Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream

Arid inland river basins exhibit pronounced uncertainty and spatial heterogeneity in carbon storage dynamics due to extreme climate conditions, water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability. In particular, water-depleted zones still lack systematic research on the evolution mechanism of carbon storage....

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Main Authors: Kun Liu, Bin Wu, Fan Gao, Yunfei Chen, Bing He, Abdul Waheed, Aishajiang Aili, Zhiyuan Xu, Fanghong Han, Hailiang Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Ecological Informatics
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S157495412500295X
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author Kun Liu
Bin Wu
Fan Gao
Yunfei Chen
Bing He
Abdul Waheed
Aishajiang Aili
Zhiyuan Xu
Fanghong Han
Hailiang Xu
author_facet Kun Liu
Bin Wu
Fan Gao
Yunfei Chen
Bing He
Abdul Waheed
Aishajiang Aili
Zhiyuan Xu
Fanghong Han
Hailiang Xu
author_sort Kun Liu
collection DOAJ
description Arid inland river basins exhibit pronounced uncertainty and spatial heterogeneity in carbon storage dynamics due to extreme climate conditions, water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability. In particular, water-depleted zones still lack systematic research on the evolution mechanism of carbon storage. To assess the evolution characteristics of carbon storage in such regions, this study developed an integrated framework combining the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and a Structural Equation Model (SEM), taking the Tarim River mainstream as a representative case. It systematically analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution of land use/cover change (LUCC) and carbon storage from 1990 to 2020, simulated future trends under three scenarios: natural development (ND), cultivated land protection (CP) and ecological protection (EP), covering from 2030 to 2050, and quantitatively identified the direct and indirect drivers of spatial differentiation in carbon storage. The results revealed that over the past three decades, the most significant land transitions in the Tarim River mainstream occurred in cultivated and build-up land. Among the three scenarios, within the EP scenario, the reduction in carbon storage by 2030, 2040, and 2050 was significantly alleviated, with an additional 56 × 105 tons of carbon stored compared to the cultivated land protection scenario. LUCC emerged as the dominant directly driver of regional carbon storage changes. Additionally, carbon storage in the upper, middle, and lower reaches was indirectly influenced by socio-economic and natural geographical factors, with the dominant factor varying by region. These differences modified water resource supply patterns, influenced vegetation dynamics, and ultimately indirectly affected the spatial and temporal evolution of carbon storage. This study enriches the understanding of carbon storage evolution mechanisms in arid regions and underscores the importance of region-specific carbon management strategies tailored to local conditions.
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spelling doaj-art-d7eb33dd336c4d7eaf5b8081ac94e1782025-08-20T05:05:33ZengElsevierEcological Informatics1574-95412025-12-019010328610.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103286Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstreamKun Liu0Bin Wu1Fan Gao2Yunfei Chen3Bing He4Abdul Waheed5Aishajiang Aili6Zhiyuan Xu7Fanghong Han8Hailiang Xu9College of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention, Urumqi 830052, China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaCollege of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention, Urumqi 830052, China; Corresponding author at: College of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.College of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention, Urumqi 830052, ChinaSchool of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, ChinaCollege of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention, Urumqi 830052, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaCollege of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention, Urumqi 830052, ChinaCollege of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention, Urumqi 830052, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; Corresponding author.Arid inland river basins exhibit pronounced uncertainty and spatial heterogeneity in carbon storage dynamics due to extreme climate conditions, water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability. In particular, water-depleted zones still lack systematic research on the evolution mechanism of carbon storage. To assess the evolution characteristics of carbon storage in such regions, this study developed an integrated framework combining the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and a Structural Equation Model (SEM), taking the Tarim River mainstream as a representative case. It systematically analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution of land use/cover change (LUCC) and carbon storage from 1990 to 2020, simulated future trends under three scenarios: natural development (ND), cultivated land protection (CP) and ecological protection (EP), covering from 2030 to 2050, and quantitatively identified the direct and indirect drivers of spatial differentiation in carbon storage. The results revealed that over the past three decades, the most significant land transitions in the Tarim River mainstream occurred in cultivated and build-up land. Among the three scenarios, within the EP scenario, the reduction in carbon storage by 2030, 2040, and 2050 was significantly alleviated, with an additional 56 × 105 tons of carbon stored compared to the cultivated land protection scenario. LUCC emerged as the dominant directly driver of regional carbon storage changes. Additionally, carbon storage in the upper, middle, and lower reaches was indirectly influenced by socio-economic and natural geographical factors, with the dominant factor varying by region. These differences modified water resource supply patterns, influenced vegetation dynamics, and ultimately indirectly affected the spatial and temporal evolution of carbon storage. This study enriches the understanding of carbon storage evolution mechanisms in arid regions and underscores the importance of region-specific carbon management strategies tailored to local conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S157495412500295XCarbon storageLand useEcological scenarioStructural equation modelPLUS
spellingShingle Kun Liu
Bin Wu
Fan Gao
Yunfei Chen
Bing He
Abdul Waheed
Aishajiang Aili
Zhiyuan Xu
Fanghong Han
Hailiang Xu
Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream
Ecological Informatics
Carbon storage
Land use
Ecological scenario
Structural equation model
PLUS
title Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream
title_full Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream
title_fullStr Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream
title_short Dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water-depleted zones of an arid Inland River Basin: Insights from the Tarim River mainstream
title_sort dynamic simulation and key influencing factors of carbon storage in the water depleted zones of an arid inland river basin insights from the tarim river mainstream
topic Carbon storage
Land use
Ecological scenario
Structural equation model
PLUS
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S157495412500295X
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