Spatial-temporal variation of ecosystem carbon storage driven by land use in northwest inland desert resource region in recent 30 years

Based on remote sensing images, elevation models, vegetation and meteorological data from 1990 to 2020, the comprehensive regionalization of natural resources in northwest inland desert resource region was obtained by means of regionalization analysis combining quantitative calculation and qualitative analysis. According to the climate factors in the northwest inland desert resource region, the carbon density of different land types under the national level was revised to obtain the carbon density data of the western arid region. Based on the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, we analyzed the effects of land use change on carbon stocks from 1990 to 2020. The results showed that :① In recent 30 years, the grassland in this study area was mainly degraded, and the grassland was mainly transformed into cultivated land and desert, and the land use type changed significantly from 2010 to 2020.② The spatial distribution of carbon storage in the study area is more in the west and less in the east. The grassland in Altai and Tacheng basin temperate grassland subregion and Yili Basin temperate grassland subregion are rich, so the carbon storage content is high.③ From 1990 to 2020, the carbon storage in the northwest inland desert resource region showed a decreasing trend. The conversion of land use type resulted a net reduction of carbon storage of 1.86×10⁸ tons. In 2000 and 2020, a large amount of grassland in the study area was transformed into desert, which significantly reduced soil carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential. This study evaluated the temporal and spatial changes of ecosystem carbon storage by land use in the northwest inland desert resource region, which is helpful to judge the transformation trend of ecosystem function and provide reference for ecosystem regulation and promoting low-carbon sustainable development in this region.