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The security of the Earth system has been extensively discussed through the concept of planetary boundaries, which hypothesizes the Anthropocene as the crisis for pushing environmental variables beyond safe limits. Cities, as burgeoning population centers, warrant heightened attention to issues surrounding planetary boundaries and ecological security. While groundwork has been laid for environmental change detection, the acoustic or soundscape perspective is rarely considered. This paper presents abundant empirical evidence supporting the feasibility of leveraging the soundscape as a valuable lens for exploring ecosystem structures, functions, and their contribution to human well-being. Particularly, it proposes spatialized soundscape maps as practical tools to implement this innovative perspective. We elaborate on two key aspects: (i) soundscape as a reflection of ecosystem evolution, enabling evaluation of ecosystem structures, interactions, and the ecosystem's functions; (ii) soundscape has the attribution of providing cultural services, allowing assessment of its impact on human health. Consequently, we propose two paradigms: (i) "security in soundscape" and (ii) "security of soundscape", thereby initiated the concept of "soundscape for security". Furthermore, we outline two generalized pathways: (i) soundscape monitoring, encompassing long-term strategies for real-time tracking of ecosystem evolution, and (ii) soundscape perception, involving detailed surveys to investigate perception and public participatory sensing for large-scale evaluation of ecosystem cultural services. We argue that integrating soundscape considerations holds promise in urban ecological security initiatives and the pursuit of sustainable cities. Moving forward, collective efforts among academics are crucial to establish widely accepted protocols to maximize the value of soundscape for urban ecological security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to examine the impact of financial inclusion on human well-being in South Asian countries from 1996 to 2020. Specifically, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh were selected for this investigation. Human well-being is treated as the dependent variable, while financial inclusion, health facilities, voice & accountability, income inequality, corruption, education facilities, and the unemployment rate are considered independent variables. The study's findings indicate that financial inclusion, health facilities, and education facilities have a positive and significant impact on human well-being. The improvement of health and educational facilities not only creates more employment opportunities but also contributes to the enhancement of income, education, and health status within a nation. These results explain that selected South Asian countries should prioritize the promotion of education and health facilities to elevate the overall level of human well-being. Voice & accountability, along with corruption, exhibit an inverse and significant influence on human well-being in selected South Asian countries. Income inequality, on the other hand, shows an inverse but insignificant impact on human well-being, while unemployment has a significant and positive influence. Based on the estimated results, it is recommended that to enhance the level of human well-being in South Asian countries, there is a need to improve financial inclusion, health facilities, and educational facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of eye-tracking technology to evaluate biophilic design in built environments has increased, yet a comprehensive analysis of its integration and efficacy remains limited. This review conducted a structured search in Scopus and Web of Science using the search terms "eye tracking" AND "biophil∗," identifying 35 publications that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. It collates the details of the biophilic elements under investigation, the research designs employed, and the theoretical frameworks that underpin the use of eye-tracking technology. The analysis reveals that daylight and plants are the most commonly examined biophilic elements. Synthesizing eye-tracking responses to these elements is challenging due to the distinct theoretical perspectives applied across studies of daylight and plants. Moreover, the research designs in these studies differ significantly, especially regarding the choice of eye-tracking devices, metrics, and experimental tasks. Extending beyond the initial 35 publications, the discussion incorporates insights from additional eye-tracking studies outside the biophilic realm, pinpointing opportunities for theoretical and methodological improvements. This research underscores the capacity of eye-tracking technology to enrich our understanding of human interactions with natural elements, advocating for the biophilic design in built environments. • Daylight and plants are the most commonly examined biophilic elements. • Daylight studies have identified visual discomfort indicators, such as pupil size. • Plants studies use the Attention Restoration Theory, gauged by fixation duration. • Eye-tracking studies on daylight and plants vary in devices, metrics, and tasks. • Virtual reality is more common in plant studies than in daylight studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs, >100,000 km2) account for over half of the global ocean under protection, yet little is known about their outcomes for people. We conducted a review of the peer-reviewed literature to identify studies that investigated human well-being outcomes from forty-four (44) LSMPAs worldwide. Sixty-four (64) peer-reviewed articles were identified, which analyzed well-being outcomes in 18 of the 44 LSMPAs. For LSMPAs where human well-being outcomes have been studied, outcomes were highly variable and LSMPAs with more than three studies had both positive and negative outcomes. Fifty-two (52) percent of human well-being outcomes reported were positive, while 42 percent were negative, and 6 percent showed no change. Results highlight diverse domains of human well-being as the subject of studies, indicating that as increasing attention is placed on human well-being and MPAs, more aspects of social outcomes are being investigated. However, the scientific literature also left important variables of human well-being understudied, including the differentiated outcomes that LSMPAs can impart on race, gender, social class, and diverse cultural groups. Our review is a first step towards synthesizing existing knowledge but highlighted that our understanding is nascent. Future studies are needed that focus on understanding the differentiated impacts of LSMPAs across different social groups and that examine the processes that lead to different human well-being outcomes. With global commitments to protect 30 % of the oceans driving ongoing interest in LSMPA establishment, it is crucial to gain a better empirical understanding of the effect of LSMPAs on human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Anthropocene, fostering a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature is paramount. National parks, as successful global models of conservation, promote coexistence between humans and the natural world. This study examines the complex interplay between human well-being, connection to a national park, and pro-environmental actions among community residents. Employing a community survey within Wuyishan National Park in China, we collected and analyzed 285 valid questionnaires. Using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), our findings reveal significant positive correlations between both objective and subjective well-being, place attachment, and pro-environmental intention and behavior. Our results further indicate that human well-being influences pro-environmental intention and behavior in complex ways, with place attachment acting as a mediating factor. These findings suggest that strengthening community-park bonds and enhancing residents' well-being are crucial strategies for promoting the sustainable conservation of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many African countries are endowed with huge natural resources but still lag behind as far as human development is concerned. This study examines the link between globalization, natural resource rents and human development in 49 African countries over the 2000–2017 period. We use the