Soil respiration is a major component of ecosystem carbon flux and plays a crucial role in the global carbon balance. Understanding the changes in soil respiration and its controlling factors is essential for comprehending the variations in ecosystem carbon flux during succession and its contribution to the global greenhouse effect. This study was conducted in the karst mountain region of Southwest China, where we selected six different types of ecosystems: abandoned farmland (AG), grassland-shrubland (GS), shrubland (SH), 15-year-old secondary forest (F15), 25-year-old secondary forest (F25), and 50-year-old secondary forest (F50). The annual soil respiration flux was measured using the static chamber method. The results showed a significant decline in soil respiration as the succession progressed, with annual carbon fluxes of 602 ± 59, 584 ± 11, 634 ± 57, 416 ± 49, 428 ± 41, and 364 ± 31 g/m2·a, respectively. Soil respiration rate was significantly positively correlated with soil temperature (P < 0.01) and significantly negatively correlated with soil moisture, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, easily oxidized organic carbon, and exchangeable calcium and magnesium. The findings suggest that soil temperature and moisture are the primary factors influencing soil respiration across different stages of ecosystem succession. This study provides valuable data for further research into the mechanisms driving soil respiration changes in restored ecosystems and contributes to predicting carbon flux variations during succession.