Land-use change is a crucial factor in regulating soil C processes with a potential to mitigate green house gases emission by fossil fuel combustion. The assessment of its influence is, however, complicated by the heterogeneity in background and land-use history. The soils in the Chongming Island, located in the estuary of the Yangtze River, have a relatively homogeneous background and short and clear history of soil development and land-use after reclaimed on wetlands. Various sites in eastern Chongming Island of different land uses, including farmland (rotation of barley and paddy rice), tree nursery (Koelreuteria bipinnata), Metasequoia glyptostroboides forest shelter belt, orchard (Citrus reticulata) and fallow land (reclaimed in 1999 for fish farming then drained as a fallow land since 2005) were selected. The average contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) in the layer of top 20 cm in farmland, at 12.62 g/kg and 225.34 mg/kg respectively, were significantly higher than others. The fallow land had the lowest SOC and SMBC in the layer of top 20 cm. SOC content in deep soil (40-100 cm), however, was the highest in fallow land, reflecting the remaining effects of previous wetland soil. Soil respiration rate varied with land use in the order: fallow land>farmland>orchard>plantation>shelter belt. After the harvest of barley, the arable land was turned into paddy rice and soil respiration decreased dramatically, less than 10% of previous barley rotation. Soil respiration increased exponentially with increasing soil temperature at the depth of 5 cm, except farmland and fallow. At high temperature (>25 ℃) during rainy season, soil respiration data were distinctly scattered. Our results suggest that paddy rice-drying farming rotation can increase both soil respiration and SOC stocks in young soils of relatively low SOC; soils under tree plantations may have a lower SOC content. In moist subtropical regions of south China, the rotation of paddy rice-drying farming can balance processes of C sequestration and release in arable soil, with a potential of mitigating greenhouse gases emission.