Spatiotemporal distribution, environmental risk and carbon emission reduction potential of livestock manure in Shaanxi Province, China

Shaanxi is a leading province in animal husbandry（AH） in China. However, the lack of provincial information on the characteristics and utilization potential of livestock manure（LM） hinders crucial management decisions. Therefore, we investigated the spatiotemporal distribution, availability and biogas potential of LM in Shaanxi, and examine the carbon emission reduction potential of AH.There has been a 1.26-fold increase in LM quantities in Shaanxi over the past 35 years, reaching 4635.6 × 10～4 t by 2021. LM was mainly concentrated in northern Shaanxi and the eastern part of Hanzhong. Cattle and pig manure were the primary sources of LM, with the average LM land-load of 14.57 t·ha-1in 2021. While the overall AH in Shaanxi has not exceeded the environmental capacity, the actual scales of AH in Ankang and Hanzhong have already surpassed the respective environmental capacities, posing a higher risk of N and P pollutions. In 2021, the estimated biogas energy potential of LM was 1.2 × 1011 MJ. From 2012 to 2021, the average carbon emission reduction potential in Shaanxi was 22%, with an average potential scale of 10%. The results of this research provide valuable data and policy recommendations for promoting the intensive use of LM and reducing carbon emissions in Shaanxi.