Quantifying the teleconnections of carbon storage in construction land and its socioeconomic driving forces in Guangdong Province

Abstract

The development of regional trade has fostered teleconnections in land resource across various regions, emerging as a pivotal influence on the expansion of construction land. However, the potential consequences of regional trade on carbon storage associated with construction land remain largely unquantified. Therefore, this study zeroes in on Guangdong Province as the focal point, employing China's multiregional input-output model to quantify interregional teleconnections and delineate changes in carbon storage. Through meticulous analysis, it seeks to pinpoint the catalysts driving these alterations in teleconnections. By delving into the latest teleconnections within Guangdong, the study unveils the ramifications of the province's trade scale and structure with other provinces on carbon storage, thereby identifying imperative avenues for carbon storage preservation. The findings underscore that during the study period, the expansion of construction land in Guangdong Province precipitated a notable loss of land carbon storage, amounting to 2.6 Tg C, primarily sourced from forests and arable land. Concurrently, the total carbon flow surged by 20.77 Tg C, propelled by a 4.63 Tg C influx and a 16.05 Tg C outflow, resulting in a net inflow decrease of 11.51 Tg C. This delineates the influence of external forces on carbon storage within Guangdong Province, with the surge primarily attributed to heightened external demand, notably for construction land. Nevertheless, technological advancements have partially alleviated the impact of this demand surge on carbon storage. The outcomes of this study underscore the pivotal role of external linkages in shaping carbon storage dynamics and furnish invaluable insights for steering future regional endeavors towards carbon neutrality objectives.