Progress and Hotspots of Research on Land-Use Carbon Emissions: A Global Perspective

Abstract

Carbon emissions from land use change are the leading causes of the greenhouse effect. Exploration of the progress and hotspots of research on land-use carbon emissions (LUCE) is crucial for mitigating global climate warming. However, a comprehensive and systematic review of LUCE research from a global perspective is still lacking. We used the WoS Core Collection Database to analyze the current status of research on LUCE from a global perspective with the aid of a bibliometrix tool, aiming to reveal research hotspots and future development trends. We found that (1) the process of LUCE research has gone through a nascent exploration stage (1992–2001), a problem-focused stage (2002–2011), and a prosperous development stage (2012–2022) under different policy orientations. European and North American countries prioritize LUCE research more than others. (2) Overseas research hotspots mainly focus on the climate effects of land-use change, the impact of deforestation and fire on carbon stocks, the impact of soil organic carbon stocks on climate change and biodiversity, and agricultural carbon emissions. Research hotspots in China mainly focus on the study of the influencing factors of land-use carbon emissions, the path to achieving the dual carbon goal, and the transition to a low carbon economy. (3) Research frontiers show that China mainly researches low-carbon land use intensification in the context of a “dual carbon” strategy; carbon emission reduction based on energy transition; and the multi-dimensional, dynamic, and accurate tracking and monitoring of land-use carbon emission systems using remote sensing satellite data. Other countries have shifted from measuring historical land-use carbon emissions, deforestation, degradation and fire carbon emissions to biomass combustion and global warming mitigation research. This study enhances the depth and breadth of LUCE research, which can provide a theoretical foundation and scientific reference for subsequent research on LUCE.

Examining the Social Costs of Carbon Emissions and the Ecosystem Service Value in Island Ecosystems: An Analysis of the Zhoushan Archipelago

“…The rapid increase in carbon emissions leading to global warming has become a focus of concern, prompting the international community to prioritize the development of a green and low-carbon economy as a consensus strategy to address and mitigate climate change [5]. Greenhouse gas emissions are primarily caused by human activities, and compared to carbon emissions from industrial production involving the burning of fossil fuels, land-use change introduces greater uncertainty into carbon emissions [6]. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change and land states that all scenarios that limit climate change to 1.5 °Crely heavily on methods to mitigate land-use change and decarbonize the economy [7].…”

“…Land application activities, along with processes that result in carbon emissions, are referred to as being transformed by the human production activities they support, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a process that includes both direct and indirect carbon emissions. Use of land, refers to the processes, actions, and tactics by which land is subject to carbon emissions [6]. The carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems is directly influenced by changes in land use, and this has an impact on regional carbon emission levels [23], thus having a major impact on the processes involved in the global carbon cycle [24].…”

Spatial-Temporal Evolution of Agricultural Carbon Balance at Township Scale and Carbon Compensation Zoning: A Case Study of Guangshui City, Hubei Province

“…While reviewing relevant domestic and international research, it is evident that the current research on comprehensive carbon compensation regions primarily focuses on urban areas. However, there are still deficiencies in studying the micro-level aspects of agricultural carbon balance and the carbon compensation spatial layout, which hinder the fulfillment of the country's real needs in exploring and establishing a comprehensive watershed and regional carbon compensation management mechanism under the "dual carbon" strategy goals [27][28][29]. Therefore, this paper starts from the micro-scale of townships and takes Guangshui City, located in the main grain-producing area of the low hills and ridges in northern Hubei Province, as the research area.…”

Characteristics of Land-Use Carbon Emissions and Carbon Balance Zoning in the Economic Belt on the Northern Slope of Tianshan

“…Investigations on land-use carbon emissions are mainly focused on land-use chang ing characteristics and influencing factors, and mostly considered from various aspects including land intensive, carbon emission effect, energy consumptions, and land-use op timization [18]. Several studies focused on the topics related to land-use carbon emission inventories, improving policy proposing, and greenhouse gas reductions in Asian regions [19,20]. In China, nevertheless, related studies were relatively rare, and mostly conducted on a province level.…”