Residence times of ecosystem carbon (τe,C), nitrogen (τe,N) and phosphorus (τe,P) are closely related to efficacies of carbon and nutrients conservation within an ecosystem. However, estimates of τe,C, τe,N and τe,P together are very limited for forest ecosystems, and little is known about the environmental controls. Here we estimated τe,C, τe,N and τe,P of 127 undisturbed forests based on observed carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stocks and compiled 30 key variables related to climate, vegetation, soil and terrain for the sites. We then performed a variation partitioning analysis to identify dominant controls on τe,C, τe,N and τe,P, and used segmented regression to identify possible thresholds in the dependence of τe,C, τe,N and τe,P on temperature. Climate, particularly average minimum temperature of the coldest month of a year (Tmin), was the main driver of τe,C, τe,N and τe,P. In regions with Tmin < 0 °C, τe,C and τe,P decreased with increasing Tmin; and in regions with Tmin > 0 °C, both τe,C and τe,P increased with increasing Tmin, as a result of a significant increase in total ecosystem carbon pool and a decrease in external phosphorus input, respectively. Our results challenge the use of a single temperature-dependent function of ecosystem carbon or nutrient turnover rate in global land models, and highlight the importance of other factors, such as soil weathering stage, clay content, in influencing the responses of carbon and nutrients cycles in subtropical forests to global warming.