The forest ecosystem plays a pivotal role in contributing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.In order to characterize the temporal pattern of nitrous oxide(N_2O) emissions and identify the key factors affecting N_2O emissions from a Masson pine forest in a hilly red-soil region in subtropical central China,we measured the N_2O emissions in Jinjing of Hunan Province using the static chambergas chromatographic method for 3 years(2010-2012) and analyzed the relationships between the N_2O fluxes and the environmental variables.Our results revealed that the N_2O fluxes over the 3 years varied from-36.0 to 296.7 μg N m~(-2) h~(-1),averaging 18.4±5.6 μg N m~(-2) h~(-1)(n=3).The average annual N_2O emissions were estimated to be 1.6±0.3 kg N ha~(-1) year~(-1).The N_2O fluxes exhibited clear intra-annual(seasonal) variations as they were higher in summers and lower in winters.Compared with other forest observations in the subtropics,N_2O emissions at our site were relatively high,possibly due to the high local dry/wet N deposition,and were mostly sensitive to variations in precipitation and soil ammonium N content.In this work,a multiple linear regression model was developed to determine the influence of environmental factors on N_2O emissions,in which a category predictor of “Season” was intentionally used to account for the seasonal variation of the N_2O fluxes.Such a model explained almost 40%of the total variation in daily N_2O emissions from the Masson pine forest soil studied(P<0.001). The forest ecosystem plays a pivotal role in contributing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. In order to characterize the temporal pattern of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and identify the key factors affecting N2O emissions from a Masson pine forest in a hilly red-soil region in subtropical central China, we measured the N_2O emissions in Jinjing of Hunan Province using the static chamber gas chromatography method for 3 years (2010-2012) and analyzed the relationships between the N_2O fluxes and the environmental variables. Our results revealed that the N_2O fluxes over the The average annual changes from -36.0 to 296.7 μg N m -2 h -1, averaging 18.4 ± 5.6 μg N m -2 h -1 (n = 3) N_2O emissions were estimated to be 1.6 ± 0.3 kg N ha -1 (-1). N_2O fluxes shows clear intra-annual (seasonal) variations as they were higher in summers and lower in winters. Compared with other forest observations in the subtropics, N_2O emissions at our site were relatively high, possibly d ue to the high local dry / wet N deposition, and were mostly sensitive to variations in precipitation and soil ammonium N content. this work, a multiple linear regression model was developed to determine the influence of environmental factors on N_2O emissions, in which a category predictor of “Season ” was intentionally used to account for the seasonal variation of the N2O fluxes. As a model explained almost 40% of the total variation in daily N2O emissions from the Masson pine forest soil studied (P <0.001).