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Chinese Journal of Ecology ›› 2026, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5): 1713-1723.doi: 10.13292/j.1000-4890.202605.011

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Progress and trend analysis of carbon emissions in farmland ecosystems.

SUN Xiaoxiao1,2, CAO Luodan2, LI Jialin1,2,3*   

  1. (1Zhejiang Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; 2Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; 3Ningbo University Donghai Academy, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China).

  • Online:2026-05-10 Published:2026-05-12

Abstract: Farmlands, as critical units of agricultural production and terrestrial carbon cycle, are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. With the acceleration of agricultural intensification and the goal of carbon neutrality, the management of carbon emissions from farmlands has become a research focus in many disciplines, such as ecology, agronomy, and geography. We reviewed advancements in quantification methods, spatiotemporal patterns, influencing factors, and mitigation strategies of carbon emissions from farmlands. The IPCC inventory methodology provides a foundational framework for global emission accounting, but the accuracy of the measurement should be optimized by localized factor calibration. Current research predominantly focuses on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from agricultural activities and methane (CH4) emissions from rice paddies, and less studies focus on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions driven by nitrogen fertilization. The spatiotemporal distribution of carbon emissions from farmland exhibits significant heterogeneity, influenced by natural conditions, agricultural management practices, and socioeconomic factors, necessitating deeper regional comparative analyses in future. Although technological innovations and policy coordination have been widely proposed, region-specific strategies tailored to diverse agricultural systems remain insufficient. Future research should prioritize integrated mitigation of the emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O, and establish regionally adaptive farmland carbon emission accounting models to explore the interactive effects of natural, managerial, and socioeconomic factors. Additionally, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and remote sensing should be applied to high-precision reduction of carbon emission, while carbon sequestration capacity and ecosystem service value of farmlands require systematic quantification to inform effective compensation mechanisms for promoting the development of sustainable agriculture. Nationwide dynamic monitoring networks and databases should be developed to assess long-term impacts of land use changes on carbon source/sink functions of farmlands, enabling targeted low-carbon strategies to gradually achieve the green transformation of agriculture across China under the “Dual Carbon” goals.


Key words: farmland, carbon emission, spatiotemporal distribution, influencing factor, emission reduction measure