Objective  To ensure a low-carbon agriculture for Anhui province, temporal and spatial variations on the carbon sources/sinks at the farmlands were analyzed based on the carbon footprints at selected localities.

  Method   Statistical data on the related agricultural inputs and crop biomass in the province from 2008 to 2016 were applied to calculate the carbon sources/sinks and footprints using the emission coefficient method. ArcGIS and Geoda software helped visualize and auto-correlate the spatial and temporal characteristics of the selected 16 cities in 9 years.

  Results   The emission intensity at the two major contributing municipalities, Huangshan and Suzhou, showed a trend of "high-in-the-north/south, low-in-the-central, and balanced-on-east/west", whereas, the absorption a mode of "heavy-on-both-ends and light-in-the-center" at Fuyang and Bengbu, the major contributing cities. The carbon emission of the ecosystem was declining during the study period, but the absorption irregular. The varied land uses over the years might contribute to the results.

  Conclusion   The carbon emission intensity and absorption in the province varied with characteristic patterns. In general, the carbon footprints in the area were below the ecological tolerance capacity indicating rooms for spatial autocorrelation. Such surplus, thus, would allow the surrounding prefectures and cities a better situation in dealing with the environmental carbonization. Based on the finding, it appeared that the Action Plan for Implementing Green Development could be adequately carried out in Anhui with a scientifically planned low-carbon emission operation taking local conditions into consideration. The desirable land use and agricultural practices could be well accomplished without jeopardizing the target ecological improvement for the province.