A study in Inner Mongolia's desert steppe looked at how different fertilizers affect soil respiration. They found that adding 10 g of nitrogen per square meter in August increased respiration rates significantly. Phosphorus fertilizer also boosted respiration during the early and middle growing stages. However, fertilization didn't change the daily or seasonal patterns of respiration. Soil moisture at 0-10 cm depth had the biggest impact on respiration rates, followed by soil temperature at 5 cm depth. Overall, the study shows that fertilization can influence soil respiration in this ecosystem.