Nicole Bauer

Health Benefits of Nature Experience: Psychological, Social and Cultural Processes

In this chapter we consider how experiences of nature can affect human health and well-being. We first address the matter of ‘what has been’; that is, we sketch the development of theory and research concerned with health benefits of natural environments, from ancient times to the current situation. This shows the current research to be a recent expression of a number of long-running, intertwined, social and cultural processes. We then discuss ‘where we are now’; that is, we overview current theories and related research concerning processes through which nature experience might provide health benefits. These processes concern environmental preferences, psychological restoration, and learning and personal development. Finally, we consider ‘where we are going’; that is, we consider some additional directions for research and we identify some issues that research will have to address in the foreseeable future.

Evaluation of Landscape Change by Different Social Groups Results of Two Empirical Studies in Switzerland

Abstract Landscape is an important resource for mountain regions, particularly for tourism. Guiding future landscape development is necessary to meet the expectations of mountain inhabitants, tourists, and the general public outside mountain areas. The studies presented here show how different societal groups perceive past and future landscape changes in the Alps. The results reveal that it is not landscape change per se that is assessed as good or bad, it is the (related) change in the meaning of the landscape elements that leads to positive or negative assessments. There is a surprisingly broad consensus among different social groups regarding major landscape developments. However, there are also significant and relevant differences between these groups, eg between people living inside and outside the Alps, and between lay people and experts. Both conflicting and compatible views about landscape change are key elements in landscape planning.

Selection criteria for flagship species by conservation organizations

Flagship species are among key marketing tools used by conservation organizations to motivate public support, but are often selected in an ad hoc, rather than systematic, manner. Furthermore, it is unclear whether selected flagship species do motivate public support. This paper describes a multi-method exploratory study, carried out in Switzerland, which aimed to determine the selection criteria for flagship species and measure whether a species selected according to these criteria was able to motivate support. Fourteen representatives of international, regional and local conservation organizations were interviewed and the selection criteria for their flagship species were identified. A charismatic species (the great spotted woodpecker) that meets these criteria and an apparently less charismatic species (the clover stem weevil) were selected as treatments in a quantitative experiment with 900 respondents. Using conjoint analysis, it was found that both charismatic and uncharismatic species have the ability to positively influence public preferences for habitat variables that encourage biodiversity in urban landscapes. These results may be used by conservation organizations to assist in the selection of flagship species, and in particular for flagship species that are intended to perform a specific conservation function.

Cultural and Biological Determinants in the Evaluation of Urban Green Spaces

Dramatically increasing urbanization is observable worldwide and brings pressure on space within urban areas as the built environment intensifies. Considerable evidence suggests that contact with nature is important for city dwellers, although it is not known whether residents’ appreciation of the forms of urban green spaces is constant across different contexts. More specifically, it has not yet been shown whether our appreciation of nature is innate and inherently human, is cultural and something that we learn, or is a mixture of both. This article describes an exploratory study consisting of 17 interviews carried out in Zurich, Switzerland. Kelly’s repertory grid technique is used to identify preferred urban landscapes, which were contrasted with identified rejected landscapes. Principle components analysis and multidimensional scaling reveal a clear separation of cultural and biological modes of landscape assessment in some respondents. The research contributes to an understanding of the meanings of urban green spaces, which would in turn provide planners with a tool to match urban natural resource management with the needs of residents.

Psychosocial Outcomes as Motivations for Visiting Nearby Urban Green Spaces

High-density urban living means that urban green spaces are important nodes of contact with nature. This study examines expected outcomes that motivate people to seek green spaces in urban settings. A sample of Swiss residents were presented with Shin, Kwon, Hammitt, and Kims (2005) psychosocial outcomes scale and asked which activities they choose to undertake in nearby natural areas. The most important motivations for visiting nearby green spaces were related to restoration, with social bonding as a desirable side benefit. There were few observable differences between urban and rural residents and level of education attained. Older people are motivated to visit nearby green spaces by the wish to seek social contact while younger people are motivated by the wish to seek escape and to reflect. This study contributes to the understanding of the psychosocial outcomes that residents expect from engaging in an activity in an urban green space.

