ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Impact of Urban Expansion on Forest Carbon
Sequestration: a Study in Northeastern China
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1
College of Soil and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
2
Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
3
CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
Submission date: 2017-08-14
Final revision date: 2018-12-21
Acceptance date: 2018-12-27
Online publication date: 2019-08-06
Publication date: 2019-10-23
Corresponding author
Miao Liu
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(1):451-461
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ABSTRACT
Urban expansion is one of the features of urban development that has caused many ecological
and environmental problems. Evaluating the impact of urban expansion on carbon sequestration of the
urban forest is important to understand the carbon cycle in urban ecosystems. Multiple remote sensing
data were used to map land covers and carbon sequestration indicators of Shenyang in 2000, 2005,
and 2010. Urban land area percentage (UAP), urban expansion magnitude (UEM), net primary
productivity (NPP), aboveground biomass (AGB), and the change rate of NPP (RNPP) and AGB (RAGB)
were analyzed in regions with different distances from the urban core. Results showed that the decline
of UAP and bimodal fluctuation of UEM was found as the increase of distance from urban center.
Urban forest NPP and AGB both rose with distance from urban center increased. Significant differences
in NPP and AGB existed in various urban forest types. Moreover, UAP was significantly negatively
correlated with NPP and AGB. We conclude that urban forests see more disturbances compared to
natural forests. The evergreen coniferous forest has the highest ability of carbon sequestration, and great
potential of carbon storage is found in the urban forest. Besides, the urban forest’s carbon sequestration
function will be maintained when adopting appropriate urban development mode.