Spatial Heterogeneity of the Carbon Emission Effect Resulting from Urban Expansion among Three Coastal Agglomerations in China

Abstract

Land-use change, particularly urban expansion, can greatly affect the carbon balance, both from the aspects of terrestrial ecosystems and anthropogenic carbon emissions. Coastal China is a typical region of rapid urban expansion, and obvious spatial heterogeneity exists from the north to south. However, the different urban change characteristics and the effect on carbon balance remain undetermined. By unifying the spatial-temporal resolution of carbon source and sink data, we effectively compared the carbon budgets of three coastal urban agglomerations in China. The results show that all of the three urban agglomerations have undergone an obvious urban expansion process, with the built-up area increasing from 1.03 × 104 km2 in 2000 to 3.06 × 104 km2 in 2013. For Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), the built-up area gradually expanded. The built-up area in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) gradually changed before 2007 but rapidly grew thereafter. The built-up expansion of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) passed through three growing stages and showed the largest mean patch size. Carbon emission spatial patterns in the three urban agglomerations are consistent with their economic development, from which the net ecosystem production (NEP) spatial patterns are very different. Compared to carbon emissions, NEP has a carbon sink effect and can absorb some carbon emissions, but the amounts were all much lower than the carbon emissions in the three urban agglomerations. The carbon sink effect in the Yangtze River Delta is the most obvious, with the Pearl River Delta following, and the lowest effect is in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei. Finally, a scientific basis for policy-making is provided for viable CO2 emission mitigation policies.

Refined Carbon Emission Measurement Based on NPP-VIIRS Nighttime Light Data: A Case Study of the Pearl River Delta Region, China

“…However, they are superior to similar studies on carbon emissions on a fined-spatial scale. Meanwhile, the research results further confirm that the overall level of carbon emissions in the Pearl River Delta region does increase with time [ 25 ].…”

Impact of Urban Expansion on Carbon Emissions in the Urban Agglomerations of Yellow River Basin, China

“…Tian and Zhao (2024) found that UE in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Urban Agglomerations decreased in 2015-2020 compared to the previous period [79]. Meanwhile, the finding in the three coastal agglomerations in China by Wen et al (2019) also confirmed that UE is a major trend in the development of urban agglomerations [80]. Generally, affected by differences in urban resource endowment, development mode, and development direction, the UE and CEs of different cities also differ in the development process, showing spatial imbalance among regions.…”

“…Tian and Zhao (2024) adopted Pearson correlation analysis and found that there was a high positive correlation between urban land area and CEs; that is, an increase in urban land area would lead to a simultaneous increase in CEs [79]. Xing et al (2022) also confirmed the same synergistic expansion state of UE and CEs [80]. However, such synergies will change over time.…”

Examining the Density and Diversity of Human Activity in the Built Environment: The Case of the Pearl River Delta, China

“…Nevertheless, according to Mingpao and Cable News Network (CNN), ghost towns were also found in the PRD and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, which are both considered developed regions. For this study, we chose the PRD, an advanced city region in southern China adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao [59], as the case for our empirical study. PRD has a population of 56 million, with a Gross National Product (GDP) of 578 million yuan in 2014, making it one of the most developed and active areas in China.…”