Research On Forest Landscape Pattern And Aesthetic Quality Evaluation

In this paper, the forest landscape of Tianxing Mountain National Forest Park was regarded as the object of study. Using the remote sensing images in 1994,2003 and 2013, combining with the data of research area and the plot survey findings, the forest landscape pattern and its dynamic change in nearly 20 years are analyzed on patch scales, patch shapes and landscape heterogeneity. Simultaneously, the forest landscape aesthetic quality of the research area is assessed by SBE method, and the relationship between forest landscape elements and the aesthetic quality is analyzed in order to provide a scientific basis for forest planning and managing. The main conclusions are as follows:(1)In Longjingguqiao, the broad-leaved forest is the dominant landscape type, it has continuous distribution and good connectivity.Pinus massoniana, mixed needle and Chinese fir forest indicate an unstable condition with complex patch shape, highly heterogeneity and dispersed patch distribution. Economic forest, bamboo and non-forest have low contribution rate. By human disturbance, the patch shape is neat, and the fragmentation degree is relatively low. The landscape heterogeneity of the scenic spot is medium level, landscape types are relatively abundant.In Xianshansonghai, Pinus taiwanensis has the biggest area and is the mainly substrate. Pinus massoniana and broad-leaved forest accounted for comparatively large percent, indicate complex patch shape with dispersed patch distribution and highly fragmented. Rangeland and bamboo scattered and have simple patch shape, non-forest is the most simple landscape in patch shape, highly polymerized and low heterogeneity. In general, the landscape types are relatively abundant, distribution more uniform and higher fragmented when compared with Longjingguqiao.(2)Dynamic analysis of forest landscape pattern show that each landscape elements changed.In Longjingguqiao, the scale of broad-leaved forest and Pinus massoniana reduced and the degree of heterogeneity turns to be lower. Mixed needle and Chinese fir forest have an increased area, degree of aggregation increases and the landscape patches tend to accumulated. Patch shape of bamboo and economic forest become complicated and scattered. The area of non-forest shows a declined trend. Overall, the landscape reduces the overall degree of fragmentation, the Shannon’s Diversity Index and Shannon’s Evenness Index indicate a rising trend, species diversity is richer and the landscape patches become uniformity.In Xianshansonghai, the scale of rangeland and non-forest has reduced, the patch shape turns to be more regular and the fragmentation degree decreased. The rest of the landscape types have different degrees of increase. Patch shape of Pinus taiwanensis become regular, broad-leaved forest, Pinus massoniana and bamboo turn to be more complicated on the contrary. On the whole, the heterogeneity of each landscape type does not change significantly, the Shannon’s Diversity Index and Shannon’s Evenness Index has fallen slightly and the landscape heterogeneity decreased.(3)According to the aesthetic evaluation of landscape, the scenic beauty sequence of forest landscape types is Pinus taiwanensis>broad-leaved forest>mixed needle> bamboo>rangeland>Pinus massoniana>Chinese fir.(4)The multivariate linear model between forest landscape elements and the aesthetic quality shows that the main element affecting the aesthetic quality of forest landscape is coverage of undergrowth, then, in turn, is visibility, the form of trunks, height of undergrowth, unithood of undergrowth, color variation, natural pruning and canopy density. Trunk straight, undergrowth unified, plentiful color variation, better natural pruning do good to scenic beauty, while coverage of undergrowth, visibility, undergrowth height and canopy density should be neither too high nor too low.