Soil respiration in tropical forests is important for understanding carbon storage. By studying a forest in China, researchers found that soil respiration has two main components: autotrophic and heterotrophic. These components respond differently to temperature and humidity. Heterotrophic respiration accounts for half of total soil efflux. The Kirschbaum–O’Connell model best describes the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Soil respiration varies among different parts of the forest and is mainly controlled by temperature. This research helps us understand how carbon is exchanged between the soil and the atmosphere in tropical forests.