Landscape Types Research Articles

Challenges in assessing the effects of environmental governance systems on conservation outcomes.

Effective governance is crucial for the success of conservation projects aimed at protecting wildlife populations and supporting human well-being. However, few large-scale, comprehensive syntheses have been conducted on the effects of different environmental governance types on conservation outcomes (i.e., biological and ecological effectiveness or effects of conservation on human well-being), and clarity on the quantity and quality of evidence remains dispersed and ambiguous. We attempted a systematic map of the evidence on the effectiveness of different governance types to meet desired conservation outcomes in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. However, early in this effort, we observed a general lack of empirical research on the links between governance and conservation outcomes. To fill observed data gaps in the evidence base, we tried triangulating governance data from alternative sources (Protected Planet database) and pooling evidence from research conducted within the same conservation areas. Limited data were contained in the Protected Planet database, and governance types in conservation areas and landscapes were complex, making it difficult to use these approaches to assign governance types to conservation areas. To illustrate our observations from the failed systematic map attempt, we prepared a rapid evidence map that outlines a subset of the evidence base of articles linking governance types and governance principles with conservation outcomes. Only 3.2% (34 of 1067) of the articles we screened directly related conservation outcomes to governance type, and even fewer related governance principles to conservation outcomes. Based on our findings, we recommend improving the evidence base by supporting empirical research and increasing the availability and quality of governance data in freely accessible databases. These recommendations are critical for enhancing understanding of the role of governance in conservation projects and improving conservation outcomes.

Nitrogen leaching and groundwater recharge of alternative lawn conversions in subtropical climates

AbstractClimate change, recurrent droughts, and increasing urban water demands have limited water availability in urban landscapes. Water quantity challenges have led to irrigation restrictions and turfgrass removal programs. An experiment was conducted at the University of Florida, West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay, FL, to evaluate the effect of turfgrass conversion to other landscape types on nutrient leaching and groundwater recharge. In April 2021, all surface vegetation was removed from existing turfgrass plots using a sod harvester. Thereafter, plots were planted or covered with three landscape types: a pollinator landscape with flowering forbs (Mimosa sp., Coreopsis sp., and Phyla sp.) + turfgrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides); a nitrogen (N)‐efficient lawn (Arachis glabrata + Paspalum notatum); and a low‐input landscape with unplanted woodchip mulch. Undisturbed turfgrass (E. ophiuroides) served as a control. For 2 years, leachate samples were collected weekly from previously installed 168‐L drainage lysimeters for NO3‐N and NH4‐N load determination. Temporal changes in landscape composition, groundwater recharge, water use, and soil bulk density were also quantified. While the mulch leached 44.7 kg ha−1 NO3‐N year−1, this landscape still offers positive attributes, including erosion protection and water conservation. Conversely, the pollinator landscape minimized nitrogen leaching (8.3 kg ha−1 NO3‐N year−1) due to their relatively greater water use rates (3.56 mm day−1). The turfgrass and nitrogen‐efficient lawn returned ∼35% of the water inputs as groundwater recharge while maintaining relatively low nitrogen leaching (3.6 and 2.7 kg ha−1 NO3‐N year−1, respectively), making these landscapes efficient for protecting both water quality and quantity.

Multidimensional Assessment of the Aesthetic Quality of Natural Landscapes in Mount Wuyi National Park, China

