Aims <p>Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization may have considerable effects on soil microbial cumulative respiration (Mcr) and its temperature sensitivity (<i>Q</i>₁₀), a key parameter in projecting climate-carbon feedbacks. However, how Mcr and <i>Q</i>₁₀ respond to N and P fertilization across soil depths in bamboo forest ecosystems remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of N and P fertilization on Mcr and <i>Q</i>₁₀ across different soil depths in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest.</p> Methods <p>Our study investigated the effects of a three-year N and P fertilization experiment on Mcr and <i>Q</i>₁₀ across different soil depths (0–20, 20–40, and 40–60&#xa0;cm) in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest.</p> Results <p>We found that P fertilization significantly increased Mcr in the 0–20 and 40–60&#xa0;cm layers, and NP fertilization increased Mcr in the 0–20 and 20–40&#xa0;cm layers. However, N fertilization only reduced Mcr by 6.90% in the 40–60&#xa0;cm layer. Moreover, N and P fertilization significantly increased <i>Q</i>₁₀ in the 20–40 and 40–60&#xa0;cm layers, and NP fertilization also increased <i>Q</i>₁₀ by 20.40% in the 40–60&#xa0;cm layer. The results of the random forest model showed that N-acetyl aminopeptidase and acid phosphatase were identified as important predictors of Mcr and <i>Q</i>₁₀, respectively. Furthermore, soil microbial phospholipid fatty acids were also positively related to Mcr and <i>Q</i>₁₀.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings demonstrate that subsoil carbon emission is more susceptible to climate warming after fertilization than topsoil, and incorporating these depth-dependent responses into climate models is essential to enhance carbon cycling predictions.</p>