Drought has been shown to alter terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics,and thus feedback to future climate.However,drought-induced changes in terrestrial upland C and N pools and the drought response of soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes are yet to be quantified.A meta-analysis was conducted that compiled 1 344 measurements from 128 manipulative studies worldwide to obtain a general picture of terrestrial C and N cycling responses to soil drought stress and identify the primary driving factors.We showed that drought significantly decreased plant C pools,with stronger negative responses of aboveground than belowground C components.Drought significantly decreased soil CO₂ and N₂O fluxes.There were non-significant changes in soil organic C and N pools in response to drought;in contrast to a considerable decrease in soil dissolved organic C,there was a robust increase in soil NO₃^--N following short-term drought impact.Furthermore,drought also significantly decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP).Our study provides insights into soil release of CO₂ and N₂O with a linkage to the changes in terrestrial C and N pools in response to drought across upland biomes.Our findings highlight that,despite the lowered soil C release rate,the capacity of upland biomes as a C sink to slow climate change would still be weakened in a future drier climate.