Natural landscapes are scenic complexes accessible to the public within national parks. Exploring their aesthetic quality can promote an emotional connection between the public and the landscape, which has a positive significance in enhancing human well-being. In this study, Mount Wuyi National Park in China was considered as the study area, and key dimensions tailored to individual and combined natural landscapes for aesthetic quality evaluation were proposed. Seventeen landscape metrics were selected to comprehensively measure the aesthetic quality level of the natural landscapes within the study area. The results indicated that (1) the spatial distribution of 341 individual natural landscapes exhibited a pattern of denser concentration in the south and east, with a relatively sparse distribution in the north and west. (2) Based on the elements of land cover, vegetation, topography, and landforms, 41 types of combined natural landscapes were identified in Mount Wuyi National Park. (3) Southeastern natural landscapes possess significant advantages in aesthetic service provision, uniqueness, diversity, combination, and coordination, and are concentrated in natural landscapes of high aesthetic quality. Natural landscapes of moderate aesthetic quality were distributed across the northern, southwestern, and some parts of the southeastern areas within the study region. The findings provide a reference for aesthetic quality assessment in natural landscapes at the micro-scale and serve as a basis for the scientific management of natural landscapes in national parks.

Foraging distance distributions reveal how honeybee waggle dance recruitment varies with landscape

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies use a unique collective foraging system, the waggle dance, to communicate and process the location of resources. Here, we present a means to quantify the effect of recruitment on colony forager allocation across the landscape by simply observing the waggle dance on the dancefloor. We show first, through a theoretical model, that recruitment leaves a characteristic imprint on the distance distribution of foraging sites that a colony visits, which varies according to the proportion of trips driven by individual search. Next, we fit this model to the real-world empirical distance distribution of forage sites visited by 20 honeybee colonies in urban and rural landscapes across South East England, obtained via dance decoding. We show that there is considerable variation in the use of dancing information in colony foraging, particularly in agri-rural landscapes. In our dataset, reliance on dancing increases as arable land gives way to built-up areas, suggesting that dancing may have the greatest impact on colony foraging in the complex and heterogeneous landscapes of forage-rich urban areas. Our model provides a tool to assess the relevance of this extraordinary behaviour across modern anthropogenic landscape types.

Hessische Rhön – mountain grassland, rough grazing and their birds

Hessische Rhön – mountain grassland, rough grazing and their birds The project is particularly dedicated to conservation and development measures for the species-rich mountain grassland and the protection of endangered bird species in open areas of the Hessian low mountain ranges of the Rhön. By implementing different types of landscape maintaining measures in close cooperation with local farmers and municipalities valuable habitats in the Natura 2000 protected area network were substantially improved.

Landscape architecture as democratic practice: learning from participatory methods and motivations in community-engaged design

To guide and advance participatory and democratic landscape architecture practice, this study investigates the participatory methods and motivations of community-engaged design (CED) practice aligned with the principles of democratic professionalism (DP). A content analysis of semi-structured interviews with 17 experienced scholar-professionals in landscape architecture and related professions whose praxis is rooted in participatory principles (1) identified a toolbox of essential task-sharing methods and strategies based on typical landscape architecture project stages (site analysis/data collection, planning and design, and implementation and post-implementation), and two key themes—relationship-building and communication, and (2) found the principal motivations driving democratic design practices to be empowerment and advocacy, community engagement ethics, and democratising professional paradigm. Task-sharing approaches identified in landscape architecture practice exemplify how DP values can be embedded in all phases of a CED project. This study also affirms the position that landscape architecture as a profession has the potential to advance DP.

Rainfall water collection and irrigation via stone bud and karren on karst rocky desertification slopes: Application and benefit analysis