two-step Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimations to analyse data coming from UNDP, the World Bank, and the KOF globalization index dataset. Our findings show that globalization improves human well-being. When further decomposition is done, we find that economic, social and political globalizations are positively and significantly associated with human development index. We also find evidence of a natural resources-human development curse. Moreover, our results show that the magnitude of the improving effect of globalization on human development depends on the natural resource rents with threshold of 9.15 (%GDP) at which the positive effect of globalization becomes negative. Finally, we perform sub-regional analyses and find that these patterns are shown to be robust across Sub-Saharan African countries. The main lessons learnt from the study are that African countries should care about how to seize opportunities offered by globalization and avoid rent-seeking behaviours when endowed with natural resource rents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an emerging consensus that the health of the planet depends on the coexistence between rapidly growing cities and the natural world. One strategy for guiding cities towards sustainability is to facilitate a planning process based on positive visions for urban systems among actors and stakeholders. This paper presents the Urban Nature Futures Framework (UNFF), a framework for scenario building for cities that is based on three Nature Futures perspectives: Nature for Nature , Nature for Society , and Nature as Culture. Our framework engages stakeholders with envisioning the three Nature Futures perspectives through four components using participatory methods and quantitative models: identification of the socio-ecological feedbacks in cities, assessment of indirect impacts of cities on biodiversity, development of multi-scale indicators, and development of scenarios. Stakeholders in cities may use this framework to explore different options for integrating nature in its various manifestations within urban areas and to assess how different community preferences result in various cityscapes and distribution of associated benefits from nature among urban dwellers across multiple scales. • The Urban Nature Futures Framework (UNFF) explores transformative future scenarios that are positive for nature and people. • Nature for Nature promotes rewilding in city parks and in areas around cities. • Nature for Society promotes a range of nature-based solutions in cities that benefit society. • Nature as Culture promotes a cultural experience of nature in cities. • This framework can be used to develop alternative visions and scenarios for the management of nature in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple environmental stressors threaten the environmental quality in urban areas.Several policies were implemented in Italy to improve environmental quality, following the rationale that the more populated municipalities need high intervention priority and funds. Nevertheless, this approach not necessarily ensures to address real environmental challenges. This study aims to provide an innovative approach to explore interventions' priority at the national scale, based on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) of five factors related to three environmental stressors, air pollution (O 3 , PM 10 , NO 2), thermal stress (heatwave days), and hydraulic vulnerability (flooding events). A multi-criteria analysis assessed the cumulative effect of factors by combining them into a single Aggregate Index of Challenge (AIC), and a hotspot analysis identified AIC spatial aggregation through the territory. Finally, the spatial mismatch between Italian environmental policies and the co-occurrence of factors was explored. Results evidenced EQS exceedances in the national territory of O 3 for 89%, PM 10 for 8%, NO 2 for less than 1%, heatwaves for 45%, and hydraulic vulnerability for 10%. AIC highlighted that 43% of the national surface shows the coexistence of at least two factors in EQS exceedance. Results highlighted that administrative boundaries are not sufficient to delimit an area of analysis and intervention as opposed to an evidence-based approach which seems promising for enhancing the costeffectiveness of funds allocation as well as their return in terms of human wellbeing. This study provides a novel approach to enhance environmental policies and planning, giving insight for future research, especially for Nature-Based Solutions implementation, performance, and multifunctionality. • Multi-criteria analysis was performed to assess co-occurrence of stressors. • Intervention priority was identified based on aggregate indices of challenge. • 43% of the Italian territory is simultaneously threatened by multiple stressors. • High stressors heterogeneity is found within the analyzed administrative domains. • Evidence-based approach can improve cost-effectiveness of policies in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global warming, various regions have witnessed frequent meteorological disasters, and human lives are increasingly affected by these disasters. Snow disasters are among the most severe natural disasters affecting the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in the Dadu River Basin (DRB). Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the spatiotemporal variation patterns of snow disasters and comprehensively assess their risk. Based on meteorological data from 2000 to 2019, this study analyzed the spatial distribution and temporal variations in snow disaster frequency, duration, depth, and level in the DRB. We constructed an evaluation index system for the human well-being (HWB) of farmers and herders in the DRB and quantitatively analyzed the relationship between HWB and snow disasters. Furthermore, the key factors affecting the responses of farmers and herders to snow disasters were identified. The results show that the spatial distribution characteristics of snow disaster frequency, duration, mean snow depth, and snow disaster level in the DRB were relatively similar, with high values in the north and low values in the south. The northern high-value center is located in the Aba-Maerkang-Hongyuan region in the northeastern upper reaches. This region experiences the most frequent and severe snow disasters in the DRB. There were apparent interdecadal fluctuations in the frequency and duration of snow disasters, average snow depth, and snow disaster levels. Moreover, comprehensive risk zoning for snow disasters in the DRB was conducted using Geographic Information System technology. The results showed that high-risk areas were mainly distributed in the Aba-northwestern Hongyuan region of the northeastern DRB. The sub-high-risk areas were located at the periphery of the high-risk areas, including eastern Rangtang, northern Maerkang, and eastern Hongyuan. The medium-risk areas included central Rangtang and central Maerkang. In addition, Maerkang in the upper reaches of the DRB, Kangding in the middle reaches, and Shimian in the lower reaches had high HWB levels for farmers and herders during 2000–2019, exhibiting distinct administrative center characteristics. Regarding temporal variation, the HWB level in the entire DRB gradually increased. Five typical regions, namely Aba, Maerkang, Rangtang, Luding, and Danba, have been selected to explore the possible impacts of snow disasters on the HWB of farmers and herders since the 21st century. For every 1% increase in snow disaster risk, the HWB indices of farmers and herders decreased by 0.513, 0.485, 0.321, 0.064, and 0.267%. Snow disasters affect the HWB of farmers and herders primarily through direct or indirect impacts on agricultural productivity (per capita arable land area and per capita grassland area), overall labor capacity (rural population and the number of agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery workers), per capita meat production at the end of the year, per capita value-added of the primary industry, per capita net income of farmers and herders, and urbanization rate. • The spatial distribution characteristics of snow disaster in DRB shows high values in the north and low values in the south. • Aba-Maerkang-Hongyuan region suffers from the most frequent and severest snow disasters. • Human well-being in DRB exhibited distinct administrative center characteristics. • The increase in the risk of snow disasters will lead to a decrease in the HWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politica y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Waterfront accessibility is one of the major planning aspects of cities. However, tackling this issue from the Human Well-Being (HWB) perspective is relatively new. Alexandria is one of the leading Mediterranean cities that was planned, shaped, and configured as based on its direct linkage to the waterfront. Nowadays, city extensions make many of its newly developed zones detached from the waterfront. This paper investigates the correlations between waterfront accessibility and HWB in Alexandria. It uses an analytical approach -based on statistical investigations- to compare HWB in two zones based on their proximity to the waterfront. The results show that detailed configuration of street pattern and travel duration are the most influencing attributes on waterfront accessibility. Consequently, these attributes have a higher impact on residents' satisfaction or negative affect, and therefore their HWB than other attributes. The paper concludes with guidelines to policymakers, urban planners, and researchers' contributions to waterfront accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a narrative systematic review (SR) of the impacts of sugarcane production on different ecosystems employing the ecosystem services framework. The literature assessed showed that sugarcane, like all agro-systems, depends on practices and techniques to transform negative impacts into positive externalities on ecosystems. However, the literature studied failed to include the inter-linkage in the effects of sugarcane production and therefore, evaluate the ecosystem services and account for existing trade-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biota Neotropica (Edicao em Iingles) is the property of Biota Neotropica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The world currently faces the highest number in recorded history of people fleeing from war and violence. Refugee-hosting countries in the western part of the world experience the effects of global issues more than ever and face dealing with humanitarian logistics for refugees on an unprecedented scale. These countries continuously optimize their policies regarding refugees by navigating between obligations toward the Geneva Refugee Treaty, manageability of the situation, and worries of their citizens voiced through public opinion. The issue can be considered a wicked problem because of its unpredictability, complexity, and global scale. Presuppositions about human flourishing affect the interpretation of well-being in refugee policies. In this article, we reflect on refugees' experiences with Dutch asylum policies, analyzing these experiences through the theoretical lenses of Abraham Maslow, Manfred Max-Neef, and Herman Dooyeweerd. We learn from Maslow the importance of providing information for the satisfaction of basic needs; from Max-Neef we learn that, with the sole exception of the need for subsistence (that is, to remain alive), all fundamental needs are equally important; and from Dooyeweerd we learn that trust, though often overlooked, is important for refugee well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We found direct and indirect references to 19 different ecosystem services. • The provision of ecosystem services is mainly seen as based on anthropogenous activities. • Cultural ecosystem services are treated superficially and associated with economic considerations. • Internal coherence of the main ecosystem services is not given within the PFEIL-document. • While it is assumed that there are synergies between ES, trade-offs are not taken into account. The second pillar of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy is to foster rural development in terms of ecosystems and environment, economics and society. This paper analyses whether the pillar-II rural development programme "PFEIL" in the German federal state Lower Saxony of the funding period 2014–2020 takes into account the promotion of the benefits (agricultural) ecosystems provide for humans, called ecosystem services (ES). We find ES in the different PFEIL-sections but their frequency of occurrence varies as well as the length and elaborateness of the text passages. 'Biodiversity' and 'supporting services and ecosystem functions' are treated consistently within the programme, while provisioning, regulating and cultural ES are not. Cultural ES are touched on superficially and associated with economic considerations; regulating ES are addressed more deeply. Often, ES are described as being provided by agriculture. PFEIL does not treat potential ES interdependences; it does not tap the potentials of the ES-concept. Whether policies and management consider ES or not and how they are looked at has consequences for their provision. We hope to start a scientific interface to policymakers in the field of the promotion of ES in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Roy Bhaskar suggests how critical realism might facilitate the understanding of persons and improve their lives. He considers the implicit potentialities of persons and how they can achieve their potentialities (satisfy their dharma). He proposes a way to approach the movement towards the good, or eudaimonistic, society; asking how we could do things differently to better achieve circumstances that are conducive to human well-being. Bhaskar argues that we should not see persons as Cartesian egos: subjects opposed to an object world, which includes other subjects. Rather we should approach the ontology of persons in terms of the thought embodied in some southern African languages by the notion of ubuntu which means roughly 'I am because you are'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • People perceive more ecosystem disservices (EDS) than services (ES) related to bats. • People know the ecosystem service bats 'provide' in insect pest suppression. • EDS relate to security (attacks on people and domestic animals) and human health (disease transmission). • Sustaining the role of bats for ES and management needs collaboration among public and private institutions. • Conservation measures helping avoid human-bat contact may balance tradeoffs between ES and EDS related to bats. Understanding the potential tradeoffs in the social perceptions of ecosystem services (ED) and disservices (EDS) may help decision-making when managing human-modified landscapes like agroecosystems. These tradeoffs are critical when ES and EDS come from the same "provider". Using bats as a provider example, we show how understanding tradeoffs between ES and EDS may assist in exploring management actions to mitigate human-bat conflicts and thus promote bat conservation. We used a socio-cultural approach consisting of focus groups and individual stakeholder interviews. People noticed more EDS than ES related to the presence of bats, mainly personal security (fear of attacks) and health (risk of disease transmission). Suppression of insect agricultural pests was the most frequently mentioned service. Incomplete and distorted information from mass media sources strongly influences people's perceptions of bats. Avoiding human-bat contact may help counteract the fear, insecurity and unpleasantness people perceive from bats. Innovative management interventions, such as bat boxes and other artificial roosts, may help to favour bat conservation and their role in the agroecosystem, while other management actions (e.g., educational programs to reinforce ES) help balance ES and EDS tradeoffs. Nevertheless, balancing the tradeoffs in people's perceptions of ES and EDS related to bats and collaboration among public and private institutions is necessary to facilitate conservation, management, and environmental education. Our findings recognise society's challenges and how best to identify, protect, and conserve critical human and ecosystem health services in agroecosystems and human-modified landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A human impact assessment (HIA) model was developed to guide research to understand how changes in a fishery can impact fishermen and fishing communities. Path analysis demonstrates that job satisfaction is an important variable intervening between marine governance and well-being. Individual-level variables in the demographic latent variable influence aspects of job satisfaction as well as well-being. It is variance in management that influences satisfaction with fishing which has a direct effect