Objective The shelterbelt along the desert highway plays a key role in windbreak and sand-fixation as well as oxygen release and carbon sequestration. Based on vegetation surveys and measured data along the highway, this study aims to further reveal the eco-environmental effects and artificial ecosystem service functions of the desert highway shelterbelt, so as to provide a scientific basis for the management of artificial forests and the assessment of carbon storage in arid desert regions.

Methods Taking the shelterbelt along the Taklimakan Desert Highway as the research object, this study compares the photosynthesis rate model and the biomass model to estimate the photosynthetic rate and optimal biomass model of the three main afforestation plant species in the shelterbelt, and then calculates their carbon sequestration amount and carbon storage.

Results (1) In the photosynthetic carbon sequestration model, the carbon sequestration per unit leaf area differs significantly among the three plant species, showing an order of Tamarix chinensis > Calligonum mongolicum > Haloxylon ammodendron. (2) The optimal biomass models for all three plant species are power functions; verification shows that the coefficient of determination (R²) between predicted and measured values is above 0.90, indicating that the models are accurate and reliable. (3) The total carbon sequestration of the desert highway shelterbelt estimated by the photosynthetic carbon sequestration method is 567 431.68 t, while that estimated by the biomass method is 565 083.75 t, suggesting that the two methods yield comparable carbon sequestration results.

Conclusion Since its completion, the desert highway shelterbelt has achieved remarkable effects in carbon sequestration, which can significantly improve the ecological environment and play an important role in promoting the transformation of social and economic values.