Lack of surface water is a key factor leading to agricultural drought in karst regions and exacerbates the karst rocky desertification, which is characterized by high rate of exposed bedrock. With the characteristics of impermeability, runoff collection, and wide distribution, stone bud and karren (SBK), a unique karst landscape type composed of exposed bedrock and gullies, has a great potential to solve water shortage in agricultural irrigation, especially in the rain-rich karst regions of Guizhou Province, China. Using unmanned aerial vehicle images to identify SBK and measured rainfall–runoff data for validation, we applied SBK as a basic unit to harvest rainfall water on rocky desertification slopes and analyzed the benefits of rainfall water collection and irrigation via SBK. The results showed the following: (1) Karrens on rocky desertification slopes could be identified using a method coupling terrain opening difference and depression filling, and the simulated runoff on SBK could achieved the average NSE and R2 of 0.82 and 0.86, with RMSE and RSR less than 0.03 m3 and 0.51, respectively. (2) The exposed bedrock utilization rate and rainfall water collection coefficient of SBK were 0.62 and 0.55, respectively, such that the area ratio of exposed bedrock to the cultivated land meeting irrigation water demand reached 1:3.1, 1:3.7 and 1:7.0 under 90 %, 80 % and 50 % possibilities of irrigation. (3) Implementing SBK for rainfall water harvesting and irrigation could efficiently avoid crop failure in the karst regions where crops faced drought within only one week after rainfall, and was at an affordable cost to local farmers with limited environmental damage. The use of SBK to harvest rainfall water could also alleviate surface water shortages in karst regions caused by problems such as uneven temporal distribution of rainfall and engineering water shortages. Consequently, SBK demonstrate a strong application potential to alleviate agricultural drought in karst rocky desertification regions.

Distribution and landscape patterns of cultural heritage in monastic settlements on the Western Sichuan plateau: A case study of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

The cultural heritage of temples represents a visible achievement of civilization, engraved on the Chinese land. The unique geographical and cultural resources of the Western Sichuan plateau have given rise to numerous distinctive Tibetan Buddhist temple communities. This study focuses on the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture as a representative case, defining the research scope, area, boundaries, and landscape types based on land use and land cover data. Using ArcGIS and Fragstats, the study analyzed the generation and distribution of temple-related cultural heritage, as well as the composition characteristics of various landscape patches. The landscape pattern indices were calculated to examine the spatial arrangement and relationships between different landscape patch types. Furthermore, the research explored the pattern and fundamental characteristics of the landscape associated with temple communities. The findings offer theoretical insights into the protection, development, and spatial management of temple cultural heritage on the Western Sichuan plateau.

Predicting Fractional Shrub Cover in Heterogeneous Mediterranean Landscapes Using Machine Learning and Sentinel-2 Imagery

Wildfires pose a growing threat to Mediterranean ecosystems. This study employs advanced classification techniques for shrub fractional cover mapping from satellite imagery in a fire-prone landscape in Quinta da França (QF), Portugal. The study area is characterized by fine-grained heterogeneous land cover and a Mediterranean climate. In this type of landscape, shrub encroachment after land abandonment and wildfires constitutes a threat to ecosystem resilience—in particular, by increasing the susceptibility to more frequent and large fires. High-resolution mapping of shrub cover is, therefore, an important contribution to landscape management for fire prevention. Here, a 20 cm resolution land cover map was used to label 10 m Sentinel-2 pixels according to their shrub cover percentage (three categories: 0%, >0%–50%, and >50%) for training and testing. Three distinct algorithms, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Random Forest (RF), were tested for this purpose. RF excelled, achieving the highest precision (82%–88%), recall (77%–92%), and F1 score (83%–88%) across all categories (test and validation sets) compared to SVM and ANN, demonstrating its superior ability to accurately predict shrub fractional cover. Analysis of confusion matrices revealed RF’s superior ability to accurately predict shrub fractional cover (higher true positives) with fewer misclassifications (lower false positives and false negatives). McNemar’s test indicated statistically significant differences (p value < 0.05) between all models, consolidating RF’s dominance. The development of shrub fractional cover maps and derived map products is anticipated to leverage key information to support landscape management, such as for the assessment of fire hazard and the more effective planning of preventive actions.

