Land Use and Land Cover Change and Its Impact on Carbon Stock in the Yellow River Delta Wetland Ecosystem of China

Hongxu Chen, Jianrong Cao (), Zhonglin Ji () and Yanjun Liu
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Hongxu Chen: School of Geography and Environment, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
Jianrong Cao: Observation and Research Station of Seawater Intrusion and Soil Salinization, Laizhou Bay, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
Zhonglin Ji: Observation and Research Station of Seawater Intrusion and Soil Salinization, Laizhou Bay, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
Yanjun Liu: Yellow River Research Institute, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Land use/land cover (LULC) change has greatly altered ecosystem carbon storage capacity and may eventually profoundly impact global climate change. Characterizing the LULC change and its impact on wetland ecosystem carbon stock provides useful data and insights that can guide decision-making procedures aimed at achieving sustainable development objectives. The Yellow River Delta (YRD) represents the most intact coastal wetland and is considered to be the most recent wetland ecosystem in China. It exhibits significant carbon stock capacity and ecological value. Based on the LULC data of the YRD in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022, this paper quantitatively evaluates the spatiotemporal changes in LULC and carbon stock in the region and analyzes the response characteristics of carbon stock to LULC change. The results show significant reductions in cropland and tidal flat wetland areas from 2002 to 2022, resulting in a decrease of 1,428,735.77 t and an increase of 139,856.58 t in carbon stock, respectively. The built-up land area expanded considerably, and carbon stock was lost by 1,467,915.82 t. Spatially, the carbon stock exhibited a pattern of “low along the coast, high inland; low in the center, high around the periphery”. In addition, protecting cropland, reducing building, facilitating the conversion of reservoirs and ponds to forest, and transforming tidal flat wetlands into reservoirs and ponds can increase the region’s carbon storage capacity. These findings provide valuable insights for regional carbon management strategies and ecological protection policies, supporting the sustainable development goals of the Yellow River Delta.

Keywords: Yellow River Delta; wetland ecosystem; land use and land cover change; carbon stock; Invest model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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