Abstract: Exploring the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of carbon source and carbon sink under different disposal methods of crop straw is of great significance for optimizing the utilization policy of crop straw resources in China and realizing the goal of maximizing carbon emission reduction and carbon neutralization. Based on data from National Statistical Yearbook, we examined the changing trends of both the amount and value of carbon emission, carbon emission reduction, carbon sink enhancement under different crop straw disposal methods in 31 provinces of Chinese mainland. The results showed that the mean annual carbon emissions of straw burning in China from 2008 to 2019 were 8.74 million tons of CO₂e. Since 2014, the mean annual reduction rate of carbon emissions was 17.3%. The mean annual carbon emission reduction of energy utilization was 39.82 million tons of CO₂e, with solid briquette fuel produced by straw contributing the most with a contribution of about 98%. The amount of carbon sequestration of straw returning to field was increasing annually, with an average annual value of 271 million tons of CO₂e. There was a carbon ecological surplus in straw disposal in China. The annual growth rate of net carbon emission reduction was 9.8%. The net carbon emission reduction intensity and its value were increasing, reaching 2.62 t·hm^-2 and 76.19 yuan·hm^-2 in 2019, respectively. A spatial pattern of ‘high in the east and low in the west' was observed for the mean annual carbon emissions of straw, energy carbon emission reduction, carbon sink of straw returning to the field, and net carbon emission reduction in China, with main external characteristics of the regional differences and spatial aggregation.

Key words: straw disposal, carbon neutralization, energy conversion, straw returning to field, carbon emission reduction