A method for evaluating the visual quality of wetland park landscapes: a case study of qianlu lake wetland park in Wuping, China

Wetland parks are an important part of urban ecosystems, characterized by artificial and natural features. While providing outdoor recreational space for urban residents, the aesthetics of the landscape also affect residents’ willingness to visit the wetland park. Previous studies of wetland parks focused on the ecological benefit. However, fewer systematic studies analyzed the aesthetic qualities and influencing elements of wetland parks. In this study, the Wuping Qianlu Lake Wetland Park in Fujian Province, China was used to evaluate the landscape visual quality of the wetland park using the the Scenic Beauty Estimation method (SBE), and the landscape features of the wetland park were obtained through the Semantic Differential (SD) method and semantic segmentation technique. The regression model of landscape visual quality and landscape features in wetland parks was established using SBE values as the dependent variable, and 23 landscape features as independent variables. The SBE values and accessibility were also combined to create four quadrants, which were combined with K-means clustering to diagnose existing problems. The results of the study showed that two landscape features, approach and proportion of water area were weaker among the four types of wetland park landscapes. The SBE values of the man-made landscape type were the most significant. Meanwhile, the high enclosure landscape type had a significant sense of rusticity, accentuating the wildness of the plants. It was less aesthetically pleasing and had the poorest landscape visual quality of the four types. This study provides a systematic method for diagnosing landscape problems in wetland parks, evaluating landscape visual quality assessment, and providing theoretical and technical support for urban wetland park renewal and construction.

Spatial distribution and risk assessment of mercury in soils over the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the highest and most pristine plateaus in the world, and its ecological environment has a significant impact on global climate and the distribution of water resources. Mercury (Hg), as a toxic metal pollutant, can have a severe impact on the health of living organisms and the ecosystem due to its presence in the environment. This study collected 336 soil samples from 28 sites across four typical surface vegetation landscapes (meadow, grassland, desert, and forest) on the Tibetan Plateau to measure soil THg (Total Hg) concentrations. The research aimed to explore the factors influencing soil THg levels, analyze pollution and environmental risks of THg in the surface soil, and evaluate the associated health risks to the local population. The results indicate that the mean soil THg concentration (31.84 ± 32.58 ng·g−1) of this study is compared to the background value of THg in Tibetan Plateau soils (37.0 ng·g−1), but there are significant differences in THg concentration among soils with different surface vegetation landscapes. The mean THg concentration in soils of forest vegetation types (74.42 ± 41.19 ng·g−1) is approximately twice the background value of Tibetan Plateau soils. In the forested regions of the southeastern, eastern, and southern Tibetan Plateau, soil concentrations of total mercury are relatively high, whereas in the desert areas of the northern, northwestern, and northeastern Tibetan Plateau, the concentrations are lower. Organic matter (soil organic carbon) being an important factor influencing the soil THg. Based on existing surface soil THg data from this and previous research in Tibetan Plateau (n = 477), 34.2 % of the samples show Hg pollution and potential ecological risks. However, the health risks of soil Hg to both adults and children are not significant.

ОЦЕНКА СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ЛАНДШАФТНОЙ СТРУКТУРЫ ЗАПАДНО-КАЗАХСТАНСКОГО РЕГИОНА

The article presents an assessment of the modern landscape structure of the Western Kazakhstan region, based on the developed map of modern landscapes, made at a scale of 1:1 500,000. Based on the assessment, it was established that in the landscape structure of the entire region, the largest areas are occupied by landscape types of elevated stratal plains (17.8 % of the region’s area) and structural plateaus (14.6 %). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of landscape structure and assessment of dynamic trends in landscape transformation made it possible to establish that within the steppe and dry-steppe zones of the studied region, anthropogenically transformed natural-territorial complexes (NTC) take place in almost all identified types of landscapes and occupy 51.2 and 42.6 % of the NTC area in ​​these zones. Within the natural complexes of semi-arid and arid natural zones, 29.9 and 23.2 % of their area are anthropogenically transformed. On the basis of the regional assessment of the modern landscape structure, environmental standards for anthropogenic loads and approaches to organizing a system of rational environmental management, aimed at the sustainable functioning of natural and economic systems, are developed.

