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Land
Special Issues
Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience
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Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Use, Impact Assessment and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 4002

Editors

Dr. Xiao Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building and Urban Science, School of Architecture, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
2. Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117566, Singapore
Interests: green building; green campus; carbon-neutral building; healthy building; urban heat mitigation and adaptation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Shifu Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building and Urban Science, School of Architecture, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Interests: urban design; city planning and development management; theory and ways of urban development
Dr. Jinda Qi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
Interests: geoinformation; landscape planning; urban heat island; sustainable development; green building
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Land use plays a pivotal role in both mitigating and adapting to climate change. Effective carbon-focused land use strategies can enhance climate resilience, promote sustainable development, and help achieve global climate targets. This Special Issue, "Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience", seeks to explore innovative approaches to land use that prioritize carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen ecosystem services in the context of a rapidly changing climate. We invite contributions that address the intersection of carbon management, land use, and climate resilience, with a focus on interdisciplinary strategies. Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to, the following: carbon farming, forest management, agroforestry, soil carbon sequestration, land-based climate mitigation practices, and the roles of policy and governance in promoting carbon-focused land use strategies. Through a collection of research articles, case studies, and policy analyses, this Special Issue aims to provide actionable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to implement carbon-focused land use strategies for climate resilience.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  1. Carbon Sequestration and Land Use

Strategies for enhancing carbon sequestration through land management practices.

Case studies on the effectiveness of land-based carbon mitigation practices (e.g., reforestation, afforestation, and soil carbon sequestration).

  1. Agroforestry and Carbon Management

Integrating trees into agricultural landscapes for climate resilience.

The potential of agroforestry in sequestering carbon and improving land productivity.

  1. Soil Carbon and Sustainable Land Management

Best practices for soil carbon sequestration in various ecosystems.

The role of soil management in achieving carbon-neutral or carbon-negative land systems.

  1. Forest Management for Climate Resilience

Forest restoration and management strategies for enhancing carbon storage and biodiversity.

The impact of forest management practices on carbon emissions and land resilience.

  1. Policy and Governance for Carbon-Focused Land Use

Policy frameworks to incentivize carbon-focused land use strategies.

International cooperation and national-level policies to promote carbon management practices.

  1. Carbon-Intensive Land Use Practices and Trade-Offs

Examining trade-offs between land use for carbon sequestration and other socio-economic objectives, such as food production and biodiversity conservation.

Identifying synergies and conflicts between carbon-focused land use and other land use priorities.

  1. Technological Innovations in Carbon Monitoring and Land Use

Applications in remote sensing, GIS, and big data for monitoring carbon stocks and land use changes.

Emerging technologies for tracking and enhancing carbon sequestration on land.

  1. Carbon Markets and Land-Based Climate Solutions

The role of carbon markets in incentivizing carbon sequestration efforts.

Linking land use strategies with carbon offset projects and climate finance mechanisms.

  1. Community-Based Carbon Strategies and Land Resilience

The role of local communities in implementing carbon-focused land use strategies.

Engaging stakeholders and community-driven solutions for enhancing carbon sequestration and land resilience.

  1. Decarbonization of the Built Environment

Sustainable community development integrating land use strategies.

Sustainable urban–rural planning and design.

  1. Global and Regional Case Studies

Comparative studies on carbon-focused land use strategies across different regions.

Success stories and lessons learned from land-based carbon mitigation projects and programs.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Xiao Liu
Prof. Dr. Shifu Wang
Dr. Jinda Qi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbon sequestration
  • land-based climate mitigation
  • agroforestry
  • soil carbon management
  • forest restoration
  • carbon markets
  • sustainable land management
  • land use strategies
  • sustainable community
  • policy and governance
  • technological innovations
  • climate resilience