on well-being. In the HIA model, the three components of job satisfaction (self-actualization, income, and psycho-social) have the greatest total impact on well-being. The model also indicates complex relationships between management, fishing activity attributes, job satisfaction, and individual and social attributes. Relationships between community context and differences in job satisfaction in the Northeast and Alaska regions confirmed that these factors, also included in the HIA model, are important aspects of impact assessment. Results help to show that changes in ocean governance have impacts on the human communities who use these important resources. To anticipate and ameliorate potential impacts on human well-being as indicated by tools such as the HIA model, research needs to be accomplished to appropriately design and account for these impacts. • Human Impact Assessment model is useful to understand impacts of marine governance. • HIA shows relationships between fisheries management and human well-being. • Job satisfaction is a key variable between fisheries management and well-being. • Community context and job satisfaction relationship is key to impact assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green areas can produce social, environmental and economic benefits. In an urban and suburban environment, green areas can work as a buffer against the detrimental impacts of lifestyle stresses, mitigate the impact of air pollution and hot waves, as well as contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Current studies have demonstrated that people living closer to green areas receive positive effects on mental and physical well-being. The aim of this study was to gain information on healthy living and well-being in relation with green space, among urban park goers in the city of Rome. The research was performed, by administering a questionnaire. Questionnaire-based interviews include 20 questions designed to collect information on physical and recreational activities performed and their frequencies, personal feelings about the benefit and protection of the green area. Moreover, park user characteristics (sex and age) were also recorded and how much green spaces influence their life choices. A total of 102 park goers were interviewed during summer 2015: most park users were adults (18-30 years old) males (55%). The results of this study indicate that the green area has healthy results on park users in terms of daily stress reduction and well-being perception, as well as awareness of the positive effects on air quality and mitigation of events related to climate change as the heat waves. The resulting interviews provided us useful information on perception and awareness of the positive effects of green area on mental and physical health of park users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Average ambient temperatures are 2.6–8.3 °C cooler in forests than open areas. • Work shifts, breaks, and thus risks of heat stress differ between those working only in open areas (74%) and those working in forests and open areas (26%). • Increasing temperatures affect the working behavior of 98% of our sample via greater heat exposure and more frequent breaks. • Those working in both forests and open areas more are impacted more by hotter temperatures and will take more steps to adapt in the future. • Exposure above the Threshold Limit Value can be up to 6.5 h a day for those working only in open areas. Climate change and land use change are increasing average and extreme temperatures. Hotter temperatures can detrimentally affect workers' health and their economic productivity and livelihoods, especially in rural areas in industrializing countries that may be more vulnerable and less resilient. A growing literature has examined these factors at large spatial scales, yet few studies have done so at finer scales. Micro-level data from developing regions is needed to understand the extent of heat exposure, as well as current and future adaptation strategies of working, healthy, and rural populations. We fill this gap using objective environmental measurements from 3M TM Questemp TM 46 Heat Stress Monitors, as well as survey data from working, healthy, and rural communities in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Our data contain two groups: those who work in only open areas, and those who work in both forests and open areas. We document workers' livelihood strategies, work schedules, perceptions of how temperatures impact their work, and future adaptation strategies for even hotter days. Ambient temperatures are 2.6–8.3 °C cooler in forests compared to open areas, indicating the temperature effects of deforestation can be immediate and significant. Those working only in open areas face up to 6.5 h of exposure to temperatures above the accepted Threshold Limit Value for worker well-being. Workers adapt to hotter temperatures by altering the timing of their work shifts and breaks, indicating our sample is already adapting to increasing temperatures from climate and land use change. We also find differential adaptation strategies between those working only in open areas compared to those working in both forests and open areas, suggesting current acclimatization may be a factor in how people adapt. Our results suggest the need for adaptation and mitigation policies tailored to the unique constraints of rural workers that specifically incorporate extant adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Fomento Social is the property of ETEA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The increasing prevalence of indoor isolation in modern society has resulted in a rise in mental health issues among urban residents. To address this, biophilic design has emerged as a potential solution to reconnect occupants with nature. It has been confirmed that indoor plants effectively improve human well-being by stimulating sensory experiences such as vision and olfaction. However, there is limited systematic study on the impact of single-sensory and multisensory stimuli from indoor plants on occupant health, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this research, the impact of visual, olfactory, and combined stimuli from coriander plants on psychophysiological restoration and cognitive performance were analyzed utilizing a method that combined subjective evaluation, electrophysiology, salivary biochemical analysis, and cognitive task. Additionally, the potential intervention mechanisms of different types of sensory stimuli were explored from neurological, endocrine and immunological perspectives. The results indicated that the various types of sensory stimuli associated with coriander plants exhibited different intervention effects on mood and cognition, with the combined stimulus demonstrating better effects compared to single-sensory stimulus. All three stimuli—visual, olfactory and combined —induced spontaneous neural oscillations associated with relaxation or cognitive function, and significant changes occurred in metabolic pathways related to antidepressant, anti-inflammatory or neuroprotective effects. It appeared that visual stimulus elicited a greater response from the nervous system, while olfactory stimulus elicited a greater response from the endocrine and immune systems. This research provides an important reference for psychological interventions that utilize visual-olfactory stimuli from indoor plants. • Impacts of visual, olfactory, and combined stimuli of plants on health were studied. • All three types of sensory stimuli could improve mood and cognition. • Combined stimulus was more effective than single-sensory stimulus. • Visual stimulus elicited a greater response from the nervous system. • Olfactory stimulus elicited a greater response from the endocrine and immune systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of human well-being and its relation to ecosystem services has been defined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). To visualize the structure of human well-being related to ecosystem services in coastal areas, and to make an international comparison of these structures, this study investigated the satisfaction level of human well-being by using questionnaire survey, and the interactions among these components in the coastal areas of the six countries (Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the US). The questionnaire items were selected according to the components of human well-being as defined by MEA. The analysis suggested a common hierarchical structure. Findings suggest the levels of satisfaction with ‘Security’ and ‘Basic materials for a good life’ functioned as the most fundamental variables among the five components of human well-being, while ‘Health’ and ‘Good social relations’ functioned as mediating variables of ‘Freedom of choice and action’. The degree of interaction among the five components varied by country. In Canada and Russia, satisfaction with ‘Security’ had a more significant effect on ‘Health’ and ‘Good social relations’ than did ‘Basic materials for a good life.’ In the other countries, satisfaction with ‘Basic materials for a good life’ had a more significant effect on ‘Health’ and ‘Good social relations’ than did ‘Security’. This study suggests that the structure of human well-being is dependent upon a range of natural and social factors. Knowledge of the differences which occurs across nations will be significant in establishing societal goals, and for societal engagement in marine conservation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People have negative perceptions of underground environments on account of the absence of natural elements. To alleviate negative perceptions, many investigators have proposed indoor plants and artificial windows. Although a few studies have provided quantitative evidence of the benefits of indoor plants and artificial windows in an otherwise windowless environment, research has yet to systematically investigate these effects in an underground environment. To address this gap in our knowledge, the present study investigated the effects of indoor plants and artificial windows in an underground environment by means of a room-assessment questionnaire, an electrodermal activity (EDA) measure, and a response-time task. The findings indicate that indoor plants in an underground environment increase positive perceptions along the semantic-differential scales “Artificial–Natural”, “Unsuitable for a task–Suitable for a task” and “Monotonous–Diverse”, and that they reduce response times. By contrast, artificial windows are effective only on the “Monotonous–Diverse” scale, and are associated with increased response time. These findings should contribute to improvements in underground environments using indoor plants and artificial windows, so that people can maintain above-ground ways of living and working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basins are one of the bio-geo-physical areas where the ecological processes that generate the ecosystem services (ES) and contribute to human well-being (HWB) are more evident. They are also the physical scenario where the nature-human interaction is more intense. The explicit relationships that link biodiversity, ES and HWB, and the direct and indirect causes responsible for their degradation, have been rarely explored. We used the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to explore the relationships between the river ecosystem and the Biobío Basin’s social system. We selected 65 basin and regional-scale indicators to analyse the existing trends and associations among the different DPSIR components. The trend analysis results showed major biodiversity loss and how the regulating services and non-material goods of the HWB component deteriorated, while cultural services, direct and indirect pressures and institutional responses increased. The relationships among the different DPSIR components revealed biodiversity loss to be positively associated with cultural services, the material goods of the HWB component and pressures. Indirect drivers were negatively associated with regulating and cultural services, non-material goods and pressures. Institutional responses did not correlate with any DPSIR component. However, these results do not reflect the complexity of the Biobío Basin’s socio-ecosystem. We estimate that the DPSIR framework shows a corseted and reductionist vision of a greater complexity than merely a unidirectional nature-human relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the links among ecosystem services (ES) supply, social demand and human well-being is important to realize sustainability, especially in mountain–oasis–desert (MOD) areas, which are facing an intense conflict between socioeconomic development and ecological conservation. Using a biophysical model, we mapped six ES in the Manas River Basin, which is a typical MOD area. A questionnaire survey was employed to evaluate social demand for ES and human well-being in four different regional units (i.e., high mountain, low hills, oasis and desert) in our site. Spider diagrams were applied to identify the links among ES supply, social demand and human well-being. The results showed that a high supply of provisioning services occurred in the oasis, while a high supply of regulating services existed in the high mountain region. The ES social demand was not completely accordant with the biophysical supply in spatial distribution, and the factors from the supply side and demand side could both cause ES supply–demand mismatches. The total well-being level of all indicators was higher in the oasis and desert than in the upstream areas (i.e., the high mountain region and low hills region), but some indicators (e.g., water consumption) were the inverse. The supply–demand mismatches in provisioning services had a strong impact on human well-being, while the supply–demand mismatches in regulating services had a low impact on human well-being. This can be explained by the ES social demand questionnaire results, which showed that the level of social importance was higher for provisioning services than for regulating services at our site. In accordance with our results, we recommended several policies to promote ecological conservation and improve human well-being in the Manas River Basin, and these policies could also be applied in other MOD areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beaches are important suppliers of recreational services to human beings, through bathing water resources, marine biodiversity and scenic values of coastal seascapes. This study presents a conceptual model for risk-based analysis of multiple anthropogenic stressors (e.g. nutrient load, marine litter, pollutants or pathogens) on recreational ecosystem services supply-demand patterns in beaches for seven regions of the Italian Adriatic Sea. Results of the supply-demand analysis show that the beaches in Puglia region have highest recreational supply, while demand for coastal recreation is highest in the beaches of Emilia-Romagna region, which is a region prone to mass recreational activities. Based on the supply-demand analysis we performed a risk assessment on recreational ecosystem services provision by analysing the exposure of beaches ecosystems to multiple stressors generated by different maritime (e.g. shipping, aquaculture) and land-based activities (e.g. agriculture). Beaches of the Northern Adriatic region suffer from high exposure to pollutants due to port activities, aquaculture industry, shipping, and riverine discharge. The presented study advances knowledge on the integration of ecosystem-services-based recreational supply-demand analysis in coastal areas and discusses its application potentials for sustainable management of coastal resources and the investigation of tourism flow to coastal recreational areas for large geospatial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s world, improving the efficiency of transforming ecological consumption into human well-being is a necessary condition for humanity as a whole to achieve higher levels of well-being within ecological limits. In this paper, the Index of Ecological Well-being Performance (IEWP) is defined and constructed to measure the efficiency of transforming ecological consumption into human well-being and to determine which countries are more ecologically efficient in improving human well-being. As an efficiency measure, the main mission of the IEWP is to urge and stimulate countries to improve human well-being in an ecologically efficient way. The Human Development Index (measuring human well-being) and the Ecological Footprint (measuring ecological consumption) are employed to construct the IEWP. An empirical IEWP analysis of 82 countries with a population larger than 10 million in 2012 demonstrates that the developed countries (except Romania) and the G20 countries (except India and Indonesia) are generally less ecologically efficient in improving human well-being. To make