Fluxes of the greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) above a short-rotation poplar plantation after conversion from agricultural land

► Here we report CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes measured using eddy covariance above a short-rotation bioenergy plantation. ► During the first six months the total CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions was 5.36 ± 0.52 Mg CO2eq ha−1 in terms of CO2 equivalents. ► Nitrous oxide loss mostly occurred during a week-long peak emission which represented 52% of the entire N2O loss. ► The sum of the CH4 and N2O losses was an order of magnitude higher (3.51 ± 0.52 Mg CO2eq ha−1) than the net CO2 uptake (−0.75 ± 0.58 Mg CO2eq ha−1). ► Climate change and altered rainfall pattern could increase the negative environmental impacts of bioenergy plantations.