Effects of Periodic Mulching on Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Respiration and CO₂ Emission in a Lei Shoot‐Producing Bamboo Forest

Lei bamboo ( Phyllostachys violascens ), an economically significant bamboo species in subtropical China, is routinely subjected to periodic mulching (hereafter referred to as “mulching”) to raise soil temperature, thereby advancing the timing of bamboo shoot emergence and increasing shoot yield. While increasing yield, these practices may contribute to bamboo forest degradation in soil quality and substantial greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. To understand soil CO 2 emission temperature sensitivity ( Q 10 ) and soil CO 2 emissions from bamboo forests subjected to various mulching treatments, we selected four bamboo forest stands under different mulching histories with three replicates in Nanjing, China: S1 (abandoned after 8 years of winter rice husk mulching and 2 years without), S2 (10 years of continuous mulching), S3 (5 years of mulching followed by 5 years without), and CK (no mulching). Soil samples from three depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm) were incubated at different temperatures (5°C–35°C) to assess the effects of mulching on soil CO 2 emissions and Q 10 . Soil properties including organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), water content (SWC), microbial carbon (MBC) and microbial nitrogen (MBN) were measured to determine the impacts. The results indicated that: (1) Mulching management significantly increased soil CO 2 emissions at the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil depths. S3 showed the highest cumulative CO 2 emissions, with increases of +40% at 0–10 cm and +45% at 10–20 cm compared with CK. (2) Mulching significantly increased Q 10 , which decreased with soil depth. S1 presented the highest Q 10 values across all soil layers, which were 73%, 66%, and 83% higher than S2, S3, and CK in the 0–10 cm layer, respectively. The interaction between mulching management and soil depth on Q 10 showed a greater effect in shallower soil layers. (3) Q 10 in mulched bamboo soil was significantly positively correlated with SOC and the C/N ratio in the 0–10 cm layer, and negatively correlated with SBD. (4) Continuous mulching (S2) maintained higher levels of SOC, TN, SWC, MBC, and MBN in both the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm layers, while exhibiting the lowest CO 2 emission rate and Q 10 compared to S1 and S3. In conclusion, intermittent mulching led to greater soil CO 2 emissions and temperature sensitivity. Continuous mulching, combined with appropriate stand structure, reduced soil CO 2 emissions and Q 10 in the topsoil, indicating it is an environmentally friendly and sustainable practice that can enhance soil carbon stability and promote long‐term carbon sequestration under future climate warming.