Value assessment of carbon sequestration in generalized black soil distribution area of Amur River Basin, China

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, the understanding and resolution of imbalances in ecosystem carbon sequestration services (ECSS) have increasingly relied on robust data quantification and value-accounting mechanisms. Based on the interpretation of primary data, including surface vegetation, 30 cm soil cover, and hydrological information of the Amur River Basin, a carbon sequestration evaluation framework centered on the black soil belt of the river basin (BSBB) was constructed. The results showed that: (1) The annual average carbon sequestration of the BSBB from 2000 to 2019 is estimated to be 12.41 Gt C, with an expected economic value of approximately 607.61 billion yuan (China Yuan, CNY); (2) Daxinganling (DXAL, 3.26 Gt), Heihe (HH, 2.72 Gt) and Mudanjiang (MDJ, 1.81 Gt) were the three sub-regions with the highest annual carbon sequestration service, respectively, and the overall carbon density center has shifted from the south to the north within a decade; (3) The results from the geographic detector and partial correlation analysis showed that the forest area (q = 0.97, r = 0.4) and non-cultivated black soil area (q = 0.96, r = 0.97) were both clear driving factors and strong driving relationships. An increase in the forest area of the BSBB is conducive to upgrading the ECSS. This study helps promote the implementation of a carbon sink balance strategy on a global scale, provides theoretical support for future black soil resource management based on trade-offs and synergies, and provides a dual perspective for balancing ecological environmental protection with social and economic development.