Wild or tended nature? The effects of landscape location and vegetation density on physiological and psychological responses

Research has demonstrated the positive impacts of contact with nature on people's physiological and psychological health. However, few studies have discussed the effect of vegetation from the perspective of landscape ecology. This study aims to explore people's physiological and psychological responses to varying locations and vegetation density. We recruited 180 participants and randomly assigned them to three locations and three density conditions: forest interior, forest edge, forest exterior, high density, medium density, and low density. We used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor participants' Alpha waves as they watched a slide show using 3D glasses, followed by a Stoop task and a Profile of Mood States questionnaire. Results suggested that the forest interior condition induced significant stress recovery and received the highest preference score, whereas the forest edge was associated with better attention restoration effects. In terms of vegetation density, the high-density group showed better attentional functioning, but the medium vegetation group was more preferred. The results may offer guidance for designers regarding site selection and vegetation arrangement to achieve optimal restorative effects.