Background and objective: After the COVID-19 pandemic, urban forests have gained significance as spaces that promote mental and physical recovery and enhance quality of life, with notable variations in usage patterns and purposes across different age groups. This study aimed to identify the determinants of satisfaction among visitors in urban forests by age group and empirically analyze their effects on perceptions of local environment improvement and attitudes toward policy support.Methods: Visitors in urban forests in Incheon Metropolitan City were categorized into young adults (30s and under), middle-aged adults (40s-50s), and older adults (60s and above). Decision tree analysis was employed to explore the combined effects of visitor satisfaction determinants, while logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine their impact on perceptions of local environment and attitudes toward policy support.Results: For young adults, spatial legibility and spatial order were primary determinants of visitor satisfaction; however, this satisfaction did not affect their perceptions of local environment improvement or attitudes toward policy support. Middle-aged adults valued ecological comfort and accessibility, and satisfaction regarding key determinants positively affected their perceptions of local environment and policy support. Older adults were sensitive to basic infrastructure management, and their satisfaction with vegetation management had a strong positive effect on their perceptions of local environment improvement and attitudes toward policy support.Conclusion: This study has significance in that it empirically identified differences in the structure of visitor satisfaction determinants and perception pathways by age group, and suggested directions for user-tailored urban forest management and forest welfare policies based on the findings, addressing the diverse needs of different age groups.

Background and objective: Sequestering carbon from the atmosphere is becoming increasingly important in the fight against climate change. Urban green spaces are increasingly recognized as effective carbon sinks, and many cities are striving to achieve carbon neutrality. carbon statistics for trees and shrubs are essential to attaining this goal and enhancing the carbon uptake capacity of urban green spaces.Methods: Historically, carbon studies have primarily focused on forest trees; however, as urban green spaces have expanded in recent years, research on shrubs utilized in these areas is gradually increasing. This study aims to measure the carbon fraction of representative native shrubs in urban green spaces in Korea.Results: The carbon fraction was compared by component, including evergreen (n = 325) and deciduous (n = 911) shrubs, as well as standard shrubs (n = 1279) and vines (n = 45). The results indicated that evergreen shrubs contained a higher carbon fraction than deciduous shrubs (<i>p</i> < .05), and standard shrubs exhibited a greater carbon fraction than vines (<i>p</i> < .05). Furthermore, biomass allocation shifted from leaves and roots to stems as shrubs aged, with deciduous shrubs allocating more biomass to roots than evergreens.Conclusion: These results can be integrated with dry weight measurements for each shrub species to estimate carbon storage, providing crucial data to inform spatial planning and species selection for maximizing carbon sequestration.

Background and objective: Rural water utilities face ongoing financial and operational challenges that threaten their long-term sustainability. Traditionally, their financing has depended heavily on subsidies and donor funding. However, emerging creative financing mechanisms offer more resilient and diversified approaches. This study aimed to systematically review how these creative financing mechanisms are applied within community-based rural water utilities and to compare them with conventional financing models.Methods: A targeted systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted. A systematic search was performed in the Scopus database in May 2024, limited to peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2009 to 2024. Eligibility criteria were established using the PICO framework: Population (rural water utilities), Intervention (creative financing mechanisms), Comparison (conventional financing models), and Outcome (sustainability measures). Out of 49 records identified, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using adapted CASP criteria. Data were extracted and narratively synthesized by mapping findings to the PICO components.Results: The identified creative financing mechanisms included prepaid tariff schemes, community financing, repayable loans, blended finance, and cross-subsidization. Compared to traditional donor- or subsidy-driven models, these approaches demonstrated improvements in financial viability, service reliability, and institutional resilience. Nonetheless, their effectiveness was found to be context-dependent. Of the selected studies, five were judged to have a moderate risk of bias due to descriptive reporting, while three studies had a low risk of bias.Conclusion: Despite a limited sample size, this review indicates that creative financing mechanisms are genuine innovations that extend beyond merely traditional models by diversifying revenue sources and reducing dependency on unsustainable subsidies. However, the current evidence base remains narrow, and the findings are more indicative than comprehensive. Future research should utilize a broader range of databases and evidence sources to develop a more complete and widely applicable understanding of financing models for rural water utilities.

