Mediating effect on landscape experience in scenic area: a case study in Gulangyu Island, Xiamen City

ABSTRACT

Landsenses ecology emphasizes people’s comprehensive physical senses and holistic psychological perception in ecosystem, as well as their relationships. It elevates the significance of people’s perception characteristics in ecosystem and land-use planning and management to a new level. Taking Gulangyu (Kulangsu) Island in Xiamen City as an example, the study focused on the relationships among different landsenses experience indicators, in terms of satisfaction degree of visual perception, auditory perception and service provision. Especially, the mediating effect of service provision in the relationship between visual and auditory perception was analysed. The results indicated that significant relationships existed among most of the landsenses experience indicators, indicating a complex status of people’s overall landsenses experience. Besides, mediating effects were detected in service provision indicators, in this case, catering and recreational facilities. Specifically, catering experience showed mediating effect in the relationships between sculpture and each of the four auditory perception indicators, i.e., pleasant, comfort, harmony and vivid soundscape, with comfort soundscape the highest one (λ = 13.87%). Recreational facilities experience showed mediating effect in the relationships between natural scenery and each of the four auditory perception indicators, also with comfort soundscape the highest one (λ = 15.64%). The mediating effect verified again the integration characteristics of physical senses and psychological perceptions in landsenses experience, which should be further explored in relation to landsenses planning, design and management of scenic areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Mediating effect
• visual perception
• service provision
• auditory perception
• soundscape
• scenic area
• landsenses ecology

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Fujian Provincial Department of Science & Technology under Grant (2017J01694); the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant (51508101); Guangdong Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences “13th Five-Year Plan” Planning Co-construction Project (GD17XTQ02), and Special Innovation Projects in Guangdong Province (2017WTSCX002).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology [2017J01694]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [51508101]; Special Innovation Projects in Guangdong Province [2017WTSCX002]; Guangdong Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences ‘13th Five-Year Plan’ Planning Co-construction Project [GD17XTQ02].