean conditions, elevated soil temperature (+2 °C) and atmospheric [CO2] (550 ppm), could lead to significant effects in CH4 and N2O emissions. The experimental design consisted of three treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. To assess the effects of ambient temperature and actual atmospheric [CO2] (375 ppm), plots were laid under open-field rice conditions. Using open-top chambers, two other treatments were established: one to assess the effect of elevated temperature and actual atmospheric [CO2] and a third treatment to evaluate the combined effect of elevated temperature and atmospheric [CO2]. Measurements of CH4 and N2O fluxes were made throughout two consecutive growing seasons in the field using the closed chamber technique. Elevation of temperature with or without elevated atmospheric [CO2] increased CH4 emissions by 50%, but this increase was not significant compared to the open-field condition. As for N2O, elevated temperature alone or combined with elevated atmospheric [CO2] had no significant effect on emissions relative to the open-field treatment. The estimated seasonal CH4 EF for the Portuguese flooded rice fields was 10.0 g CH4 m−2, while the EF for N2O emissions was 1.4% of N input. These results suggested that default seasonal CH4 and N2O EFs currently used by the Portuguese inventory were not appropriated.