Background and objective: This study aimed to analyze chlorophyll fluorescence responses to drought stress in ten garden plant species and to identify effective parameters for evaluating drought stress.Methods: The study took place from July to August 2023 in a greenhouse at Hankyong National University in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, to evaluate drought stress responses in ten garden plant species. After growing the plants under well-watered conditions under a drip irrigation system for 20 days, irrigation was withheld to induce drought stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence responses were measured at five-day intervals to define different drought stages.Results: During the control period, the plants exhibited the highest maximum chlorophyll fluorescence, indicating efficient electron transport from PSII to PSI. However, maximum fluorescence decreased progressively following drought stress treatment. To identify key photophysiological indicators for evaluating drought stress in garden plants, species-specific JIP-test parameters were calculated and analyzed using Pearson’s correlation analysis with soil moisture content. Parameters reflecting energy flux per leaf area showed significant positive correlations across all species. Based on these correlations, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed, which suggested that 11 parameters were associated with drought stress. To assess the importance of each variable, a multiple linear regression model was constructed. The model showed high predictive reliability, although some multicollinearity among independent variables was observed. After excluding mutual influences and evaluating the relative contributions of each variable, five chlorophyll fluorescence parameters—TR<sub>o</sub>/CS, ABS/CS, RC/CS, ET2<sub>o</sub>/CS, and RE1<sub>o</sub>/CS—were proposed as effective indicators for assessing drought stress in garden plants.Conclusion: The five chlorophyll fluorescence parameters—TR<sub>o</sub>/CS, ABS/CS, RC/CS, ET2<sub>o</sub>/CS, and RE1<sub>o</sub>/CS—proposed in this study demonstrated the potential to serve as universally applicable indicators for assessing drought stress across various garden plant species. Their practical utility as evaluation metrics could be further strengthened through future studies incorporating species-specific sensitivity analyses or different planting conditions.

Background and objective: Climate change represents a critical challenge to agricultural sustainability, particularly in vulnerable coastal regions. Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province, located in the Mekong Delta, experiences significant vulnerability to saltwater intrusion and climate variability. This study aimed to identify and rank barriers affecting farmers' adaptive capacity to climate change using Garrett's ranking methodology.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2023 to January 2024 among 200 farming households across five communes in Thanh Phu District. Participants were selected using simple random sampling following Cochran's formula (n = 202, ± 7% margin of error). Data collection employed structured questionnaires containing 33 items assessing nine primary adaptation barriers. Garrett's ranking method was applied to convert ordinal rankings into quantitative scores using percentage position calculations and standardized conversion tables. Total and mean Garrett scores were calculated to establish barrier hierarchies.Results: Three barrier categories emerged based on mean Garrett scores. High-impact barriers (> 300 points) included climate change impacts on natural resources (990.95), insufficient information (345.01), and prolonged timeframes for observing adaptation outcomes (318.78). Medium-impact barriers (100-300 points) comprised insufficient social and institutional support (239.60), deficient agricultural techniques and low educational attainment (206.84), and high investment costs with financial capital deficiency (155.26). Low-impact barriers (< 100 points) encompassed elderly age and poor health (88.63), inadequate infrastructure (78.00), and restricted credit accessibility (74.54).Conclusion: Environmental and informational constraints supersede economic barriers in farmers' adaptation priorities. These findings indicate the necessity for policy frameworks emphasizing resource management and information dissemination rather than solely financial interventions. The research provides empirical evidence supporting integrated climate adaptation strategies for sustainable agricultural development in vulnerable coastal regions.

