Abstract:

Objective: To calculate and simulate the compensation standards and targets for forest carbon compensation in the Qiantang River Basin from 2000 to 2020, so as to provide a scientific basis and policy support for the establishment of a sound forest carbon compensation mechanism that can reflect the value of carbon sinks in the basin and key ecological function areas. Method: The IPCC inventory method is used as the basis for constructing a carbon emission accounting system to calculate the carbon emissions of county units in the Qiantang River basin. The CASA model is used to calculate the carbon absorption of each county unit in the Qiantang River basin, and Arcgis software was used to absorption forest carbon absorption by zones and analyse the contribution of forest carbon absorption to total carbon absorption. The carbon compensation model is used to calculate the amount of forest carbon compensation in the Qiantang River basin, and the target and spatial selection of carbon compensation are simulated. Result: Between 2000 and 2020, the carbon emission intensity of the Qiantang River basin is clearly polarized, with the higher carbon emission intensity concentrated in the northeastern part of the basin, namely Yuhang District, Hangzhou City and Xiaoshan District. The important ecological function areas in the basin have a lower carbon emission intensity. In contrast to carbon emissions, the economically developed areas in the basin absorb less carbon, with the urban area of Hangzhou absorbing the least amount of carbon. Forest carbon absorption contributes most to the total carbon sequestration in the basin, and the absorption shows an overall increasing trend. The better the economic development of the county units and the more rapid urbanization, the lower their forest carbon compensation rate, and vice versa the higher the forest carbon compensation rate. Changshan County, Kaihua County, Tonglu County, Jiande City and Chun'an County are able to obtain higher standards for carbon compensation due to their large forest carbon surplus, while Lin'an District and Yuhang District obtain lower compensation standards. Hangzhou City and Xiaoshan District pay a larger amount of compensation due to their large deficits in forest carbon revenues and expenditures. Chun'an County, Jiande City, Kaihua County, Changshan County, Yuhang District, Lin'an District, Fuyang District and Tonglu County are the receiving areas and recipients of forest carbon compensation. Conclusion: The economic development of each county unit in the Qiantang River Basin is extremely unbalanced, with a mismatch between ecological carrying capacity and economic development capacity, and a serious mismatch between carbon supply and demand. It is necessary to take the lead in establishing a sound compensation mechanism for forest ecological protection in the basin that reflects the value of carbon sinks, and provide a model for the establishment of an ecosystem carbon compensation mechanism for the whole country by adopting diversified forest carbon compensation method, clarifying the targets of forest carbon compensation, improving the coordination mechanism between government compensation and market compensation, and establishing a forest protection and construction system for national important functional areas based on carbon revenue and expenditure accounting.

Key words: carbon neutrality, forest carbon sink, ecological compensation, basin