Spatiotemporal dynamics and influencing factors of soil heterotrophic respiration in northeast China

Soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) represents a primary pathway of carbon release from soil. Using meteorological data, DEM, soil organic carbon density, and other data, we simulated the Rh in Northeast China from 2001 to 2020 using the GSMSR model. We then analyzed its spatialtemporal distribution pattern and examined its spatial-temporal aggregation, differentiation characteristics, and influencing factors at the national level, employing methods such as standard deviation ellipse (a statistical method that describes the spread and direction of data points in space), cold-hot spot analysis, and geographically weighted regression. The results showed that: (1) From 2001 to 2020, the annual mean Rh of the terrestrial ecosystem in Northeast China ranged from 24.22 kgC/ha/year to 25.02 kgC/ha/year, with a very significant increasing trend at the rate of 0.04 kgC/ha/year. The total amount of carbon release from soil heterotrophic respiration ranged from 4.76 × 1011 to 5.02 × 1011 kilograms per year (kg/year), representing the annual carbon flux in the study region. And it had a significant increasing trend at the rate of 5.75 × 108 kg/year. (2) From the spatial differentiation and spatial clustering pattern, Rh was dominated by a northeast-southwest direction, its spatial distribution center was close to the northeast geographical center, and it had no obvious contraction or expansion trend on the whole. (3) In the northern and northeastern regions of the study area, vegetation cover directly influences local soil respiration rates. In most areas of the north, east, and south, per capita Gross Domestic Product directly affects soil respiration rates. It might provide a reference for the estimation of soil carbon loss and ecosystem carbon sink in this region.