A General Model for Understanding the Perception of Scenic Beauty in Northern Hardwood Forests

Abstract

A research agenda for finding more generally useful psychophysical models to predict perceived forest beauty is proposed. An initial step in this process is undertaken by developing a model for northern hardwood forests that exhibits properties that may make it regionally valid. Toward this end, the new data from this study were used to retest a number of previously reported models. These model replication results are assessed and applied to the construction of a new regression model. This new model is further developed by use of a wide variety of sample forests, by comprehensively including effective and statistically significant theoretical and intuitive visual factors, and by achieving high predictive power. The resulting model demonstrates the importance of forest damage, tree density, ground vegetation, large trees, and visually distinctive tree types in predicting forest beauty. It also supports the possibility of devdoping more generally applicable models through further research and theory development.