Studies on carbon sink for soil and water conservation in the Loess Plateau and its value realization paths

Gao Guoming; Yu Quangang; Xu Jia

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-1123.2024.23.003

Abstract：The Loess Plateau is a key region for soil and water conservation in China.Through years of restoration efforts,it has become an important highland for carbon sinks resulting from soil and water conservation,providing a practical foundation for realizing its value in the Yellow River Basin and nationwide.Carbon sink for soil and water conservation represents a type of ecological product value and is a critical component of carbon sink of the terrestrial ecosystem.This study summarizes the current research status,monitoring methods,and verification essentials of carbon sinks for soil and water conservation in the Loess Plateau.Based on four practical cases—carbon sink trading in the Licha small watershed of Pengyang,Ningxia;carbon sink trading in the Xuezhang small watershed of Yan'an,Shaanxi;ecological product value transformation and carbon sink trading in the Xindiangou small watershed of Suide Station,Yellow River Conservancy Commission;and carbon sink trading in the Nanxiaohegou small watershed of Xifeng Station,Yellow River Conservancy Commission—the mechanisms and strategies for realizing the value of ecological products and trading experiences were thoroughly analyzed.To ensure the stable performance and sustainable enhancement of the Loess Plateau's carbon sink capacity for soil and water conservation and to promote its high-quality development,recommendations are proposed.These include coordinating the integration of carbon sink and ecological product value transformation,incorporating soil and water conservation carbon sink trading into the national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading mechanism,and standardizing monitoring and accounting methodologies.