Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 267-274.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.01.28

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on change in carbon storage and its spatial pattern in Mata Watershed from 1999 to 2016 based on InVEST model

LIU Guan1,2(),LI Guoqing2,3(),LI Jie1,2,ZHANG Yanru3,LU Qi1,2,DU Sheng2,3   

  1. 1. College of Forestry, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
    3. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2020-04-07 Revised:2020-08-05 Online:2021-01-15 Published:2021-03-05
  • Contact: Guoqing LI E-mail:liuguan0621@163.com;liguoqing@nwsuaf.edu.cn

Abstract:

The soil and water conservation forests in the areas surrounding Yan’an city are being replaced by economic forests such as orchard, which will definitely have an impact on the regional carbon storage. Therefore, it is necessary to determine a method to quantify the impact of orchard construction on the regional carbon storage capacity. Based on the InVEST model and ArcGIS platform, this study evaluated the change in carbon storage in the Mata Watershed in southern Yan’an from 1999 to 2016, and explored the influence of slope, slope aspect, and slope position on the spatial distribution of change in carbon storage. The results showed that the carbon storage of forest, grassland, and orchard has increased, whereas that of shrub, cropland, and other lands has declined during the 18 years of vegetation and reconstruction in the Mata Watershed (mainly orchard construction). The regional total carbon storage has increased by 7.63%, of which 39.71% has been contributed by orchard. The increase in spatial position of carbon storage was mainly located in half-shaded-slopes, middle, and top of slopes; as well as slopes with range of 10°-30°. This study provides a methodological case study for quantifying the impact of economic forest construction on regional carbon storage function in the loess hilly region.

Key words: carbon storage, spatial pattern, InVEST model, ecosystem services, Mata Watershed