Denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model can estimate the emission fluxes of soil trace gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) , and nitrous oxide (N2O) via the coupling of the denitrification and decomposition processes driven by soil environmental factors. At present, DNDC model is one of the most successful models in the world in simulating the terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. This paper mainly reviewed the development process of the DNDC model, its structure, model validation, and sensitive factor analysis, and summarized the hot fields in the applications of the model.