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 32074 KB  
Article
Land Use Carbon Budget Evolution and Functional Spatial Associations: An Empirical Analysis of the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China
by Wei Xuan and Yan Xu
Land 2026, 15(7), 1233; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071233 - 8 Jul 2026
Viewed by 151
Abstract
Rapid urban expansion has increasingly reshaped the carbon budgets of urban agglomerations through land use change. However, the role of functional heterogeneity within construction land remains insufficiently considered when examining the spatial differentiation of construction expansion-related carbon increases. Using the Pearl River Delta [...] Read more.
Rapid urban expansion has increasingly reshaped the carbon budgets of urban agglomerations through land use change. However, the role of functional heterogeneity within construction land remains insufficiently considered when examining the spatial differentiation of construction expansion-related carbon increases. Using the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China as the study area, this research traced the spatiotemporal changes in land use carbon budgets between 2000 and 2024, evaluated how the expansion of construction land contributed to the growth of regional carbon emissions, and further examined the spatial associations between six construction land functional categories and expansion-related carbon increases over the period of 2010–2024. The results show the following. (1) During 2000–2024, approximately 15,200 km2 of land experienced use transitions, representing 28.2% of the regional land area. These transitions generated an accumulated increase of 15.46 million t in net carbon emissions, largely driven by the conversion of cultivated land, forest land, and other non-construction land into construction land. (2) Approximately 96.2% of the carbon increase from land use transitions was attributed to the conversion of other land use types into construction land, confirming construction land expansion as the dominant pathway of regional carbon increases. (3) From 2010 to 2024, expansion-related carbon increases showed significant spatial clustering, with high-value clusters mainly concentrated in the Guangzhou–Foshan–Dongguan–Shenzhen corridor and low-value clusters in peripheral areas. (4) Functional space variables were further associated with the spatial differentiation of carbon increases. Industrial and transportation spaces showed the strongest spatial associations, and their interaction showed the strongest explanatory effect, while GWR results revealed stronger local associations in peripheral areas and weaker associations in core areas. These findings provide empirical support for carbon-focused land use governance, functional optimization of construction land, and differentiated territorial spatial regulation in rapidly urbanizing urban agglomerations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience)
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22 pages, 5095 KB  
Article
Long-Term Crop Diversification Enhances Soil Carbon Fractions and Sequestrations in Northwestern India
by Prabhjot Singh, Neeraj Rani, Sohan Singh Walia, Rajeev Kumar Gupta, Maqsood Ul Hussan, Mohamed A. Mattar and Ali Salem
Land 2026, 15(7), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071140 - 25 Jun 2026
Viewed by 249
Abstract
Prolonged cultivation of cereal-based cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plain has contributed to soil degradation, groundwater depletion, and declining soil organic carbon levels, highlighting the urgent need for climate-resilient, sustainable crop diversification strategies that enhance soil carbon sequestration and improve overall soil health. [...] Read more.
Prolonged cultivation of cereal-based cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plain has contributed to soil degradation, groundwater depletion, and declining soil organic carbon levels, highlighting the urgent need for climate-resilient, sustainable crop diversification strategies that enhance soil carbon sequestration and improve overall soil health. A 6-year field experiment assessed 10 cropping systems (CSs) using a randomized complete block design with four replications, focusing on their effects on soil carbon stocks and sequestration at two soil depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm). It was inferred from the results that there is a significant variation in soil carbon stocks, with maize–peas–spring groundnut (CS6) having the highest surface carbon stock (13.0 Mg ha−1) and baby corn–potato–okra (CS10) having the highest sub-surface carbon stock (11.9 Mg ha−1). Carbon sequestration peaked in CS6 at 5.06 Mg ha−1 at 0–15 cm, and its sequestration rate was the highest (0.84 Mg ha−1 yr−1). Total organic carbon (TOC) ranged from 0.63% in Rice–Wheat (CS1) to 0.73% in CS6, with similarly high values in other diversified systems. Very labile carbon (VLC) was highest in basmati rice, late-sown wheat, and cowpea (CS3) and CS6, demonstrating the benefits of legume-based systems. At depths of 15–30 cm, trends were consistent but lower. Water-soluble carbon (WSC) and hot water-soluble carbon (HWSC) showed significant differences across systems, with CS3 recording the highest values. The findings indicate that cropping systems incorporating legume diversification and green manuring enhance carbon stocks, sequestration rates, and soil carbon stability, demonstrating that crop diversification is an effective means of increasing soil carbon storage, promoting soil health, and supporting sustainable agricultural production in Northwestern India. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience)
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31 pages, 21527 KB  
Article
Decoupling Effects and Nonlinear Mechanisms of Land-Use Carbon Emissions in Rural Revitalization: A Case Study of Western China
by Feng Wang, Ziyi Wang, Huizhi Gao and Sidong Zhao
Land 2026, 15(6), 916; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15060916 - 26 May 2026
Viewed by 285
Abstract
The governance of land use carbon emissions is pivotal to achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Rural revitalization significantly shapes the spatiotemporal patterns and evolutionary dynamics of land use carbon emissions, yet this relationship has received inadequate attention in existing [...] Read more.
