Soil erosion not only affects the redistribution of soil materials but also changes soil respiration (R-s) and its temperature sensitivity (Q(10)), which plays a significant role in the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystem. To explore the stoichiometric regulations of R-s and Q(10) under erosion and deposition conditions, typical eroded (croplands) and deposited sites (check dams) were selected in the Luoyugou watershed of the Chinese Loess Plateau. In situ R-s, soil temperature and moisture were monitored. The results showed that soil deposition decreased soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, heavy fraction organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen by 20.0%, 26.7%, 20.1% and 49.1%, respectively. However, the higher ratios of carbon:nitrogen and labile carbon: organic carbon were observed in the deposited sites due to the accelerated loss of dissolved nitrogen and the selective transport of light fraction organic matter. The R-s displayed a decreasing trend from July to December, and soil temperature explained 69.5-93.6% of the temporal variation in R-s. The mean R-s was 2.18 and 2.89 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) in the eroded and deposited sites, respectively, and the average Q(10) was 2.49 and 3.38. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that soil organic carbon:total nitrogen and light fraction organic carbon totally explained 48.9% of the R-s variation, and the main control factors for Q(10) were dissolved organic carbon: total organic carbon (34.6%), soil temperature (17.0%) and dissolved organic carbon (10.0%). Our results suggested that the ratios of carbon:nitrogen and labile carbon:organic carbon play an important role in regulating R-s and Q(10), and the increase in carbon:nitrogen ratios induced by sediment deposition contributes to increasing R-s and Q(10). We believe that the effects of erosion and deposition on R-s and Q(10) revealed in the study will contribute to a better understanding of the terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle.