Impact of Land Use on Atmospheric Particulate Matter Concentrations: A Case Study of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, China

Abstract

The increasing frequency of human activities has accelerated changes in land use types and consequently affected the atmospheric environment. In this manuscript, we analyze the relationships between the particulate matter concentration and land use changes in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, China, from 2015 to 2018. The experimental results indicate that (1) an improved sine function model can suitably fit the periodic changes in the particulate matter concentration, with the average R2 value increasing to 0.65 from the traditional model value of 0.49, while each model coefficient effectively estimates the change characteristics of each stage. (2) Among all land use types, the particulate matter concentrations in construction land and farmland are high, with a large annual difference between high and low values. The concentration decreases slowly in spring and summer but increases rapidly in autumn and winter. The concentrations in forestland and grassland are the lowest; the difference between high and low values is small for these land use types, and the concentration fluctuation pattern is relatively uniform. Natural sources greatly influence the concentration fluctuations, among which frequent dusty weather conditions in spring impose a greater influence on forestland and grassland than on the other land use types. (3) The landscape pattern of land use exerts a significant influence on the particulate matter concentration. Generally, the lower the aggregation degree of patches is, the higher the fragmentation degree is, the more complex the shape is, the higher the landscape abundance is, and the lower the particulate matter concentration is. The higher the construction land concentration is, the more easily emission sources can be aggregated to increase the particulate matter concentration. However, when forestland areas are suitably connected, this land use type can play a notable role in inhibiting particulate matter concentration aggravation. This conclusion is of great relevance to urban land use planning and sustainable development.