Estimating crop carbon footprint and associated uncertainty at prefecture-level city scale in China

Abstract

We estimate the prefecture-level city scale carbon footprint and associated uncertainties for three staple crops in China, and make all our raw data publicly available. The carbon footprint of maize, wheat, and rice is estimated at 3620 kg CO₂e ha−1 (1259–5552 kg CO₂e ha−1, 95 % confidence interval), 3153 kg CO₂e ha−1 (1359–5214 kg CO₂e ha−1), and 9494 kg CO₂e ha−1 (3450–16,491 kg CO₂e ha−1). For maize, the Northwest has high emissions intensities and the Northeast has low emissions intensities, with relatively even uncertainty across space. For wheat, the Southwest is characterized by low emissions intensities but high uncertainties, and the opposite is true for the East. For rice, the Northeast is characterized by low emissions intensities and low uncertainties and the Southeast by high emissions intensities and high uncertainties. Our study identifies crop carbon and uncertainty hotspots at the city scale, providing an important reference for future research.