The observed increase in levels of atmospheric CO₂ and the signing of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change have increased interest in the global warming and the global carbon cycle. What the role of terrestrial ecosystems plays in the pattern of the global change is one of studied hotspots. As one of the key components in the global carbon cycle, released CO₂ from soil is one of the major pathways to exchange CO₂ between soil and atmosphere, which is second only to gross primary productivity. Therefore, the response of soil carbon pool to the global warming is another studied focus issue in the recent years. In this paper, relative information of soil CO₂ efflux and climatic, biotic factors of forest ecosystem in China were collated from published studies, then the distribution of soil CO₂ efflux of forest ecosystems and its correlations to these factors were identified. Not only the studied forest ecosystems varied in composition and function, but also soil CO₂ efflux of these forest ecosystems differed significantly. On national scale, the averaged soil CO₂ efflux of forest ecosystems was (1.79±0.86) g C m^-2 d^-1, and declined gradually from the lower latitude to higher latitude. As a complex ecological process, many biotic and abiotc factors could influence soil CO₂ efflux independently or interactively. By the means of distinguishing the responses of soil CO₂ efflux to temperature, precipitation, productivity and litterfall, this paper suggested these factors affected soil CO₂ efflux positively on national scale. Furthermore, the distribution of soil CO₂ efflux on national scale was due to the distribution of climatic and biotic factors just about. The temperature sensitivity of soil CO₂ efflux in forest ecosystem in China, Q₁₀ value, was estimated. It was 1.5 and much lower than the global averaged value, 2.0.