Multi-Scenario Land Use/Cover Change and Its Impact on Carbon Storage Based on the Coupled GMOP-PLUS-InVEST Model in the Hexi Corridor, China

Understanding the relationship between land use and carbon storage is vital for achieving sustainable development goals. However, our understanding of how carbon storage develops under land policy planning is still incomplete. In this study, a comprehensive framework that integrates Gray Multi-objective Optimization Programming (GMOP), the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) models is introduced to evaluate land use dynamics and ecosystem services. Two scenarios have been established to estimate Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) patterns in the Hexi Corridor by 2035: the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, developed based on historical trends, and the ecological conservation scenario (ECS), optimized with multiple policy objectives. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the predominant land use type in the Hexi Corridor was unutilized land, with LUCC mainly involving the transformation of unutilized land to grass land. (2) Carbon storage in the Hexi Corridor increased by approximately 9.05 x 106 t from 2000 to 2020 due to LUCC, characterized by higher levels in the south and lower levels in the north. (3) The areas of grass land and arable land are expected to continue increasing until 2035, while the extent of unutilized land is projected to decrease. The ECS is poised to create a balance between ecological protection and economic development. (4) By 2035, both the BAU scenario and ECS estimate an increase in the carbon storage of the Hexi Corridor, with the ECS expected to result in the most significant gains. These research findings provide valuable insights for administrators and researchers, guiding more rational land use planning and ecological restoration policies to achieve carbon peaking and neutrality.