Abstract: CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ are important greenhouse gases, and soils in forest ecosystems are their important sources. Carya cathayensis is a unique tree species with seeds used for highgrade dry fruit and oil production. Understory vegetation management plays an important role in soil greenhouse gases emission of Carya cathayensis stands. A oneyear in situ experiment was conducted to study the effects of understory removal on soil CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ emissions in C. cathayensis plantation by closed static chamber technique and gas chromatography method. Soil CO₂ flux had a similar seasonal trend in the understory removal and preservation treatments, which was high in summer and autumn, and low in winter and spring. N₂O emission occurred mainly in summer, while CH₄ emission showed no seasonal trend. Understory removal significantly decreased soil CO₂ emission, increased N₂O emission and CH₄ uptake, but had no significant effect on soil water soluble organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon. The global warming potential  of soil greenhouse gases emitted in the understory removal treatment was 15.12 t CO₂e·hm^-2·a^-1, which was significantly lower than that in understory preservation treatment (17.04 t CO₂e·hm^-2·a^-1).