On a global scale, soil respiration (Rs), representing the CO2 flux between the soil surface and the atmosphere, ranks as the second-largest terrestrial carbon (C) flux. Understanding the dynamics between Rs and its autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic (Rh) components is necessary for accurately evaluating and predicting global C balance and net ecosystem production under environmental change. In this study, we conducted a two-year root exclusion experiment in subtropical China’s Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl.) forests to assess seasonal changes in Ra and Rh and their relative contributions to Rs. Additionally, we examined the influence of environmental factors on the dynamics of Ra, Rh, and Rs. Our results showed that seasonal mean Rs values were 2.88 µmol m−2 s−1, with mean Ra and Rh of 1.21 and 1.67 µmol m−2 s−1, respectively, in the studied forests. On an annual basis, the annual values of mean Rs in the studied forests were 405 ± 219 g C m−2 year−1, with Rh and Ra accounting for 240 ± 120 and 164 ± 102 g C m−2 year−1, respectively. The seasonal mean ratio of Rh to Rs (Rh/Rs) was 58%, varying from 45 to 81%. Seasonal changes in Rs and Rh were strongly correlated with soil temperature but not soil water content. Both Rh and Rs increased exponentially with the average soil temperature measured in the topsoil layer (about 5 cm), with Q10 values of 2.02 and 1.73 for Rh and Rs, respectively. Our results suggest that the composition and activity of soil microbes and fauna play a primary role in releasing carbon flux from soil to the atmosphere in the studied forest ecosystems.
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