national well-being improvement not only ecologically efficient but also equitable, several suggestions are proposed regarding respective responsibilities for global ecological sustainability in the process of improving IEWP performance for countries with different ecological conditions and development stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human benefits from ecosystems result from complex interactions between ecological and social processes. People affect ecosystems’ capacity to deliver services that contribute to the well-being of humans and their resilience. The delivery of ecosystem services (ES) has often been considered as a linear and direct flow from nature to people without feedbacks or human inputs. We adjusted the widely used ES cascade to highlight how humans mediate each step in the ES delivery. We then applied the proposed framework to empirical field studies in Indonesia. We focused on the role of forested landscapes to increase rural people’s resilience to climate hazards such as drought and floods. We found that human actions determine benefits from ES through several mechanisms (ES management, mobilization, allocation-appropriation, and appreciation). These mechanisms are influenced by peoples’ decisions along the ES cascade, which depend on specific factors related to rules, assets, values, and spatial context. By facilitating or hindering ES flows, some stakeholders can determine who benefits from ES and influence the well-being of others. A better understanding of the mediating mechanisms, factors, and feedbacks in ES delivery can support the design of sound environmental assessments and sustainable land management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between LUCC (land-use and land-cover change), ecosystem services and human well-being is not only an important cross topic in studies of natural ecological and social economic systems but also the key research direction and content of the GLP (Global Land Project) and Future Earth program, indicating its significance to the development of regional policy and the promotion of regional sustainable development. In the present study,“3S” (GIS, RS, GPS) technology, the Equivalence Factor Evaluation Method of Ecosystem Services and the Index System Evaluation Method of Human Well-being were separately used to analyze land use changes, ecosystem services and human well-being in the Manas River Basin in 2003 and 2013 and to characterize the relationship between these factors. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. In the past ten years, driven by the market economy, the structure of land use in the basin has obviously changed. Croplands and developed lands markedly increased, leading to a marked reduction in aquatic, grassland and woodland regions. 2. The land use changes resulted in a large increase in human economic income, in contrast with the obvious decrease in the value of climate regulation, gas regulation and other various types of ecosystem services influenced by the decrease in grasslands, woodlands and aquatic regions. 3. Most aspects of human well-being were improved. The most important aspect was the economic income well-being as a result of land use changes. However, the well-being associated with natural ecological resources showed a significant decline. 4. The extreme increase of croplands and developed lands has resulted in a structural imbalance of the ecosystem services and abnormal development of the structure of human well-being. Thus, to enhance the stability of the “nature-society-economy” system of the basin and pursue sustainable development, it is imperative to slow down or even stop the existing development trend of land use, and it is urgent to improve the structure of ecosystem services and human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global sustainability policies, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the Aichi Targets, aim to ensure sustainable development, including improved human well-being and the conservation of nature. Although not yet explicitly used to evaluate the progress towards sustainable development, the ecosystem service concept implies a direct link between biodiversity and human well-being. This study explores how and which ecosystem services are currently considered in the SDGs and the Aichi Targets. We also identify which information might be already available for monitoring the progress towards their goals by reviewing national ecosystem assessments. This allows the identification of the main knowledge gaps for monitoring progress towards these global sustainability targets. There is a wealth of information on all major ecosystem services categories which is directly relevant for the Aichi Targets and the SDGs. The top 25% most cited ecosystem services across both policy documents are: Natural heritage and diversity, Capture fisheries, Aquaculture, Water purification, Crops, Cultural heritage & diversity and Livestock. Most monitoring information recommended for the global sustainability goals, as well as in the information available from national assessments, is biased towards supply related aspects of ecosystem services flows. In contrast, there is much less information on social behaviour, use, demand and governance measures. Indicators are rarely available for all aspects of a specific ecosystem service. The national statistical bureaus currently in charge of providing observations for reporting on SDGs, could be well placed to address this bias, by integrating ecological observations with socio-economic statistics into socio-ecological indicators for ecosystem services flows. IPBES can potentially address the gaps identified in this paper by improving coverage of the different dimensions of ecosystem services flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research exploring the relationship between human well-being and ecosystem functions by assessing cultural ecosystem benefits (CEBs) is a crucial and emerging field. However, quantifying CEB is challenging due to the lack of a uniform measurement scale. In addition, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence CEBs to enhance ecosystem functions and contribute to human well-being. While physical landscape features have been investigated, there is limited evidence supporting the link between perception-based landscape features and CEBs. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a CEBs measurement scale and investigate the impact of perceived sensory dimensions (PSDs) of urban green spaces (UGSs) on CEBs. We conducted a Public Participation GIS-survey (PPGIS) at Guangzhou National Haizhu Wetland Park. 1473 participants took part in our study and evaluated the CEBs provided by urban green spaces (UGSs). Using SPSS statistics and ArcMap tools, we found that PSDs of UGSs are significantly associated with CEB. Additionally, we confirmed that different levels within a PSD influence the levels of CEBs gained from UGSs. Our results indicate that creating serene, open, and natural UGSs is more effective than incorporating numerous cultural elements. In conclusion, this study introduces PSDs into the framework of CEB, which landscape architects can use to shape the specific environmental characteristics of UGSs and provide the CEBs required to support the well-being of urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces provide important ecological, environmental, and cultural benefits, including biodiversity conservation and human wellbeing. However, a significant portion of urban green space is currently managed as highly manicured grassy lawns that provide limited ecosystem services. Managing urban green spaces as diverse meadows can have a multitude of ecosystem benefits such as biodiversity conservation, stormwater infiltration, and aesthetics. Relatively little is known about the range of ecosystem services or disservices in managing urban green spaces as lawns versus meadows. In this paper, we separately characterize three major categories of ecosystem services and disservices (provisioning, regulation and maintenance, and cultural) delivered by urban lawns and meadows while highlighting several trade-offs and synergies associated with urban lawn and meadow management strategies. Additionally, we suggest specific research priorities to better evaluate ecosystem services and disservices across these urban green spaces. Understanding ecological, environmental, and cultural trade-offs and synergies of managing different urban green spaces is key to