Characteristics of Land-Use Carbon Emissions and Carbon Balance Zoning in the Economic Belt on the Northern Slope of Tianshan

Abstract

How to identify variables for carbon reductions was considered as one of the most important research topics in related academic fields. In this study, the characteristics of landuse carbon emissions of the economic belt on the northern slope of Tianshan (NST) were tentatively investigated. Taking 12 cities in NST as the case study, land use carbon emissions and carbon intensities were estimated and analyzed based on the Landsat remote sensing image and socio-economic statistical data in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. Moreover, Moran’s I model was applied to study spatial autocorrelation between carbon emissions and carbon intensities. Results show that (1) urban land and cropland were increased rapidly during the past three decades; (2) carbon emissions were increasing significantly, and the urban land was responsible for the majority of the carbon emission; (3) negative spatial correlations on both net carbon emissions and carbon intensities were obtained between 12 cities; and (4) based on carbon balance zoning analysis, NST could be divided into four different zones. The rising ratio of carbon emissions and intensities was significantly higher than urbanization expending speed. Results could provide references and useful insights into related arrangements of policies and attempts on carbon reduction for cities in NST.