The sellection of the method for evaluating greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions is an important step in studies aiming at the development of agricultural practices with potential to mitigate the global warming. The objective of this review was to present advantages and disvantages of available methods to quantify fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the soil-atmosphere system. Carbon sequestration or annual net influx rates of C-CO2 in conservation tillage systems can be evaluated through the soil carbon budget. In situ evaluations can be carried out with closed chambers, where alkaline traps are used to determination of daily influxes of CO2 while gas chromatography and automatic infrared gas analyzers permit to estimate horary fluxes. In addition to CO2, gas chromatography is able to measure N2O and CH4 emissions, gases that have a global warming potential 296 and 23 times higher than CO2, respectively. Measurement of the three GHG emissions permit to estimate the net effect of soil management systems on atmosphere rodiative forcing in equivalent C.
global warming; C sequestration; greenhouse gases; alkali CO2 absorption; infrared detectors; gas chromatography