Background and objective: This study investigated the program components preferred by secondary school teachers to design effective horticultural therapy programs to relieve their job stress.Methods: An online survey was conducted from April 8 to 28, 2025, targeting 307 middle and high school teachers. The questionnaire included 8 items on demographic characteristics, 4 items on emotional labor and job stress levels, and 10 items on preferred components of horticultural therapy programs.Results: Job stress levels were measured on a scale from 0 (low) to 10 (high), with the majority of the respondents (57.8%) scoring 7 or higher. The most individual strategies for relieving job stress were exercise (31.9%) and travel (25.9%). Regarding preferred program components, most teachers favored programs consisting of a total number of 10 or fewer sessions (85%), held once per week (74.3%), with each session lasting 60 minutes or less (70.7%), and involving 10 or fewer participants per session (78.2%). Preferred times for program participation were after work (31.8%) and during lunch breaks (32.6%). Indoor settings were preferred by 42% of respondents as the location of program activity, and group therapy was the most preferred format (33.3%). Lastly, in terms of preferred activities, respondents most commonly selected gardening (34%), followed by craft (33.9%) and cooking activities (25.3%).Conclusion: These findings are expected to serve as a foundational reference for the design, institutional adoption, and further research of horticultural therapy programs aimed at relieving job stress among secondary school teachers.

Background and objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of a horticultural therapy program based on person-centered theory on the emotional competence and attention span of elementary school students in special education classes (hereafter referred to as "SEC elementary students" or "SEC children"). Person-centered theory—rooted in the core principles of empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard—promotes personal development and fosters autonomy in emotional expression.Methods: The program was implemented with six students from a special education class at an elementary school in D City. It was conducted once a week for 40 minutes per session, over a total of 10 sessions from April to June 2025.Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in emotional intelligence, with scores increasing from a pre-test mean of 87.17 ± 21.01 to a post-test mean of 151.50 ± 37.30 (<i>p</i> = .028). Positive emotional responses significantly increased (<i>p</i> = .027), while negative emotional responses decreased (<i>p</i> = .028). Additionally, a session-by-session analysis showed a consistent improvement in emotional competence (p < .001). Attention scores decreased from 22.67 ± 3.98 to 9.17 ± 3.66 (<i>p</i> = .027), indicating improved attention span, as lower scores reflect better outcomes. These results suggest that horticultural therapy, based on person-centered theory, had a positive effect on both emotional competence and attention span. It is presumed that the therapeutic environment—characterized by empathy and autonomy—contributed to these positive changes among children with special educational needs.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that horticultural therapy—founded on empathy and support for autonomy—is an effective intervention for improving emotional competence and attention span in SEC children. These findings support the potential application of horticultural therapy based on person-centered theory within school-based special education programs.

Background and objective: As the time people spend indoors increases, indoor plants have come to play a functional and aesthetic role in space design, moving beyond simple decorative elements. This study compared and analyzed the planting design characteristics of domestic and foreign indoor plant products, focusing on plant species, visual components, and planting styles.Methods: The analysis was conducted using quantitative image processing echnologies, such as ChatGPT 4.0 Pro, GIMP software, color histogram, LBP-based texture analysis, and cosine similarity calculation, targeting 134 images collected from six domestic and foreign brands.Results: The results of this analysis showed that domestic consumers preferred visual diversity in their indoor plants through natural textures, warm colors, and irregular shapes, and tended to emphasize emotional comfort and oriental aesthetics. on the other hand, overseas consumers showed a higher level of standardization of flowerpot materials, color harmony, and shape uniformity, indicating a tendency to prefer minimal and modern designs. Statistically significant differences were confirmed in flowerpot shape (x<sup>2</sup> = 28.89, <i>p</i> = .0013), color (x<sup>2</sup> = 53.28, <i>p</i> < .001), texture (x<sup>2</sup> = 33.57, <i>p</i> < .001), and planting height ratio (<i>p</i> < .05). color similarity was significantly higher for foreign designs (0.978 vs 0.542), indicating stronger visual consistency.Conclusion: These results suggest that indoor planting design is strongly influenced by cultural aesthetics, consumer preferences, and market systems. While domestic designs emphasize symbolic verticality and visual richness, foreign designs prioritize harmony and spatial order. The findings of this study provide practical directions for plant product planning, distribution strategies, and indoor plant design based on cultural characteristics.

