Abstract: Accurate estimation on the effects of land use and cover change (LUCC) on terrestrial carbon balance has become one of the focuses in the research on the global carbon cycle. This paper attempts to review the studies on LUCC in recent years and its effects on terrestrial carbon balance in China, to provide references for the assessment of China’s terrestrial carbon balance and the choice of future research topics. The extensive information has been obtained from researches on China’s LUCC in recent years, and the corresponding carbon source and sink effects have been assessed by using the inventory method presented by IPCC and the satellite-based method respectively. Results indicate that land use activities, especially those related to agriculture and forest management, are affecting terrestrial carbon balance positively. However, the satellite- and inventory-based estimates indicated significant uncertainty in the estimates. Future researches should focus on the development and application of estimation methods based on the information of land-use conversion areas, to improve the assessment on effects of LUCC on China’s terrestrial carbon balance.

Key words: carbon balance, China, land use and cover change (LUCC), terrestrial ecosystem