As climate change accelerates, environmental factors are expected to fluctuate as well. To gain insight into soil respiration (Rs) dynamics, it is essential to conduct long-term measurements of Rs alongside environmental variations. To this end, we examined Rs associated with environmental variables from 2018 to 2024 at a site located on Mt. Jeombong, which is situated in a temperate deciduous broadleaf forest. The interannual variation in Rs was not explained by soil temperature but was primarily associated with rainfall regimes. The mean Rs for April–November was substantially different during the study period and was strongly correlated with cumulative rainfall at all measurement points (R² = 0.68–0.94). These variations were largely attributed to changes in autotrophic respiration (Ra). Furthermore, Rs differed significantly between nearby measurement points (p < 0.05), despite their proximity within a 100 m by 100 m plot, apparently reflecting point-level differences in responses of Rs to environmental drivers that were likely modulated by uneven litter accumulation. Overall, at our site located in temperate deciduous forests, Rs primarily fluctuates as a result of rainfall variation, and Rs variations are strongly influenced by the heterogeneity in the litter deposition.

In order to develop an efficient management plan for Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai, which is encroaching on Mt. Hallasan, Jeju Island, this study determined the correlation between soil temperature and soil respiration in mowing and non-mowing areas, and how mowing of Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai affects changes in soil respiration. The average soil temperature of the mowing and non-mowing sites during the study period was 10.90±4.99℃ and 10.65±4.62℃ in Manseodongsan and 10.35±7.82℃ and 11.19±8.45℃ in Jindallaebat, respectively, showing no difference by mowing, but the summer soil temperature of the mowing site was higher than the non-mowing site. The average soil respiration of the mowing and non-mowing sites was 0.40±0.29 gCO2m-2hr-1 and 0.63±0.49 gCO2m-2hr-1, respectively, in the Manseodongsan, and 0.37±0.32 CO2m-2hr-1 and 0.61±0.51 CO2m-2hr-1 in the Jindallaebat, respectively, showing that the soil respiration of the mowing site was significantly lower than the non-mowing site. The R2 values of the exponential function regression equation between soil temperature and soil respiration in the Manseodongsan were 0.53 and 0.44 in the mowing and non-mowing areas, respectively, and 0.41 and 0.41 in the mowing and non-mowing areas in the Jindallaebat, respectively, showing a positive correlation between soil temperature and soil respiration in the survey area. The results of this study showed that mowing of Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai reduces soil respiration.