maintaining multiple ecosystem services in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The number of express delivery outlets is growing faster than the number of traditional shops. • The net ecosystem services provided by express delivery outlets are 3-fold those of shops. • The spatial distribution of express delivery outlets is wider and more equal than that of shops. • Online shopping reduces the spatial inequality of shopping opportunities by 35%. • Spatial inequality declined with the increase of city's economic level and population size. The orderly spatial structure of cities promotes city vitality and human well-being. The spatial mismatch between traditional shops and population causes spatial inequality in shopping opportunities along urban‒rural gradients. This spatial inequality has been deconstructed. The rapid expansion of express delivery outlets linked to online shopping reduces the spatial inequality of shopping opportunities to an unknown degree. This study focused on the spatial patterns of shops and express delivery outlets in cities. The Gini coefficient was used to quantify the spatial inequality of shopping opportunities in 18 Chinese cities. This study further compared the ecosystem services of the two types of shopping facilities. The results show that (1) the net ecosystem services provided by express delivery outlets are 3-fold those of shops; (2) the environmental impact of online shopping are lower than those of traditional shopping; (3) express delivery outlets show more spatial dispersion than shops; (4) the spatial inequality of shops is higher than that of express delivery outlets; and (5) the supplement of express delivery outlets to shops reduces spatial inequality by 35%. These findings show that online shopping promotes ecosystem services, reduces the spatial inequality of city structure and improves human well-being and the sustainability of cities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban environments are expanding globally, and by 2050 nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in towns and cities, where opportunities to experience nature are more limited than in rural areas. This transition could have important implications for health and wellbeing given the diversity of benefits that nature delivers. Despite these issues, there is a lack of information on whether or how the experience of nature changes as green space becomes less available. We explore this question for residents of two case study cities of varying urban designs, sprawling (Brisbane, Australia) and compact (three English towns, U.K). Second, we examine how people’s feelings of connection to nature (measured using the Nature Relatedness scale) vary across this same gradient of nature availability. Despite climatic and cultural differences we found substantial similarities between the two locations. Lower levels of neighbourhood tree cover were associated with a reduced frequency of visits to private and public green spaces, and a similar pattern was found for the duration of time spent in private and public green spaces for Brisbane. Residents of both urban areas showed similar levels of nature relatedness, and there was a weak but positive association between tree cover and Nature Relatedness. These results suggest that regardless of the style of urban design, maintaining the availability of nature close to home is a critical step to protect people’s experiences of nature and their desire to seek out those experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this article is to analyse the relationship between human well-being (HWB) and ecosystem services (ES). We studied the Río Cruces watershed (Chile) as a social-ecological system by means of a social survey and compared the results with those previously obtained at the Aysén watershed. We surveyed six localities characterized by different types of habitat. HWB was assessed by means of two indicators (material conditions and quality of life) and ES through the analysis of provisioning and regulating services. Results for Río Cruces show no significant HWB differences between localities, with the exception of life satisfaction (lower on isolated localities). The use of provisioning and regulating services did not differ between localities, with the exception of two components (wood and soil fertility), and we only found a significant positive correlation between regulating services and HWB material conditions. The comparison between watersheds show that changes in HWB material conditions and both types of ES are positively correlated. We conclude that the relationship between human well-being and ecosystem services seems to be contextual to the analysed social-ecological system and that generalizations across systems may not be possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During recent decades, green lawns have gradually become one of the main sources of greening in many cities in both developed and developing countries. Although, much research has received large attention to green lawns in residential places, few studies have addressed the benefits of having access to green lawns at workplaces to enhance the quality of life. More specifically, this study focused on the question of how employees view, socialize, and utilize their workplace green lawns. To provide some insight into this direction, the study was conducted in Smart Village, Egypt that uses green lawns as main form of greening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the impacts of ocean and climate change become more pronounced, fishing communities are experiencing unprecedented disruptions to social and economic life. We argue that a broader interpretation of adaptation is required for a comprehensive understanding of fishers' adaptive responses. Instead of examining adaptation in relation to climate driven ocean changes alone, we argue that adaptive responses are shaped by and contingent on compounding social, economic, and environmental stressors. Although research has produced management frameworks to support adaptation, few concrete examples of management actions exist, particularly actions aimed at mitigating the impacts of compounding social and economic stressors. We share the results from a multi-sited case study in which we conducted a rapid ethnographic assessment of fishing communities on the US West Coast. By examining ocean change in the context of compounding stressors, our study brings two important points to light. First, fishers are employing a wider range of adaptation strategies than previously thought. Second, there are several unrealized institutional pathways that could support and remove barriers to adaption. Our analysis highlights how ocean change compounds existing stressors through two examples, labor shortages and finding new markets. Through this paper we argue that to support fishing community adaptation to climate change, agencies should explore a range of outside of the box solutions that address cumulative stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Even-though the last years have seen a “blossoming” of initiatives aiming to clarify the link between biodiversity (BD)-ecosystem functions (EF)-ecosystem services (ES)-human well-being (HWB), there is still a need for integrating the knowledge obtained by various research, making it useful for decision-makers. This contribution aims to show ways of gathering, representing and modelling these linkages to enable better decision-making based on available knowledge. This is achieved by: (i) conducting a systematic-review of contributions describing the links between BD–EF–ES–HWB and gathering the information into a database; (ii) organizing that information in a mind-map; (iii) showing, as an example, how a Bayesian Network model and scenarios can be built using the mind-map and database information. We show how gathering information into mind-maps works as a first step to the creation of a unified knowledge base, while Bayesian Network models allow for a better management of data uncertainty, commonly associated with the representation of complex models, as well as providing the possibility of creating future scenarios where assumptions can be tested. Thus, this contribution shows how available knowledge can be linked to improve our understanding of complex issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an approach to identify and map social–ecological systems based on the direct use of ecosystem services by households. This approach builds on