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Terrestrial carbon cycling is one of the hotspots in global change issues. In this paper, we presented the rationale for determination of net exchange of CO2 between terrestrial and the atmosphere (NEE) and the methods for measuring several relevant components. Three key processes for determination of NEE were addressed, including the separation of shoot autotrophic respiration from total CO2 emissions of the ecosystem, the partition of root respiration from soil CO2 efflux, and the quantification of rhizodeposition C from NPP. With an understanding of the processes involved in the CO2 exchange between terrestrial and the atmosphere, we estimated NEE of rice ecosystem in Nanjing based on field measurements of CO2 emissions and several relevant biotic components as well as abiotic factors. The field measurements of CO2 emissions were made over the rice-growing seasons in 2001 and 2002 with the static opaque chamber method. Calculations indicated that the seasonal pattern of NEE is comparable for two seasons. Either net carbon emission or fractional carbon fixation occurred during 3 weeks after rice transplanting and thereafter net carbon fixation appeared with an increasing trend as rice growing. Higher net carbon fixation occurred in the rice developmental period from elongating to heading. A decline trend in the fixation was documented after rice heading. The mean daily NEE was -6.06 gC .m-2M 2001 season and -7.95 -2 . gC . m -2in 2002 season, respectively. These values were comparable to the results obtained by Campbell et al. who made field measurements with the Bowen ratio-energy balance technique in irrigated rice, Texas USA. Moreover, the mean daily NEE in this study was also comparable to the values obtained from a Japanese rice paddy with the eddy covariance method under the similar water regime, either drainage course or waterlogged. It is concluded that NEE determined by the static opaque chamber method is comparable and in agreement with those measured by Bowen ratio energy balance and eddy covariance methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]