Conflict between ecological sustainability and environmental aesthetics: Conundrum, canärd or curiosity

A prominent theme in the relatively young field of landscape ecology is the development of an ecological aesthetic. Landscape ecologists and others are concerned with the planning and management of environments for both ecological sustainability and environmental aesthetics. Research and conceptual examples are used in the first part of this paper to illustrate the potential incompatibility of these goals in some situations. Many writers have maintained that densely vegetated wood patches support the diversity of wildlife habitats, while evidence from the literature on the aesthetic quality of natural environments has repeatedly established that people tend to prefer more open grassy areas punctuated by occasional groupings of trees and shrubs. The second part of the paper is concerned with the general psychological importance of environmental aesthetics and human interactions with wildlife. Emerging evidence from various research areas is presented indicating the potential stress-reducing, health, cognitive and psychosocial effects of human interactions with outdoor environments in general, and with wildlife in particular. Though in the nascent stages, research in these areas suggests that there are important potential benefits associated with the visual quality of the environment, and that people derive similar benefits from interactions with wildlife and other animals. There is also evidence that nonconsumptive human interactions with wildlife are not entirely benign, underscoring the importance of research concerning the potential benefits of visual contacts with wildlife.