Previous research has primarily focused on the long-term impacts of tillage systems and their effects on soil biologic processes and properties and their role in the production and emission of greenhouse gases. Currently, little is known about the immediate losses of CO2 and N2O following tillage. Two field studies were conducted to investigate the effect of soil disturbance on the short-term flux of CO2 and N2O. The first study consisted of three levels of tillage with and without corn residues. The tillage treatments consisted of a no-till control, low and high soil disturbance. Flux measurements were made over the course of five days following soil disturbance event. Results show that there was a significant effect of soil disturbance on the flux of CO2 with the high disturbance treatments resulting in a higher flux compared to the no and low disturbance treatments throughout the measurement period. The high disturbance treatments produced a large peak in CO2 emissions that quickly diminished over the first 24 hrs. The addition of corn residue also had a significant effect with the residue treatments consistently having a higher CO2 flux compared to the bare soil treatments. There was no significant impact of tillage or residue on the flux of N2O throughout the measurement period. The second study was a comparison of till and no-till. Flux chambers were deployed immediately after a pass with a cultivator with one chamber on the tilled surface another chamber on the non-tilled surface immediately adjacent. The chambers were in place for one hour, with headspace samples being taken in rapid succession. The results demonstrate that tillage results in an immediate release of CO2 and N2O compared to the no-till system.