Where to fly? Landscape influences on the movement and spatial ecology of a threatened apex predator

Effectively managing apex predators in human-modified landscapes poses considerable challenges. Habitat fragmentation disperses resources across wider expanses and undermines the ability of apex predators to reach isolated habitat patches as they traverse multi-tenured landscapes comprising unsuitable habitat. Understanding a species response to landscape configuration is key to informing effective management strategies, particularly for threatened, mobile and ecologically important species like apex predators. Here we use GPS tracking data collected from 37 powerful owls (Ninox strenua), an Australian threatened apex predator that occurs across the urban-agricultural-forest gradient, to investigate how landscape characteristics influence their spatial and movement behaviour. We demonstrate that as habitat fragmentation increases, the spatial requirements of powerful owls expand, their home-range shape becomes more intricate and individuals travel further each night, significantly adjusting their movement behaviours and spatial configurations to connect remaining habitat. Landscapes with unified and connected habitats, on the other hand, have smaller spatial requirements, likely due to greater habitat availability that minimises competition for essential resources. This facilitates the establishment of smaller home-ranges and consequently, the occurrence of more territories. Interestingly, landscape characteristics did not influence sequential nightly visitation behaviour, suggesting that powerful owls across all landscape types visit different portions of their home-range each night to exert an unpredictable hunting strategy regardless of local landscape conditions. Our research highlights the importance of integrating the influence of local landscape features and visitation behaviours into decision-making processes. This integration is crucial for informing effective conservation strategies aimed at supporting apex predator survival in disturbed landscapes.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals heterogeneity of ALI model and epithelial cell alterations after exposure to electronic cigarette aerosol

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been advertised as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes; however, their exact effects on the bronchial epithelium are poorly understood. Air-liquid interface culture human bronchial epithelium (ALI-HBE) contains various cell types, including basal cell, ciliated cell and secretory cell, providing an in vitro model that simulates the biological characteristics of normal bronchial epithelium. Multiplex single-cell RNA sequencing of ALI-HBE was used to reveal previously unrecognized transcriptional heterogeneity within the human bronchial epithelium and cell type–specific responses to acute exposure to e-cigarette aerosol (e-aerosol) containing distinct components (nicotine and/or flavoring). The findings of our study show that nicotine-containing e-aerosol affected gene expression related to transformed basal cells into secretory cells after acute exposure; inhibition of secretory cell function by down-regulating genes related to epithelial cell differentiation, calcium ion binding, extracellular exosomes, and secreted proteins; and enhanced interaction between secretory cells and other cells. On the other hand, flavoring may alter the growth pattern of epithelial cells and make basal cells more susceptible to SARS-CoV infection. Besides, the data also indicate factors that may promote SARS-CoV-2 infection and suggest therapeutic targets for restoring normal bronchial epithelium function after e-cigarette use. In summary, the current study offered fresh perspectives on alterations in the cellular landscape and cell type–specific responses in human bronchial epithelium that are brought about by e-cigarette use.

Analysis of changes and driving forces of landscape pattern vulnerability at Qianping Reservoir in Central China.

Reservoir projects often have significant impacts on ecosystems. The resulting environmental problems hinder the ecologically sustainable development of project areas. Research focusing on landscape pattern vulnerability could shed light on ecological restoration in disturbed sites. However, few studies have specifically examined reservoir areas in this context. This study investigates the spatial distribution characteristics, change rules, spatial autocorrelation, and driving forces of landscape pattern vulnerability in the Qianping Reservoir area (3859.16 hm2) from 2000 to 2020 using land use data. The findings reveal several key points: (1) Over the study period, cultivated land, grassland, and forest land are the key landscape types, covering more than 90% of the area. Cultivated land decreased by 481.57 hm2 as other land use types expanded. (2) Vulnerability remained stable in the first decade but sharply increased from 2010 to 2020, showing a trend of spatial aggregation. Reservoir construction and simultaneous ecological restoration efforts led to shifts in vulnerability zones across the landscape. (3) Spatial distribution of landscape pattern vulnerability shows a positive correlation, which strengthened by 2020 compared to earlier years. (4) Man-made factors, particularly land use changes, significantly influence landscape pattern vulnerability, with their impact growing over time. These findings not only provide a scientific basis for ecological restoration and landscape reconstruction in the Qianping Reservoir area but also offer insights applicable to similar environments. Overall, this study enhances theoretical understanding of reservoir landscape pattern vulnerability and contributes valuable perspectives on ecological restoration strategies for reservoir areas.

