463
was polluted. This might not only arouse negative emotions, but also would not be
admired aesthetically. In general, the public may not so care about the future of the
wetland. Overall, ecological aesthetics were clearly a main influential factor on wetland conservation.
15.4 Landscape Perception and Aesthetics of Coastal
Wetlands
Many different kinds of classifications have been applied to coastal wetlands. A
landscape is a complex phenomenon, which evolves continuously through time and
space. A coastal wetland landscape is formed by a combination of physical features
of the environment, such as tide, current, and waves etc., which determine the geomorphology, vegetation, habitats, and related to biological characters. Coastal wetlands greatly vary in landscape. Landscape perception is the interaction of humans
and the landscape. One conceptualization of landscape perception is a full range of
landscape experiences for people that can lead to the attribution of meaning and the
valuing of specific landscapes.
In general, coastal wetlands are low-lying areas, periodically flooded by tidal
waters for varying lengths of time (Tiner 1993), covered by vegetation of different
heights, and configured to make landscape room (human’s perceptual unit), which
has a deep stake in the overview and visibility of the coastal wetland landscape and
relates to human landscape preference. Hydrology, landform, vegetation cover, etc.
are all concerns for the visible area of a waterbody. Water has long been recognized
as an important element in landscape preference, particularly regarding water quality and visible area. More importantly, how water relates to the sustainability of a
wetland has affected how people approach recreational activities at the shoreline.
Substrate material is affected by seafloor slope; generally consists of mud, sand,
gravel, or cobbles; and not only determines the characteristics and functions of a
coastal wetland, but also affects recreational activities undertaken by people.
When people go into a landscape, the experience of overall landscape context
and composition draw out scenic beauty value and emotional reactions. A coastal
wetland landscape contains a variety of environmental features; vegetation cover,
substrate, and the visibility of water, etc. all of which contribute to the overall scene
and create different aesthetic values and emotional arousals.
The landscape of a coastal wetland is categorized as follows from water to land:
intertidal shore, emergent wetland, scrub-shrub wetland, and forest wetland. These
four not only differ in ecology and habitat, but also in landscape and aesthetic perception and recreational activities. People perceive the openness, complexity, visual
penetration, etc. as considerably varied for these four types of coastal wetland
landscapes. According to Kaplan’s (Kaplan et al. 1998) preference matrix concept,
the environmental information of these four types of wetlands that serve the people
by letting them understand or explore the coastal wetland are different, too. Details
of these wetlands are explained further below and are shown in Table 15.2.
15 Ecological Aesthetics Perspective for Coastal Wetland Conservation
was polluted. This might not only arouse negative emotions, but also would not be
admired aesthetically. In general, the public may not so care about the future of the
wetland. Overall, ecological aesthetics were clearly a main influential factor on wetland conservation.
15.4 Landscape Perception and Aesthetics of Coastal
Wetlands
Many different kinds of classifications have been applied to coastal wetlands. A
landscape is a complex phenomenon, which evolves continuously through time and
space. A coastal wetland landscape is formed by a combination of physical features
of the environment, such as tide, current, and waves etc., which determine the geomorphology, vegetation, habitats, and related to biological characters. Coastal wetlands greatly vary in landscape. Landscape perception is the interaction of humans
and the landscape. One conceptualization of landscape perception is a full range of
landscape experiences for people that can lead to the attribution of meaning and the
valuing of specific landscapes.
In general, coastal wetlands are low-lying areas, periodically flooded by tidal
waters for varying lengths of time (Tiner 1993), covered by vegetation of different
heights, and configured to make landscape room (human’s perceptual unit), which
has a deep stake in the overview and visibility of the coastal wetland landscape and
relates to human landscape preference. Hydrology, landform, vegetation cover, etc.
are all concerns for the visible area of a waterbody. Water has long been recognized
as an important element in landscape preference, particularly regarding water quality and visible area. More importantly, how water relates to the sustainability of a
wetland has affected how people approach recreational activities at the shoreline.
Substrate material is affected by seafloor slope; generally consists of mud, sand,
gravel, or cobbles; and not only determines the characteristics and functions of a
coastal wetland, but also affects recreational activities undertaken by people.
When people go into a landscape, the experience of overall landscape context
and composition draw out scenic beauty value and emotional reactions. A coastal
wetland landscape contains a variety of environmental features; vegetation cover,
substrate, and the visibility of water, etc. all of which contribute to the overall scene
and create different aesthetic values and emotional arousals.
The landscape of a coastal wetland is categorized as follows from water to land:
intertidal shore, emergent wetland, scrub-shrub wetland, and forest wetland. These
four not only differ in ecology and habitat, but also in landscape and aesthetic perception and recreational activities. People perceive the openness, complexity, visual
penetration, etc. as considerably varied for these four types of coastal wetland
landscapes. According to Kaplan’s (Kaplan et al. 1998) preference matrix concept,
the environmental information of these four types of wetlands that serve the people
by letting them understand or explore the coastal wetland are different, too. Details
of these wetlands are explained further below and are shown in Table 15.2.
15 Ecological Aesthetics Perspective for Coastal Wetland Conservation