456
15.1 Landscape Aesthetics and Coastal Wetland
Conservation
Natural scenes of waterbodies and mountains have been extolled and admired for
thousands of years. However, wetlands are the most misunderstood landscape, often
viewed in the past as wasted land because they are swampy, with bug-infested water.
In Italian, the word for wetland means “bad air” because originally it was believed
that swamp air caused terrible disease. For these reasons, many wetlands worldwide
were drained and filled. Today, anthropogenic activities like as agriculture, commercialization, residential development, road construction, inpoundment, resource
extraction, mining etc. results in continual wetland loss and degradation that can
substantially reduce human well-being (Assessment 2005). The world has lost 64%
of its wetlands since 1900 (Ramsar 2015). Wetlands were the most threatened of all
landscape types, therefore it is important to study ecological aesthetics of wetlands
to develop strategies to conserve them.
The aesthetics of wetlands have long been suspect; people say there is nothing
picturesque in a dismal swamp. Usually, the only thing that might be of interest in
wetlands is the bird population: waterfowl are the redeeming feature of wetlands
(Rolston 2000). Some philosophers have expressed aesthetic appreciation for wetlands. Henry Thoreau (Giblett 1996) and John Muir (Giblett 1996, 2014) noticed
and praised the beauty of wetlands from floral and wildness perspectives. Leopold
studied the evolutionary natural history and ecology of wetlands and found them
aesthetic. Both Callicott (2003) and Rolston (2000) set out to show the diversity and
prolificness of wetland and greatly admired wetlands. For their diversity, dynamic
stability, spontaneity, and life-support capacity, wetlands are a miracle of creation
with marvelous ecosystem aesthetics.
Any fool can appreciate mountain scenery, it takes a man of discernment to appreciate the
fens. (Coles and Coles, 1989 p. 8)
High quality and well-maintained landscapes more accorded with the requirement in increasingly urbanized and industrialized environments. Such landscape
planning, design, management, etc. might establish a desirable relationship between
aesthetics and ecology, because ecology plays an important role in landscape management and sustainability development. Soaring populations is a main impetus of
land requirement and induces global warming and climate change; that makes wetlands protection more and more challenging. Nevertheless, an ecologically aesthetic
landscape is important for ecological conservation and for humankind’s well-being
(Gobster 2010; Gobster et al. 2007; Kovacs et al. 2006; Carlson 2008). The integration of ecology and aesthetic of wetland is needed to improve the awareness of
wetland protection.
Ecologists and environmentalists believe that environmental education could
raise environmental awareness of the public and impel them to take environmental
protection actions, further nudging the ecological environment toward a sustainable
future. Knight’s (2008) research finding showed that when educational and
L. Lee
15.1 Landscape Aesthetics and Coastal Wetland
Conservation
Natural scenes of waterbodies and mountains have been extolled and admired for
thousands of years. However, wetlands are the most misunderstood landscape, often
viewed in the past as wasted land because they are swampy, with bug-infested water.
In Italian, the word for wetland means “bad air” because originally it was believed
that swamp air caused terrible disease. For these reasons, many wetlands worldwide
were drained and filled. Today, anthropogenic activities like as agriculture, commercialization, residential development, road construction, inpoundment, resource
extraction, mining etc. results in continual wetland loss and degradation that can
substantially reduce human well-being (Assessment 2005). The world has lost 64%
of its wetlands since 1900 (Ramsar 2015). Wetlands were the most threatened of all
landscape types, therefore it is important to study ecological aesthetics of wetlands
to develop strategies to conserve them.
The aesthetics of wetlands have long been suspect; people say there is nothing
picturesque in a dismal swamp. Usually, the only thing that might be of interest in
wetlands is the bird population: waterfowl are the redeeming feature of wetlands
(Rolston 2000). Some philosophers have expressed aesthetic appreciation for wetlands. Henry Thoreau (Giblett 1996) and John Muir (Giblett 1996, 2014) noticed
and praised the beauty of wetlands from floral and wildness perspectives. Leopold
studied the evolutionary natural history and ecology of wetlands and found them
aesthetic. Both Callicott (2003) and Rolston (2000) set out to show the diversity and
prolificness of wetland and greatly admired wetlands. For their diversity, dynamic
stability, spontaneity, and life-support capacity, wetlands are a miracle of creation
with marvelous ecosystem aesthetics.
Any fool can appreciate mountain scenery, it takes a man of discernment to appreciate the
fens. (Coles and Coles, 1989 p. 8)
High quality and well-maintained landscapes more accorded with the requirement in increasingly urbanized and industrialized environments. Such landscape
planning, design, management, etc. might establish a desirable relationship between
aesthetics and ecology, because ecology plays an important role in landscape management and sustainability development. Soaring populations is a main impetus of
land requirement and induces global warming and climate change; that makes wetlands protection more and more challenging. Nevertheless, an ecologically aesthetic
landscape is important for ecological conservation and for humankind’s well-being
(Gobster 2010; Gobster et al. 2007; Kovacs et al. 2006; Carlson 2008). The integration of ecology and aesthetic of wetland is needed to improve the awareness of
wetland protection.
Ecologists and environmentalists believe that environmental education could
raise environmental awareness of the public and impel them to take environmental
protection actions, further nudging the ecological environment toward a sustainable
future. Knight’s (2008) research finding showed that when educational and
L. Lee