Evaluation and Optimization of Landscape Spatial Patterns and Ecosystem Services in the Northern Agro-Pastoral Ecotone, China

The alteration of landscape spatial patterns (LSPs) and ecosystem services (ESs) in watersheds can have detrimental effects on the local environment and community. However, a comprehensive understanding of the current state of LSPs and ESs in watersheds around Winter Olympic venues in China is limited. Here, we assessed current LSPs and ESs and developed optimization strategies for the Xigou watershed around Winter Olympic venues in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone of China. The results indicated that the main land use type was grassland in the Xigou watershed, and landscape types were relatively homogenous. All three ESs (water yield, sediment retention, and carbon storage) generally improved from 2004 to 2020. For ESs, there was the lowest total volume of water yield in 2004 (637.44 × 104 m3). But sediment retention (10.54 × 106 t, 18.13 × 106 t, 13.28 × 106 t, and 16.85 × 106 t) had an upward, then downward, then upward trend before and after ERP. Carbon storage grew steadily. Correlation analysis suggested that the three ESs were closely related to the landscape spatial indices of average patch area (AREA_MN), contagion index (CONTAG), and Shannon’s evenness index (SHEI). AREA_MN, CONTAG, and SHEI in the eastern part of the study area promoted sediment retention and carbon storage, while in the southwestern part of the study area, they inhibited water yield and sediment retention. The results suggest that improving sediment retention by optimizing land use and cover change (LUCC) and LSPs is the main approach to further enhance ESs in the study area. Our study suggests that the inclusion of multiple landscape pattern indices can provide a more comprehensive representation of regional ecosystem service.

Landscape Dynamics and Environmental Fragility Zoning in Hinh River Basin: Insights for protecting natural ecosystems

The landscapes in the Hinh River Basin are crucial and highly sensitive to climate change for the coastal province of Phu Yen and the entire south-central coastal region of Vietnam, offering vital environmental services to its downstream areas. Hinh River Basin has a rich system of rivers and streams and abundant surface water resources. However, it remains one of the region's top localities at risk and a very vulnerable region. This study aims to evaluate the changes in landscape (LC) over 10 years (2010-2023) and predict LC over the next six years using machine-learning (ML) algorithms on Google Earth Engine. To achieve these study goals, we establish: (i) potential environmental fragility (PEF) levels based on: terrain slope; geological domains; river hierarchy; percentage of sand in soil; annual mean precipitations; and (ii) emergent environmental fragility (EEF) levels through the addition of LC parameter to model. The methodology includes integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) into a Geographic Information System (GIS). Results show that three LC types (water, annual industrial crop, forest) are related to extremely high EEF. The predictive model suggests that, by 2030, the forest and annual industrial crop LCs in the study area will increase by around 20%. The analysis results show that there has been an increase in the area of planted forests, which can confirm the futher effectiveness of agricultural, forestry, afforestation and forest protection programmes in the study area (Plan for the implementation of forestry development strategy for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Phu Yen Province, No 126/KH-UBND 13/7/2021; and Decision on the approval of the project for planting 15 million trees in Phu Yen Province for the period 2021-2025, No 1646/QĐ-UBND 16/11/2021).

