Significant negative impact of human activities on carbon storage in the Yellow River Delta over the past three decades.

Abstract

With the increasing intensification of human activities, significant changes in land use and land cover (LULC) have posed a severe threat to the carbon storage capacity of wetland ecosystems. A deep understanding of this impact is crucial for protecting regional ecosystems and promoting sustainable development. This study utilized the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and the human activity intensity (HAI) index to conduct detailed grid analysis and global analysis of carbon storage through creating fishnet system and explored the complex relationship between carbon storage and HAI in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. The results indicated that over the past 30 years, natural wetlands such as meadow wetlands and salt marshes in the study area had undergone significant degradation due to escalating human activities, while artificial wetlands and non-wetland areas expanded. Concurrently, the total regional carbon storage had declined by 2.08 Tg, representing a significant drop of 8.22 % in the YRD from 1990 to 2020. Among them, dry land, as the primary land type, served as the most crucial carbon pool. Additionally, the human activity intensity of land surface (HAILS) increased significantly, with a growth rate of 37.27 %. HAI mapping revealed a continuous expansion of areas with high HAI. In contrast, the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve (YRDNNR) maintained relatively low HAI. Correlation analysis further showed the significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between carbon storage and HAI, with r values of grid analysis ranging from -0.1395 to -0.0334, while that for global analysis was -0.9643, respectively. This reflected the spatial heterogeneity and agglomeration effects of data analysis across different scales. This study provides valuable insights for achieving the "dual carbon" goals and supporting the conservation and management of wetland ecosystems.