Carbon sequestration service variation and its driving factors along Qinghai-Tibet highway and railway

ObjectiveQinghai-Tibet plateau features complex geographical conditions and fragile ecological environments, making it susceptible to climate change and human activities. Investigating the impacts of climate change and transportation construction on carbon sequestration service in transportation corridor areas is of great significance for regional ecological protection.MethodThis study analyzed the spatiotemporal variation in carbon sequestration services along Qinghai-Tibet highway and railway corridors from 2000 to 2020 based on ecosystem service assessment models, partial correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. It investigated the impacts of climate change and transportation factors on carbon sequestration services in this region.ResultCarbon sequestration services show an upward trend with an increase of 1.4% from 2000 to 2020. The total carbon sequestration in the railway corridor area is approximately twice that of the national highway corridor area. Partial correlation analysis indicats that both precipitation and temperature are positively correlated with carbon sequestration services in the national highway and railway buffer zones. The positive correlation coefficient of precipitation decreases with increasing distance, whereas temperature shows a nearly opposite distance trend. Within the national highway and railway buffer zones, the carbon sequestration service variations are mainly influenced by climatic factors, especially temperature, while the impact of transportation factors is relatively minor and primarily occurred within 3 km. The railways have smaller impact on carbon sequestration services than the national highways.ConclusionThis study deepened the understanding of ecosystem service variations in transportation linear zones on Qinghai-Tibet plateau, providing important references for future transportation development, ecological protection, and land management strategy formulation on Qinghai-Tibet plateau.