the premise that characteristic bundles of ecosystem service use represent integrated expressions of different underlying social–ecological systems. We test the approach in South Africa using national census data on the direct use of six provisioning services (freshwater from a natural source, firewood for cooking, firewood for heating, natural building materials, animal production, and crop production) at two different scales. Based on a cluster analysis, we identify three distinct ecosystem service bundles that represent social–ecological systems characterized by low, medium and high levels of direct ecosystem service use among households. We argue that these correspond to ‘green-loop’, ‘transition’ and ‘red-loop’ systems as defined by Cumming et al. (2014) . When mapped, these systems form coherent spatial units that differ from systems identified by additive combinations of separate social and biophysical datasets, the most common method of mapping social–ecological systems to date. The distribution of the systems we identified is mainly determined by social factors, such as household income, gender of the household head, and land tenure, and only partly determined by the supply of natural resources. An understanding of the location and characteristic resource use dynamics of different social–ecological systems allows for policies to be better targeted at the particular sustainability challenges faced in different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services research has highlighted the importance of ecosystems for human well-being. Most of the research, however, focuses only on aggregate human well-being and disregards distributional and equity issues associated with ecosystem services. We review approaches from institutional economics, political ecology and the social sciences in order to develop an analytical framework to understand the distribution of benefits from ecosystems across different socio-cultural groups and the underlying social processes involved. We then present a case study of the distribution of provisioning ecosystem services in a forest-fringe village in Odisha, India. Our analysis shows the unequal distribution of ecosystem services and complex social processes that determine these. We identify the determining factors and processes to include: differential resource-specific needs, different cultural identities, differentiated social status and bargaining power, exclusionary and inclusionary social practices, differential access. Our analysis proves therefore that aggregation of forest ecosystem benefits obscures crucially important patterns of distribution, and the underlying social processes that determine these. This also demonstrates the necessity of applying social science frameworks in such analyses. Our study also shows that most ecosystem services are co-produced through both ecosystem processes and social actions, and so their assessment cannot be separated from the social context in which they are embedded. In conclusion we recommend that ecosystem services research engages more with process-oriented, context-specific and integrated approaches, based on a recognition of the complexity of social-ecological realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption is necessary for the delivery of human development by supporting access to basic needs, services and infrastructure. Given prevailing technologies and the high degree of inertia in practical rates of decarbonisation, growth in energy consumption from rising global living standards may drive consequent greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). In this paper the ‘development as usual’ GHG emissions impact of achieving high levels of life expectancy, access to basic needs and continued economic growth are projected to the mid-century using historical elasticities of development and energy consumption in 3 regions – Africa, Centrally Planned Asia, and South Asia. The results suggest that long life expectancy and high levels of access to basic needs are achievable at lower levels of emissions than continued economic growth, but will consume a substantial share of the global budget associated with a 2 °C climate goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of indoor isolation in modern society and the growing development of manned deep-space and deep-sea exploration, the mental health issues of people in small spaces are becoming increasingly prominent. In recent years, the biophilic design that introduces plants into the indoor environment has become one of the solutions to these problems, among which the green wall is favored because of its high spatial efficiency. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the greenery dose and greenery layout of green walls in relation to the health of indoor people. In this study, a self-report + electrophysiological analysis method, combined with virtual reality technology, was used to explore the physiological and psychological effects of different types and numbers of vegetable walls on people in small spaces. The results showed that the vegetable wall with a low greenery dose may not be sufficient to elicit significant psychological responses, while when the greenery dose of a single vegetable wall was too high, the physiological relaxation effect would decrease. The regulation effect of the vegetable wall was also related to the greenery layout, and the half-sized vegetable wall was better than the full-sized one when with the same medium greenery dose. Moreover, negative emotions tended to decrease as the number of vegetable walls increased. People experienced lower subjective negative emotions when exposed to the biophilic environment with three vegetable walls. This research provided an important reference for determining the optimal type and number of vegetable walls to regulate people's mood. • Different types of vegetable wall had different effects on physiology and psychology. • The half-sized vegetable wall with 80% greenery dose was the best for stress relief. • The psychological impact of vegetable walls varied with the number of green walls. • The biophilic environment with three vegetable walls made people more relaxed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We quantified park visitors' positive emotions using social media data and sentiment analysis. • Both park type and landscape attributes matter to the positive emotions of visitors. • We identified key characteristics of urban parks affecting visitors' positive emotions. • Multi-sorce social media data and machine learning can facilitate urban sentiment studies. Improving the positive emotions of urban populations is essential for meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of "good health and well-being" and "sustainable cities and communities". Urban parks generally may enhance people's positive sentiments, but little is known about explicitly linking the landscape composition and configuration of urban parks directly with visitors' sentiments based on social media data. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to identify key landscape attributes that influence this relationship in the Beijing metropolitan region. We first crawled 55,441 valid text data items from Sina Weibo for 99 urban parks within the fifth ring road of Beijing. Then, we quantified the positive emotions of visitors to urban parks using social media data and sentiment analysis. Finally, we evaluated the differences in visitors' positive emotions among different types of parks and used Random Forest to identify urban park attributes that were correlated with positive emotions. We found that visitors to different types of urban parks had different levels of positive emotions. Specifically, visitors to comprehensive parks and cultural relics parks were significantly happier than visitors to community parks. Visitors to parks between the third and fourth ring roads in Beijing had the lowest levels of positive emotions. Positive emotions were found to be positively correlated with park size and the mean size of water bodies but negatively correlated with large areas of impervious surfaces. This study sheds new light on the relationship between park landscape patterns and visitors' positive emotions through a new approach based on social media data. The research methods and findings may inspire similar studies in other cities and countries, which are needed to improve park planning and management and thus enhance urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]