A model integrating social-cultural concepts of nature into frameworks of interaction between social and natural systems

Existing frameworks for analysing interactions between social and natural systems (e.g. Social-Ecological Systems framework, Ecosystem Services concept) do not sufficiently consider and operationalize the dynamic interactions between peoples values, attitudes and understandings of the human-nature relationship at both individual and collective levels. We highlight the relevance of individual and collective understandings of the human-nature relationship as influencing factors for environmental behaviour, which may be reflected in natural resource management conflicts, and review the diversity of existing social-cultural concepts, frameworks and associated research methods. Particular emphasis is given to the context-sensitivity of social-cultural concepts in decision-making. These aspects are translated into a conceptual model aiming not to replace but to expand and enhance existing frameworks. Integrating this model into existing frameworks provides a tool for the exploration of how social-cultural concepts of nature interact with existing contexts to influence governance of social-ecological systems.

Constructing urban green spaces: an application of Kelly’s repertory grid

Purpose – Urban green spaces are valuable to residents for a variety of reasons and some degree of management is needed to ensure at least their preservation, if not enhancement, in a rapidly urbanising society. Intensification of the urban environment brings pressure upon the undeveloped spaces within a city and an understanding of the needs of residents is needed if green spaces are to be managed in alignment with their wishes, so that changes will be accepted. However, gaining such an understanding of the complex relationships between people and their environment is difficult. Constructs may exist that researcher, respondent, or both have not yet articulated. This paper sets out to address this issue.Design/methodology/approach – The repertory grid method is described as an approach that addresses this problem by researcher and respondent collectively, creating a survey instrument, which the respondent then completes.Findings – The repertory grid technique was applied in Zurich and revealed a surprisin...

Attitudes towards nature, wilderness and protected areas: a way to sustainable stewardship in the South-Western Carpathians

The acceptance and support by those who live in and around the largest remaining wilderness of Europe is very important for the success of a planned network of designated wilderness areas that should preserve the areas wilderness values. A standardised questionnaire was administered in person to 322 local residents. A cluster analysis revealed two human–nature relationship types: traditional nature users and progressive nature friends, which differ significantly in their feelings towards wilderness and attitude towards protected areas. The generally positive attitudes towards wilderness and the neutral attitudes towards the existing protected areas are a good starting point for communication about, and establishment of, the wilderness areas. As a quarter of the local population is not aware that they are living in a protected area, they should be informed during information events in the localities about the exact location of the planned wilderness zones and the potential consequences for them.

Effects of garden management practices, by different types of gardeners, on human wellbeing and ecological and soil sustainability in Swiss cities

Gardens have effects on the local ecology as well as on the wellbeing of the gardener, but few studies have attempted to study gardens using both ecological and social outcome variables. The aim of this exploratory study is to address this research gap by identifying the characteristics of gardens and the management practices of gardeners that enhance the outcomes of gardening, which we separate into three dimensions: human wellbeing, biodiversity, and soil quality. Data were collected from 18 gardens in Zurich, Switzerland and a typology of gardeners was identified, which included ‘conservationist’, ‘functional’, ‘minimum effort’, ‘child-friendly’, and ‘aesthetic’ gardeners. The conservationist gardeners were found to have, on average, the highest species richness in their gardens, while the minimum effort gardeners had the lowest, which suggests that some degree of management can enhance species richness. The conservationist and minimum effort gardeners had, on average, the highest values for stable aggregates, while the minimum effort gardeners had the highest phosphorous content in their soil. The wellbeing of the minimum effort gardeners was lower than the other groups, which suggests it is the act of gardening, rather than merely having a garden, which leads to wellbeing outcomes. The results suggest that ecologically friendly gardening is compatible with desired social outcomes and furthermore that the beneficial effects of gardens are indeed related to the practices implemented by the gardeners, which are influenced by their attitudes towards gardening and the role of gardens in their lives.