[Interannual Characteristics of Fine Particulate Matter in North China and Its Relationship with Land Use and Land Cover Change].

Abstract

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an important component of air pollution, and thus it is meaningful to analyze its influencing factors. According to existing literature, most studies to date have focused on the relationship between PM2.5 and meteorological or economic factors, whereas fewer have analyzed the relationship between PM2.5 and land use and land cover change (LUCC). This study employed spatial distribution data of PM2.5 and land use and land cover data to analyze the relationship between dynamic characteristics of PM2.5 and LUCC. A geographically weighted regression (GWR) model and spatial analysis tools based on ArcGIS were used to analyze the relationship between PM2.5 dynamic characteristics and LUCC. North China was selected as the study area, and the results showed that ① The spatial pattern of PM2.5 in North China was high in the southeast and low in the northwest for 18 years. From a time perspective, the PM2.5 reached its maximum value in 2006 and has maintained a high value since then. The PM2.5 exceeded the permissible standard in most of the cities, with serious environmental pollution generally. ② The main land use and land cover types in North China from 2000 to 2015 were cropland, woodland, and grassland, and the land use and land cover change showed a trend of great decline in cropland and a great increase in construction land. ③ The results of the GWR model showed that local R2 is low in non-LUCC areas and high in LUCC areas, and the PM2.5 dynamic characteristics have a significant response to LUCC. ④ For different land use and land cover types, the distribution of PM2.5 showed a trend of construction land > cropland > water area > grassland > woodland > unused land, for different types of LUCC. PM2.5 concentration increased when natural land changed to artificial land and decreased when artificial land changed to natural land.