The mechanisms through which climate and land use factors influence carbon sequestration in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) following impoundment remain unclear. This study employed the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model and utilized MOD13Q1 and meteorological data to estimate the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation Net Primary Productivity (NPP) in the TGRA from 2000 to 2020. We quantified the contributions of climate change and land use change (including afforestation, impoundment, urbanization, and other types) to NPP, and analyzed the dynamic impacts of three climatic factors on NPP variations in the reservoir area as well as future trends. The results indicate that: 1) NPP in the TGRA showed an overall increasing trend, with carbon storage exhibiting significant spatial heterogeneity. Multi-year average NPP displayed a spatial distribution pattern of low values in the southwest and high values in the northeast. Annual average NPP increased in most areas, while decreases were observed only around certain urban centers and along both banks of the Yangtze River; 2) The total carbon storage increment from land use change was 2.05 Tg, with afforestation and other types contributing 1.25 Tg and 0.91 Tg, respectively. Impoundment and urbanization caused carbon emissions of 0.05 Tg and 0.06 Tg, respectively. The impact of afforestation on NPP dynamics was greater in the eastern-northern and western-southern river sections compared to the middle section. The spatial heterogeneity of carbon release caused by urbanization and impoundment was relatively pronounced; 3) Precipitation, temperature, and radiation all showed increasing trends, and all three factors were positively correlated with NPP in most areas, with temperature showing the strongest correlation (average correlation coefficient of 0.61); 4) NPP changes in most areas demonstrated positive persistence. Combined with the NPP trend analysis, carbon storage in the TGRA is expected to maintain its growth trajectory, further enhancing carbon sequestration potential. This study clarifies the differentiated contributions of various land use changes to carbon sequestration potential, providing scientific support for developing multi-level ecosystem management strategies in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.
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