Ecosystem respiration, the largest CO_2 flux from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere, has complex interactions with the global warming. Analyzing warming effect on ecosystem respiration would be helpful for unraveling the feedback between ecosystem carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems and climate. After integrating the definition of ecosystem respiration and its measurements, we summarized the advances in the response of ecosystem respiration to global warming from the aspects of research objects, warming methods, warming gradients, warming magnitude, warming effects and its underlying mechanisms. The results showed that the previous researches targeted on the terrestrial ecosystems in Arctic and Qinghai -Tibet Plateau. The warming was achieved primarily through open-top chamber (OTCs) but tended to expand to the infrared heating warming. The warming gradients were set to two treatments with warming and control, whose warming magnitude ranged from 1-3℃. In most terrestrial ecosystems, warming significantly increases ecosystem respiration, while warming has no significant effect on ecosystem respiration or decreases ecosystem respiration in terrestrial ecosystems of Qinghai -Tibet Plateau, where water is limited. The mechanisms underlying warming effect on terrestrial ecosystem respiration were illuminated from the temperature sensitivity or the variations of ecosystem respiration components. Future studies should thus be performed to reveal the responses of ecosystem respiration to the varying environments by emphasizing the chamber method in measuring ecosystem respiration and its components. In addition, the effect of gradient warming on ecosystem respiration in cropland should also be strengthened.