Carbon Metabolism in “Production-Living-Ecological” Space in Urban Agglomeration Based on Land Use Change

Abstract

To understand the effect of carbon metabolism of “production-living-ecological” (PLE) space evolution caused by land use change in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan (CZT) urban agglomeration, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution of PLE space carbon metabolism by constructing a carbon flow model. Using ecological network analysis and utility analysis, the influence of positive and negative carbon flow on carbon metabolism was evaluated. And driving factors on carbon metabolism were explored through Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, the net carbon flow in CZT urban agglomeration kept negative, and the negative carbon flow mainly came from the transformation from ecological space to production space. In the ecological utility network, the control & exploitation relationship dominated from 2000 to 2005, then shifted to competition relationship from 2005 to 2020. Mutualism relationship appeared in 2000–2005 and then disappeared completely in the later period. The values of the overall ecological utility function M were all less than 1. The driving factors of carbon metabolism in PLE space were mainly elevation, population and nighttime light. Carbon metabolism is an important part of urban material and energy cycle, and the study of carbon metabolism in PLE space is important for regional carbon cycle and carbon emission and sequestration, mitigating climate change and maintaining regional sustainable development.