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. 2025 Feb 21;20(2):e0318855.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318855. eCollection 2025.

Spatial relationship between carbon emissions and ecosystem service value based on land use: A case study of the Yellow River Basin

Gubu Muga  1 , Damien S Tiando  2   3 , Chong Liu  2   4
Affiliations

Spatial relationship between carbon emissions and ecosystem service value based on land use: A case study of the Yellow River Basin

Gubu Muga et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Land use changes significantly impact both carbon emissions and ecosystem service value (ESV). However, few studies have been conducted on the spatial relationship between land use carbon emissions (LUCE) and ESV. Thus, focused on the Yellow River Basin (YRB), this study independently calculates carbon emissions from land use change (LUCE) and ecosystem service values (ESV) in the region. Utilizing spatial autocorrelation methods, we analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of LUCE and ESV and subsequently apply the bivariate spatial autocorrelation method to explore their spatial relationship. The results prove that: (1) The YRB's LUCE has continuously increased, with construction land acting as the dominant carbon source and woodland acting as the main carbon sink. The LUCE in the YRB had a positive spatial autocorrelation. (2) The YRB's ESV increased. Spatially, the ESV in the YRB showed a positive autocorrelation. (3) Both LUCE and ESV exhibited negative spatial autocorrelation, with predominant patterns of bivariate localized spatial autocorrelation identified as High-Low agglomeration (H-L) and Low-High agglomeration (L-H). Cities with the L-H pattern were primarily located in Qinghai Province and Inner Mongolia. In contrast, cities with the H-L pattern were mainly observed in the western section of Shandong and the northeastern region of Henan. The study revealed the negative impact of increased carbon emissions from land use on the value of ecosystem services, providing assistance in the development of relevant environmental policies and promoting sustainable development in the YRB.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Location of the study area.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Land use change from 2000–2020 in the YRB.
(a. Changes in area and proportion of six land use types from 2000 to 2020. (b. Sankey map of land use transfer matrix).
Fig 3
Fig 3. LUCE in the YRB from 2000 to 2020.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Map of LUCE in the YRB.
Fig 5
Fig 5. LISA aggregate map of LUCE in the YRB.
Fig 6
Fig 6. ESV map in the YRB.
Fig 7
Fig 7. LISA aggregation map of ESV in the YRB.
Fig 8
Fig 8. YRB LISA aggregate map of LUCE and ESV.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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