Terrestrial vegetation carbon sink analysis and driving mechanism identification in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The estimation of terrestrial carbon sinks in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) still faces significant uncertainties, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of terrestrial carbon sinks along altitudinal gradients remain unexplored. Moreover, the driving mechanisms of terrestrial carbon sinks at the watershed scale in the QTP continue to be lacking. To address these research gaps, based on multi-source remote sensing data and meteorological data, this study calculated the Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) in the QTP from 2000 to 2020 using the Modis NPP-soil respiration model. Through the coefficient of variation (CV), the Mann-Kendall test (MK), and the spatial autocorrelation methods, the spatial distribution pattern and spatiotemporal trends of NEP were investigated. Employing a pixel accumulation method, the variation of NEP along altitudinal gradients was explored. Grey relation analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and Geographical detector (GD) were used to investigate the driving mechanisms of NEP at the watershed scale. Results showed that: (1) the terrestrial ecosystem in the QTP served as a carbon sink, which produced a total of 2.04 Pg C from 2000 to 2020, and the multi-year average of total carbon sinks was 96.92 Tg C; (2) the spatial distribution of NEP shows a decreasing change from southeast to northwest, and the clustering characteristic of NEP is significant at the watershed scale; (3) the elevation of 4507 m we proposed is likely to be a key threshold for biophysical processes of the terrestrial ecosystems in the QTP; (4) the fluctuation and change trend of carbon sources and carbon sinks show significant differences between the East and West; (5) at the watershed scale, precipitation and temperature play a dominant role in the variation of NEP, while the impact of human activities on NEP variation is weak. Our study aims to address the existing knowledge gaps and provide valuable insights into the management of terrestrial carbon sinks in QTP. [Display omitted] •The terrestrial ecosystem in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) shows a carbon sink.•The Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) of QTP decreased from Southeast to Northwest.•Climate, terrain, and vegetation factors are the main drivers of NEP.•The elevation of 4,507m is proposed as a key threshold for biophysical processes.