ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. For. Glob. Change
Sec. Forests and the Atmosphere
Volume 8 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2025.1600248
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Air Pollutants and Forest Vegetation Characteristics in Gangwon Province, South Korea
Provisionally accepted
- 1Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
- 2Ministry of Environment, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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This study examines air pollution characteristics in Gangwon Province, South Korea, from 2019 to 2023, focusing on pollutant concentrations, emissions, and vegetation relationships. PM10, PM2.5, O3, emissions data, and NDVI were used to analyze air pollutant distribution and vegetation patterns in Gangwon Province. Particle Matter (PM) concentrations were highest in inland cities (Chuncheon, Hongcheon, Wonju) due to topographical effects and atmospheric stagnation, while coastal areas exhibited lower levels due to maritime dispersion. O3 concentrations were higher in coastal and mountainous regions, influenced by land-sea breeze circulation. Emission analysis identified industrial and transportation activities as major contributors, with regional variations: fugitive dust and traffic emissions in Chuncheon and Wonju, biomass burning in Gangneung, and industrial sources in Donghae. Seasonal trends showed PM peaking in spring and winter due to yellow dust and heating emissions, while O3 peaked in summer due to photochemical reactions. External pollutant inflows significantly impacted air quality. NDVI exhibited a negative correlation with PM, particularly PM2.5, suggesting vegetation plays a role in reducing particulate matter. O3-NDVI correlations varied regionally, with positive relationships in parts of the western part of Gangwon Province. Effective air quality management requires region-specific strategies, including green space expansion for PM reduction and precursor emission control for O3 management. Continuous monitoring of pollutant inflows and atmospheric stagnation is essential for long-term air quality improvement.
Keywords: Air Pollution, NDVI, Emission sources, Seasonal variation, Climate Change Air pollution, Climate Change
Received: 26 Mar 2025; Accepted: 13 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lee, Kim, Myeong-Ju, Lee and Lee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sang-Deok Lee, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
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