Observational evidence for dynamic effect of cropland form on ozone in China

Ozone (O3) is the primary pollutant reducing crop yields in China. The variations in Land use and cover change (LUCC) have an impact on air quality. In this study, based on the panel data of 2745 counties across China from 2013 to 2017, the North China Plain and the Northeast Plain were selected. A spatial Durbin model (SDM) was used to assess and compare the dynamic effects of cropland form on O3 concentration in the two locations. The Moran index indicates that O3 concentrations are positively spatially autocorrelated in about 65.4% of the North China Plain and 76.7% of the Northeast Plain. The SDM results show that cropland form and O3 concentration have a certain relationship. The direct coefficients of the short-term effects of the five landscape indices in the North China Plain were − 0.280, −0.462, −0.083, −0.046, and 0.615, respectively, whereas the corresponding coefficients in the Northeast Plain were − 1.079, −0.508, 1.101, 0.017, and 1.654. In general, large, fragmented agricultural distribution patterns have lower O3 concentrations. Therefore, to solve the problem of O3 pollution, distinct growth strategies for different regions must be developed, as well as regional synergistic management and long-term control must be strengthened.