Assessment of Carbon Storage in a Multifunctional Landscape: A Case Study of Central Asia

Xinyue Dong, Zeyu Cao, Yi Guo, Jingyuan Lin, Hanze Yan, Mengyu Li and Peng Yao ()
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Xinyue Dong: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Zeyu Cao: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yi Guo: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Jingyuan Lin: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Hanze Yan: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Mengyu Li: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Peng Yao: School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: The robust carbon storage (CS) capacity of terrestrial ecosystems is crucial in mitigating climate change and holds indispensable significance for global sustainable development. The diverse topography of Central Asia (CA), comprising oases, grasslands, forests, deserts, and glaciers, has fostered industries like animal husbandry, irrigation agriculture, and mining. However, the fragile arid ecosystems of CA render it highly sensitive to climate change and human activities, with their impact on the sustainable development of multifunctional landscapes in this region remaining ambiguous in the future. This study linked land use changes with multiple socio-economic and ecological indicators to predict the dynamics of land use and changes in CS in CA. The findings reveal a significant spatial heterogeneity in CS, with considerable variations among five countries driven by differences in landscape composition. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, characterized by grasslands, demonstrate higher CS per unit area, whereas Turkmenistan, dominated by barren land, exhibits the lowest CS per unit area. Strategies involving innovative development and improved biodiversity conservation have proven effective in augmenting CS. Meanwhile, high economic and population growth stimulates the expansion of cropland and urban land, reducing the CS capacity of ecosystems. This study contributes to a more precise assessment of CS dynamics in CA. Furthermore, by elucidating the interrelationships between future socio-economic development and environmental conservation in CA, it offers solutions for enhancing the conservation of multifunctional landscapes in CA.

Keywords: carbon storage; sustainable development; climate change; land use change; scenarios simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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