Impact of Typical Land Use Expansion Induced by Ecological Restoration and Protection Projects on Landscape Patterns

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes driven by ecological restoration and protection projects play a pivotal role in reshaping landscape patterns. However, the specific impacts of these projects on landscape structure remain understudied. In this research, we applied geographically weighted regression (GWR) to analyze the spatial relationships between typical land use expansion and landscape pattern characteristics in the Lesser Khingan Mountains–Sanjiang Plain region between 2017 and 2022. Our results indicate three key findings: (1) Significant spatial heterogeneity exists in the relationship between landscape patterns and land use expansion, which varies across geographic locations; (2) Ecological restoration projects generally reduce fragmentation, dominance, and heterogeneity while enhancing connectivity, particularly in forest and farmland regions. However, excessive land use expansion in certain areas may reverse these positive effects; (3) Landscape complexity increases in high-altitude mountainous regions due to land use expansion but decreases in plains, particularly in forest-to-farmland conversions. These findings provide new insights into how landscape patterns respond to ecological restoration efforts and offer actionable guidance for improving future land use planning and policy decisions. Our study highlights the need to consider local geomorphological factors when designing ecological projects, ensuring that restoration efforts align with regional landscape dynamics to maintain landscape integrity.

Patch shape, connectivity and functional groups moderate the responses of bird diversity to agricultural diversification — A meta-analysis

Agricultural expansion and intensification pose significant threats to global biodiversity. However, the conservation of agricultural biodiversity is essential for harmonizing agricultural production with ecological sustainability. Agricultural diversification can mitigate the negative impacts of agriculture on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Characteristics of the broader landscape may also play an important moderating role in diversified agricultural landscapes, but are not fully solved. To bridge this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies to compare bird abundance and species richness in diversified agricultural landscapes compared to those in simplified farmlands and natural landscapes. We also explored the moderating role of species functional groups and 11 metrics of landscape composition, configuration and heterogeneity. We found a generally positive effect of perimeter-to-area ratio of farmland patches, connectivity within farmland patches, and connectivity within patches of natural and semi-natural habitats on bird abundance and species richness. Responses to other landscape metrics were less consistent. For pollinators, the abundance was higher in diversified agricultural landscapes compared to control groups, and particularly when compared to natural landscapes. For natural enemies, the species richness was significantly lower in diversified agricultural landscapes than in natural landscapes, while their abundance was not. The overall abundance and species richness of granivores and frugivores in diversified agricultural landscapes were comparable to those in control landscapes. These results indicated landscape type of control groups, species functional groups, and their interactions had consistent impacts on the responses of bird diversity. We found a vital role of farmland patch shape and connectivity within farmland and habitat patches for bird conservation in diversified agricultural landscapes, which has been rarely reported in previous studies. These insights underscore the need for policymakers and managers to develop farmland management and planning strategies at multiple scales to fulfill growing human demands while achieving biodiversity conservation objectives.

Harmony in Nature: Exploring the Multisensory Impact of Classical Gardens on Individuals' Well-Being.

Objectives: Chinese classical gardens, designated as a vital world cultural heritage, embody a lasting legacy transcending generation. Despite the cultural importance of these gardens, a notable research gap exists in deciphering the nuanced emotional and physiological responses triggered by individual elements within classical garden landscapes. Our research question aims to uncover the specific emotional and physiological impacts of key garden elements-plants, architecture, waterscape, and rockery-on visitors, with a particular focus on the Humble Administrator's Garden. These elements serve as the primary subjects for video capture at four sites. Study Design: A within-subject design experiment was used. Methods: Videos were recorded at these sites, encompassing visual, auditory, and tactile elements. Ninety-five participants watched these videos in an indoor setting. While viewing, we measured participants' physiological responses, including heart rate variability, skin conductance, and skin temperature, will be monitored alongside subjective assessments obtained through self-reported questionnaires such as the Emotional Perception Scale and State-Trait Anxiety Scale. Results: Findings suggest that while all landscape types evoke positive emotions, natural elements exert a more profound influence. Additionally, the Large Rockery emerges as a focal point, indicating enhanced emotional relaxation through auditory and tactile stimuli, particularly among younger individuals. Conclusions: This research contributes to the broader understanding of how classical gardens impact human emotions and well-being, offering insights that can inform future landscape design and promote mental health in diverse cultural contexts.