Purpose The aim of the study was to compare the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration rate in two soil horizons of seven types of temperate forests. Materials and methods Soil samples were collected in O and A horizons in seven types of temperate forests, each one represented by five independent stands distributed throughout Poland. Soil respiration rates were measured at standard moisture in five temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C, 16 °C, 22 °C and 28 °C), and the first-order Q10 values were

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... lated for each stand. General linear models (GLM) were fitted for respiration rate and for Q10 values separately using selected soil physical-chemical properties: C:N ratio, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and soil pH. Results and discussion The soil respiration rate increased with temperature was the highest in O horizon of fresh mixed forest dominated by hornbeam and increased with C:N ratio, DOC content and soil pH (model p < 0.0001). In turn, model for Q10 was not significant meaning none of tested variables affected soil temperature sensitivity (p = 0.2886). Conclusions Despite studied forest types exhibit substantial distinctness in many soil properties including respiration rate, they showed similar susceptibility to temperature increase (roughly to climate warming).