Spatiotemporal Changes of Terrestrial Carbon Storage in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas and Their Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Shuxuan Xing, Shengfu Yang (), Haonan Sun and Yi Wang
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Shuxuan Xing: School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Shengfu Yang: School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Haonan Sun: School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Yi Wang: School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Terrestrial carbon storage plays a vital role in limiting global climate change and achieving regional carbon neutrality. However, intensive human activities and rapid urbanization have led to a rapid decline in carbon storage. Understanding what causes carbon storage to decline and how this happens is important for the scientific regulation of urbanization and safeguarding of urban ecological security. This study takes Wuhan as an example and analyzes the quantity, structure, and spatial patterns of urban land-use changes in the context of human activities and natural conditions, and applies correlation methods to identify general relationships between influencing factors and carbon storage. The results of the study are as follows: over the 30-year period studied, the area devoted to construction land increased by 757 km 2 and the carbon storage decreased by 7.68 × 10 6 t. Outside Wuhan’s Third Ring Road, there was a significant increase in the carbon storage, but in the areas where construction increased, there was a reduction in carbon storage. Carbon storage in the remote suburbs was significantly higher than in the city center, and the distribution pattern was characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity. Our analysis revealed that human economic and social activities have affected Wuhan’s ecosystem carbon storage to a significant extent. Policymakers should focus on industrial optimization, strictly control the red line of ecological protection, and ultimately achieve high-quality urban development.

Keywords: land-use change; carbon storage; urbanization; InVEST model; Wuhan City (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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