Background and objective: The green space services provided by public institutions serve not only as a means of providing space, but also as a medium of meeting public expectations and delivering social value. However, many existing public service evaluation frameworks focus solely on service quality, overlooking the cognitive structures and process-related factors that influence the formation of actual satisfaction. Against the backdrop, this study aimed to empirically analyze how the public service system of the Sejong National Arboretum, used as a case study, influences visitor satisfaction, with expectation-disconfirmation serving as a mediating factor.Methods: An online survey was conducted among general visitors to the Sejong National Arboretum between June and October 2024, yielding a valid sample of 1,060 responses. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Discriminant validity was evaluated based on Fornell and Larcker’s (1981) criteria and by analyzing 95% confidence intervals of the correlation coefficients. Structural relationships among the variables were estimated using structural equation modeling (SEM), and the mediating effect of expectation-disconfirmation was tested through 5,000 bootstrap iterations.Results: The structural equation model demonstrated a good overall fit, with goodness-of-fit indices of CFI = .967, TLI = .958, and RMSEA = .045. Visitors’ perception of social responsibility had a significant positive (+) effect on both expectation-disconfirmation (B = .920, <i>p</i> < .001) and satisfaction (B = .245, <i>p</i> < .001). The total effect, including both direct and indirect effects, was β = .890, indicating the strongest explanatory power among the variables. In contrast, employee service showed no significant effect on either expectation-disconfirmation (B = .010, <i>p</i> = .762) or satisfaction (B = -.004, <i>p</i> = .823), suggesting that it is not a key explanatory factor in the process of expectation formation and fulfillment. Expectation-disconfirmation functioned as a significant mediating variable in the relationship between social responsibility and satisfaction (B = .644, 95% CI = [.495, .793]), with approximately 72.4% of the total effect explained through the indirect path.Conclusion: This study moved beyond traditional service quality-based evaluations to empirically investigate how the social value delivered by public institutions influences the formation of user expectations and overall satisfaction. In particular, through an analysis grounded in expectation-disconfirmation theory, the study found that cognitive alignment between the formation and fulfillment of expectations plays a more critical role in determining satisfaction than service quality alone. These findings underscore the need for future public service design to move beyond physical quality improvements and adopt strategies focused on policy value alignment, expectation management, and perceived quality.

Background and objective: The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) provides a universal roadmap for biodiversity conservation, yet regional strategies vary significantly in their adoption. Prior research has focused primarily on national-level policies or descriptive accounts, offering limited insights into how subnational governments adopt and operationalize GBF. This study addresses this gap by applying a quantitative, checklist-based evaluation and a policy transfer perspective to systematically classify and compare regional biodiversity strategies.Methods: Biodiversity strategies from ten cities and regions across Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa were analyzed. A scoring framework was applied across three criteria—GBF integration, policy implementation capacity, and regional context reflection. Building policy transfer theory, adoption approaches were categorized into three typologies: Full Adoption, Selective Adoption, and Interpretive Adaptation.Results: The typology reveals clear trade-offs among international alignment, feasibility of implementation, and contextual adaptation. Full Adoption demonstrates strong alignment with global standards but requires substantial institutional and financial resources. Selective Adoption enhances flexibility and feasibility but risks weaker coherence. Interpretive Adaptation fosters socio-ecological relevance and participation but limits comparability and international connectivity.Conclusion: By linking policy transfer theory with regional biodiversity strategies, this study moves beyond descriptive typologies to demonstrate how global frameworks are adapted and reinterpreted in diverse governance contexts. Academically, it contributes empirical evidence of differentiated pathways in policy transfer. Practically, it provides actionable criteria and insights that regional policymakers can use to design LBSAPs tailored to institutional capacity and socio-ecological conditions, balancing international comparability with local legitimacy.