The governance of land use carbon emissions is pivotal to achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Rural revitalization significantly shapes the spatiotemporal patterns and evolutionary dynamics of land use carbon emissions, yet this relationship has received inadequate attention in existing literature. This study employs a combination of decoupling models, the Boston Matrix, spatial analysis, and interpretable machine learning models to conduct an empirical analysis of 124 regions in western China. The findings reveal diversified spatiotemporal evolution trends in rural revitalization land use carbon emissions. The decoupling relationship between rural revitalization and carbon emissions demonstrates a polarized nature, with over half of the assessed regions experiencing negative decoupling effects. The role of impact factors in decoupling relationships is characterized by a mixed nature, hierarchical intensity, nonlinear pathways, spatial heterogeneity and autocorrelation. The pathways of factor effects display nonlinear forms such as wave-like, inverted U-shaped, and U-shaped patterns, with the nature and intensity of effects dynamically shifting between “threshold mutations” and “inflection reversals” as factors evolve. The spatiotemporal evolution patterns, decoupling relationships, and SHAP values all exhibit significant spatial autocorrelation and form “spatial clusters” of various shapes. The decoupling of rural revitalization and carbon emissions in western China constitutes a complex systemic endeavor, necessitating comprehensive analysis from multiple dimensions—encompassing spatiotemporal evolution patterns, decoupling relationship, nonlinear mechanisms, and spatial effects—followed by the formulation of differentiated and precision-targeted governance strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience)
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30 pages, 4373 KB  
Article
Village-Scale Carbon Budgets and Compensation Zoning: An Empirical Analysis of Carbon Market Mechanisms in Rural Areas of North China
by Na Yao, Chenxuan Fan, Zhuohan Liu, Yongsheng Wang, Shigang Shen and Hongjie Wang
Land 2026, 15(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15010015 - 21 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1701
Abstract
Rural development significantly contributes to global carbon emissions. While China’s dual-carbon goals are critical for global climate mitigation, surging rural emissions and regional disparities challenge their realization. Implementing village-scale horizontal carbon compensation zoning offers a strategic solution, though empirical evidence at this granularity [...] Read more.
Rural development significantly contributes to global carbon emissions. While China’s dual-carbon goals are critical for global climate mitigation, surging rural emissions and regional disparities challenge their realization. Implementing village-scale horizontal carbon compensation zoning offers a strategic solution, though empirical evidence at this granularity remains scarce. Addressing this gap, this study conducts an empirical analysis of Laiyuan County in North China, integrating field data with village-scale carbon budget accounting. A multi-dimensional evaluation system was developed to classify and refine compensation zones. The results showed that (1) Laiyuan County exhibits a distinct “core–periphery” carbon budget pattern, with overall emissions exceeding carbon sinks. 46.6% of villages and 61.1% of townships are net carbon sources. Human respiration and domestic waste dominate the emission structure, while forests, grasslands, and shrublands provide the overwhelming majority of carbon sinks. Farmland contributes only limited sequestration, indicating an urgent need to enhance its sink capacity. (2) The multidimensional framework that incorporates Economic Contribution Coefficient (ECC), Carbon Emission Intensity (CEI), Ecological Support Coefficient (ESC), and Territorial Development Intensity (TDI) effectively guides compensation zoning, revealing positive CEI-TDI/ESC-ECC and U-shaped CEI-ECC/CEI-ESC relationships. These patterns underscore the necessity of integrated ecological–economic planning. (3) Villages can be systematically categorized into Payment Zones, Recipient Zones, and Equilibrium Zones. Integration with territorial planning further delineates 11 functional subregions, highlighting critical conflicts in subregions of Payment Zone-Permanent Basic Farmland and Payment Zone-Ecological Conservation Redline. This study advances methodologies for village-scale carbon management and provides actionable insights for achieving dual-carbon goals in rural areas of North China and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience)
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19 pages, 9466 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Patterns of NPP and Hydrothermal Sensitivity Under Land-Use Change: A Case Study of Guangxi, China
by Changbin Sun, Xiaolong Wang, Junting Guo, Qiulin Dong and Fei Yang
Land 2025, 14(12), 2361; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14122361 - 3 Dec 2025
Viewed by 661
Abstract
Amidst the intensifying challenges of global climate change and the increasing demand for regional sustainable development, accurately assessing the contributions and dynamic characteristics of different land-use types to regional carbon sink patterns is essential for understanding ecosystem carbon cycling mechanisms and optimizing carbon [...] Read more.
Amidst the intensifying challenges of global climate change and the increasing demand for regional sustainable development, accurately assessing the contributions and dynamic characteristics of different land-use types to regional carbon sink patterns is essential for understanding ecosystem carbon cycling mechanisms and optimizing carbon management strategies. Based on land-use and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) remote sensing data from 2018 to 2022, this study employs a land-use change coding method and a hydrothermal (temperature and precipitation) sensitivity coefficient approach to analyze the spatiotemporal variation in NPP in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and its differential responses to hydrothermal conditions. On this basis, sensitivity coefficients were calculated to assess the spatial patterns of NPP sensitivity to temperature and precipitation, revealing spatial sensitivity characteristics and potential ecological risks. The results indicate significant differences in NPP variations among different land-use types, with broadleaf forests, mixed forests, savannas, and croplands identified as the primary contributors to NPP flows. Additionally, the response of NPP to hydrothermal factors exhibits clear spatial heterogeneity: precipitation sensitivity hotspots are mainly concentrated in the northern and southern ecosystems, while temperature sensitivity hotspots are predominantly located in the northern region. Further analysis reveals that the ecosystems in the central and northern regions are more sensitive to temperature changes, whereas coastal areas exhibit higher stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Focused Land Use Strategies: Pathways to Climate Resilience)
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