Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Roya Mousazadeh ¹
• Ardavan zarandian ²
• Fatemeh Mohammadyari ³
• Jalil Badamfirooz ⁴
• Majid Ramezani Mehrian ⁵

¹ Assistant Professor, Research Group of Environmental Economics, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (RCESD) , Department of Environment, Tehran, I.R. Iran.

² Research Group of Environmental Assessment and Risk, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (RCESD), Department of Environment, Tehran, I.R. Iran.

³ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

⁴ Research Group of Environmental Economics, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (RCESD) , Department of Environment, Tehran, I.R. Iran.

⁵ Department of Environmental Studies, The Institute for Research and Development in the Humanities (SAMT), Tehran, I.R. Iran.

Abstract

Climate change and global warming, resulting from the increased concentration of greenhouse gases, have had harmful effects on human life. The regulatory function of carbon storage and sequestration can help mitigate carbon dioxide levels and, consequently, reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Therefore, conducting a precise evaluation of carbon storage concerning land use and land cover changes can deepen our understanding of global dynamics and help to provide valuable knowledge about land management strategies. Therefore, this research uses the InVEST software to model carbon storage and sequestration in Semnan Province. The findings indicate that the total carbon storage in the province reached 242448770/66 tons in its current state in 2020. According to the model estimations, the carbon sequestration capacity has decreased by about -1578738/83 tons over the past 15 years. The analysis reveals a downward trend in carbon sequestration throughout the study period, signifying a reduction in rangeland vegetation density across the study area and thus a decrease in overall plant biomass.

Dense forests in this province had the highest carbon sequestration efficiency for 15 years, with a sequestration rate of 86/903 tons per hectare. Furthermore, these forests have an annual carbon sequestration rate of approximately 5/794 tons per hectare. Even though rangelands and agricultural lands show lower levels of carbon sequestration, the annual growth and subsequent loss of herbaceous vegetation prevent an increase in carbon storage through sequestration due to factors such as livestock grazing or crop harvesting. The climate regulation function operates beyond local/national levels, and the carbon storage and sequestration services need conservation techniques adapted to the region. If carbon sequestration as an ecosystem service is quantified, decision-makers and planners will be able to use this data in their decision-making processes.

By estimating carbon sequestration capacity and its economic value, programs can be designed to implement PES (Payment for Ecosystem Services) as part of the economic justification for forest conservation projects. Given that many development projects often overlap in terms of site selection with areas rich in vegetation and high carbon sequestration potential, these estimates can be used to predict ecological damage and losses caused by deforestation. By conducting cost-benefit analyses comparing development projects with the conservation of forested and vegetated areas, better-informed decisions can be made.  

Keywords

• Modeling
• regulatory Service
• Carbon Sequestration
• InVEST
• Semnan