Study on land use change and carbon stock in northern Shanxi Province based on InVEST model

The study on the spatial distribution characteristics of regional land use change and carbon stock can provide an important scientific basis for the management of regional ecosystem carbon pools and the formulation of emission reduction and sink enhancement policies. Using GIS and remote sensing technology, this paper analyzes the change characteristics of spatial land use types in North Shanxi in 1990, 2000, 2013 and 2019, InVEST model was used to calculate the carbon storage and carbon density of the ecosystem in the study area. The results show that the conversion between land use types mainly occurred during 2000—2013, with the largest area transferred out being cropland and the largest area transferred in being construction land and forest land. Ecosystem carbon stocks in the study area during 1990, 2000, 2013 and 2019 were 53.50×10⁷ t, 53.53×10⁷ t, 54.25×10⁷ t and 54.00×10⁷ t, respectively, with an average carbon density of 147.89 t/hm², 147.97 t/hm², 149.95 t/hm² and 149.27 t/hm². Among the overall carbon stocks, soil carbon stocks accounted for the largest share, over 80%, while forest land contributed the largest value (about 55%) to the ecosystem carbon stocks in the study area. Measures such as returning farmland to forest and soil conservation should be continued in northern Shanxi Province, in order to be able to compensate for the carbon loss caused by the expansion of construction land with efficient carbon sequestration.