Mapping Potential Carbon Stocks and CO2 Emissions Due to Land Cover Change in the Wanggu Watershed

Abstract

Rapid land use change in the Wanggu Watershed also impacts the condition of carbon stocks and emissions. Geographic information systems have been widely used to estimate carbon uptake and storage for various types of land use, but research on carbon emissions and stocks as a result of land use change is still limited land use change is still limited, particularly including in the Wanggu Watershed. This study aims to determine the amount of carbon emissions and stocks as an impact of land use change in the Wanggu Watershed. The method used is the technique of overlaying time series data of land use and then an analysis of emissions and carbon stocks based on carbon stock coefficients based on land use. The results showed that land cover changes in the Wanggu Watershed have significantly impacted carbon stocks and CO2 emissions. In 2022, the total carbon stock was recorded at 2,041,789 tonnes C, while emissions reached 5,015,794 tonnes CO2, originating from nine land cover types, including dryland forests, secondary mangrove forests, plantations, agricultural lands, settlements, open land, and paddy fields. Between 1990 and 2022, these changes have substantially altered carbon dynamics, with forest degradation contributing 798,352 tonnes CO2, a significantly larger share than deforestation, which accounted for 107,159 tonnes CO2