Residents’ ecological and aesthetical perceptions toward spontaneous vegetation in urban parks in China

Abstract

As a result of the process of urbanization, many wildlife populations are in decline, accompanied with a disconnection between the lives of residents and local wildlife. Currently, interest is growing in spontaneous plants, as they are authentic and better adapted to an urban environment. Combining a field survey in Beijing parks with a web-based survey, we investigated the perceptions of 1015 urban residents toward spontaneous vegetation in urban parks and how aesthetical features relate to the respondents’ sociocultural backgrounds. The results showed that professionals better recognized the value of spontaneous vegetation compared to nonprofessionals. Lawns and traditional flowerbeds are still favored by the public, while spontaneous communities with medium blossom densities, delicate textures, white and multi-colored flowers were preferred by professionals. Furthermore, residents with more exposure to nature, having professional degrees, and higher levels of education were more likely to hold positive attitudes toward the preservation of and designing with spontaneous vegetation in urban green spaces. These results highlight the necessity for ecology education on spontaneous vegetation, as well as an understanding of the variations in plant and community aesthetic features in correlation with different residential groups to improve the perception of spontaneous vegetation, implement changes in planting design, enhance biodiversity, save costs and resources, and provide more natural space for city dwellers.