Landscape pattern, perception and visualisation in the visual management of forests

Abstract

Forest planners, designers and managers have to incorporate visual landscape management into their plans as part of sustainable forest management (SFM). Over the last 20 years since the first “Our Visual Landscape” conference there have been numerous developments in visual management and design processes and techniques. Other developments, as part of SFM, such as ecosystem management and the need for more public participation in forestry planning, have also influenced the directions of forest management. The design of forest harvest units based on emulation of landscape patterns and processes means that landscape change can be driven by non-visual issues and principles and the earlier models developed for visual landscape management are no longer necessarily valid. However, the need for public participation means that landscape perception, in a broad sense, has become very important. Communication tools, such as computer visualisations of proposed landscape change have also been developed and present valuable possibilities. In order to help managers deal with both the changing forest landscape and the changing nature of perception, an approach is suggested that links landscape patterns and their manipulation with perceptions of them in order to help the development of positive design. In order for this to progress more effectively, several lines of research and development are suggested.