Research on the Territorial Ecological Restoration of Counties for the Increase of Carbon Sinks—A Case Study of Wensu County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

Abstract

As global climate continues to change, it is pressing to integrate the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals into territorial spatial planning. While little existing ecological restoration research focuses on counties in western China, particularly arid areas of northwest China, this research took Wensu County of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China as the study case, evaluated the carbon sequestration capacity and carbon storage of the current carbon sinks, identified the spatial pattern of carbon sinks, and proposed the territorial ecological restoration approaches to increasing carbon sinks. The evaluation results show that the importance level of carbon sinks varies significantly across geographical environments of the county, where one primary carbon sink, two secondary carbon sinks, and potential carbon sinks with a total area of 2259.81 km² were identified. This research extracted eight typical land use patterns based on current land use and proposed ecological restoration strategies accordingly. This research shows a way to integrate carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in territorial spatial planning, which is instrumental for carbon sink management in the arid areas of northwest China and provides a referable paradigm for regions with similar geographical conditions.

● Focuses on ecological restoration in a county in the arid areas of northwest China, aiming for carbon sink increase

● Evaluates the carbon sequestration and storage patterns of current carbon sinks in the study area and identifies the spatial pattern of carbon sink importance level

● Extracts typical land use patterns based on current land use and proposes ecological restoration strategies accordingly

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Carbon Sink Increase / Carbon Sequestration / Carbon Storage / County Region / Arid Areas of Northwest China / Ecological Restoration / Territorial Spatial Planning

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Acknowledgements

Engineering Research Center of Water Resources and Ecological Water Conservancy in Cold and Arid Area of Xinjiang (Academician Workstation) (No. 2023.B-004)

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