Soil carbon efflux in forests is a significant component in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Temperature is the major factor affecting forest soil respiration and very important in the context of global climate change in ecosystems in transition zones are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Larch (Larix olgensis), Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) plantations and natural broadleaved mixed forests, which are the major forest types in Northeast China, play important roles in forest ecosystem carbon cycles in China. In this study, a Li-8100 infrared gas analyzer was used to observe the soil respiration rate (Rs) from 2010 to 2013, and a forest gradient microclimate observation system was applied to continuously observe the air temperature, precipitation, soil temperature and other environmental factors. The relationship between Rs and soil temperature moisture in these four forests was analyzed over three years. The results showed that the mean Rs in Larch, Korean pine, and Chinese pine plantations and broadleaved mixed forest were (2.310.01), (2.070.71), (1.550.03) and (2.240.02) mumol·m~(-2)·s~(-1), respectively. Moreover, Rs and soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm (t_(10)) were significantly correlated (P=0.000<0.01). The Q_(10) values in the four forests during the growing seasons were 3.32, 4.46, 4.12 and 3.59, respectively. The Rs of Korean pine plantation was more sensitive to t_(10) than the other three forests. Rs was also continuously monitored in a larch plantation during the non-growing season (from November to the following March), which revealed that the Rs in the non-growing season was divided into three stages: the frozen period (t_(10-mean): 10.0~2.0 ℃), freeze-thaw period (t_(10-mean): 0.5~2.0 ℃) and thawing period (t_(10-mean): >2.0 ℃). A weak Rs was observed in larch plantations during the non-growing season (0.01~1.8 mumol·m~(-2)·s~(-1)), and the Rs and t_(10)values were significantly correlated throughout this period (r~2=0.586 3, P=0.000<0.01). Moreover, Rs and t_(10)were not significantly correlated in the frozen period (P=0.503>0.05), Rs changes were more intense during the freeze-thaw period, and were significantly regulated variations when compared with the frozen period. Rs showed a greater increase during the freeze-thaw period than the frozen period. The Q_(10) value of the larch plantation during the non-growing season was 4.65, which was 1.4 times that of the growing season. Overall, these findings suggest that Rs was more sensitive to global climate change during the non-growing season than the growing season for temperate forests.