## 5 Conclusions  
Based on the land use data of Yanshan-Taihang Mountain area in Hebei Province in 2010, 2015, and 2020, this study calculates the carbon emission of land use, introduces carbon footprint pressure index and land use carbon emission risk index, and analyzes the carbon emission risk of land use. The main conclusions are as follows:  
1. From 2010 to 2020, the land use carbon emissions in the study area increased first and then decreased. In space, areas with high carbon emissions are predominantly located in the southern part of the study area, where urbanization is more pronounced. In contrast, low-carbon-emission areas are primarily found in the northeast of the study area, which is characterized by higher forest coverage. 2. By analyzing the carbon footprint pressure index of the study area from 2010 to 2020, the proportion of counties in carbon balance area decreased from 27.27% in 2010 to 18.18% in 2020, and the proportion of counties in carbon imbalance area increased from 72.72% in 2010 to 81.82% in 2020, showing great carbon cycle pressure and environmental risk. 3. From 2010 to 2020, the proportion of high-risk areas and severe-risk areas of land use carbon emissions in the study area increased by 18.18%, and in 2020, the proportion of high-risk areas and severe-risk areas in counties was as high as 40.91%, accounting for a large proportion of the overall division, and the risk of land use carbon emissions intensified. Spatially, the hot spots of land use carbon emission show an expanding trend, while the cold spots show a weakening trend. Fully understanding the characteristics of land use carbon emission risk in different regions and taking targeted countermeasures can effectively address the challenges of carbon emission risk in the study area. For high-risk and severe-risk areas, it is crucial to enhance the protection and restoration of the ecological environment and promote the green transformation of cities. In medium-risk areas, implementing reforestation projects can strengthen the carbon absorption capacity. In low-risk and micro-risk areas, existing ecosystems can be maintained and optimized to enhance their carbon sink functions. However, the implementation process may face limitations in resources and capabilities at the local government level, necessitating stronger policy enforcement and monitoring. In some areas, the lack of necessary technology and knowledge restricts the implementation of low-carbon practices, such as the absence of efficient carbon monitoring technologies and data analysis capabilities, which makes the management of land use carbon emissions challenging. Meanwhile, these findings are not only applicable to the field of environmental science but can also be extended to urban planning, agricultural management, and water resource management. For example, in urban planning, the distribution of carbon emission hotspot areas can be used to optimize land use layouts and reduce the negative environmental impacts of urban expansion. L.P.: conceptualization, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, visualization, formal data analysis, writing--original draft. P.Z. : conceptualization, methodology, funding acquisition, project administration, resources, writing--review and editing. S.Z. : investigation, formal analysis, data collation, validation. J.D. : investigation, formal analysis, data collation, validation. Q.D. : investigation, formal analysis, validation. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research was funded by the Social Science Foundation of Hebei Province, China (Grant No. HB23 YJ015). Not applicable. The data that have been used are confidential. We would like to express our gratitude and respect to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments and constructive suggestions that help us improve the quality of the manuscript.