Background As one of the most essential vegetation types, grasslands play a vital role in the global carbon cycle. However, current researches on the spatial variation (SV) of soil respiration (Rs) in grasslands faces great uncertainties. Methods The SV of Rs was analysed by obtaining Rs during the early growing season of three types of grasslands (i.e., alpine meadow, desert steppe, and typical steppe) and related impact factors at 19 sites. Results The results demonstrated that during the early growing season, the Rs of the alpine meadow was the highest, followed by the typical steppe and desert steppe. Moreover, soil temperature was the primary factor affecting the SV of Rs in desert steppe. In contrast, soil water content influenced the SV of Rs in typical steppe. This study increases our understanding of the SV of Rs during the early growing season of different grasslands. It provides an important reference for accurately estimating the SV of Rs in grasslands at various time scales.
