Research on spatial and temporal patterns of carbon emissions and influencing factors in the Yellow River Basin based on county scale

Abstract

The increase of carbon emission is the main driver of global warming, which has seriously threatened the sustainable development of human society and the balance of the ecosystem. This paper focuses on county-level cities within the Yellow River Basin. Using land use data, energy consumption data and nighttime light remote sensing data, carbon emissions resulting from land use are computed for from 2000 to 2020, and studies its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and the influencing factors. The results indicate that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the carbon emissions in the Yellow River Basin increased continuously, with forests and construction areas being the primary carbon sink and source, respectively. Significant variations existed in carbon emissions in different counties, exhibiting an "east-high, west-low" spatial distribution pattern, while the center of carbon emissions showed a tendency to migrate towards the northwest. (2) The intensity of carbon emissions from land use, along with land use structure, economic development level, and population size all influence carbon emissions, with economic development level having the most significant impact. Adjusting industrial structure can effectively restrain the growth of carbon emissions. The area of land occupied per unit of GDP in the secondary industry consistently inhibits carbon emissions. These research findings hold significant implications for scientifically formulating land use policies and promoting basinwide collaborative emissions reduction initiatives in the Yellow River Basin.