Warming significantly impacts soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems, thereby altering global carbon cycle processes. Numerous field experiments have investigated the effects of warming on soil respiration (Rs), but the results have been inconsistent due to various factors such as ecosystem type, soil warming amplitude, duration, and environmental conditions. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of 1339 cases from 70 studies in terrestrial ecosystems to evaluate the response of Rs, heterotrophic respiration (Rh), and autotrophic respiration (Ra) to global warming. The results indicated that Rs, Rh, and Ra increased by 13.88%, 15.03%, and 19.72%, respectively, with a significant rise observed across different ecosystems. Generally, Rs increased with rising temperatures within a specific range (0–4 °C), whereas higher temperatures (>4 °C) did not significantly affect Rs. Moreover, Rs, Rh, and Ra exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease with prolonged duration, indicating an adaptive response to climate warming. Additionally, Rs and Rh exhibit significant seasonal variations, with levels in winter being markedly higher than in summer. Furthermore, environmental factors exerted direct or indirect effects on soil respiration components. The factors’ importance for Rs was ranked as microbial biomass carbon (MBC) > mean annual temperature (MAT) > mean annual precipitation (MAP), for Rh as soil organic carbon (SOC) > MBC > MAT > MAP, and for Ra as belowground biomass (BGB) > aboveground biomass (AGB) > SOC. Future research should focus on the interactions among explanatory factors to elucidate the response mechanisms of soil respiration under global warming conditions.

Carya illinoinensis is a relatively water-tolerant species widely planted in areas with high flood risk. Evaluating its adaptation strategies and tolerance thresholds is crucial for ecological restoration in the context of climate change. In this study, five treatments were applied to 1-year-old C. illinoinensis seedlings in a potting simulation experiment: T1 (field capacity: 75%), T2 (5 cm below the root collar), T3 (up to the root collar), T4 (10 cm above the root collar), and T5 (30 cm above the root collar). The flooding episode lasted for 4 months and was followed by a recovery period of 6 months. The results show that, at the end of flooding, total biomass (TB), stem-mass ratio (SMR), malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein (SP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were significantly increased in all the flooded groups (T2–T5) compared to the control (T1), while the root-to-shoot ratio (RSR), root-to-mass ratio (RMR), leaf-to-mass ratio (LMR), and leaf-mass fraction (LMF) were significantly decreased. Although survival in the high stress group (T5) temporarily decreased to 83.3% (T1–T4 remained 100%), survival in all treatment groups fully recovered (100%) after recovery. Significant decreases (p < 0.001) were observed when comparing post-recovery to end-flooding levels within each flooded group (T2–T5), with reductions ranging: LMR (21.0–30.8%), REL (14.0–26.7%), MDA (16.1–25.3%), SP (42.2–67.3%), SOD (27.6–49.8%), and CAT (47.0–61.3%) across treatments. At this time, T5 showed lower TB and higher MDA, soluble sugars (SS), and SP compared to T1. PCA analysis indicated that the damage ranked as T5 > T4 > T3 > T2 > T1 at the end of flooding, and as T5 > T1 > T4 > T3 > T2 at the end of recovery. Therefore, it could be concluded that 1-year-old C. illinoinensis exhibits high flooding tolerance, with self-recovery thresholds below the T5 treatment, making it suitable for ecological restoration in flood-prone areas.

Warming profoundly influences soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems, thereby altering global carbon cycling. Understanding the trends and drivers of soil respiration changes in forest ecosystems under warming is essential for assessing regional carbon budgets and ecosystem carbon sink/source dynamics. In this study, a one-year warming experiment was conducted using open-top chambers in a Taxodium hybrid (Zhongshanshan) ecosystem in the northern Jiangsu coastal area, China. Treatments included control (CK) and warming (W), focusing on soil respiration components (soil respiration, Rs; heterotrophic respiration, Rh; autotrophic respiration, Ra) and associated soil hydrothermal and nutrient factors. Results showed that both warming and season significantly affected Rs, Rh, and Ra, all exhibiting a unimodal seasonal pattern peaking in summer. Warming increased winter Ra by 117.39% (p < 0.001). Bivariate models (temperature and moisture) explained more variation in respiration (R² = 0.720–0.893) than univariate models. Correlation analysis indicated that under control conditions, Rs components were significantly positively correlated with microbial biomass carbon (MBC), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and available phosphorus (AP). After warming, these positive correlations with MBC and AP persisted; however, negative correlations emerged with soil organic carbon (SOC) and its stoichiometric ratios (C:N, C:P). Additionally, Ra showed negative correlations with easily oxidizable carbon (EOC), total nitrogen (TN), and N:P. Overall, these findings suggest that climate warming may enhance soil respiration in the Taxodium hybrid (Zhongshanshan) ecosystem by altering soil thermal-hydrological and nutrient factors, although further validation is needed.