In the past few years, deciduous landscape conservation has become a trend in China; however, the theoretical support is still limited, and the impact of demographic characteristics on people’s attitude toward deciduous landscape still needs to be explained. This study aimed at exploring the differences among demographic groups through Likert scale questionnaires of 981 respondents. The results show that of all characteristics, only age has a significant influence on deciduous landscape preference. However, there is a paradox for elderly people: they have the highest preference for deciduous landscape and the lowest intention to keep deciduous landscape in their lives at the same time. Moreover, the elderly tend to care about the underlying surface of deciduous landscape while the reliable predictor for other age groups is the color of fallen leaves. These findings can be useful for practical applications, which might guide future development of deciduous landscape planning and maintenance.

To strengthen the exploitation and utilization of groundcover resources of spontaneous vegetation, this study was carried out by using a linear measurement method for species investigation of spontaneous vegetation in Baoji green space, China. The results showed that 122 spontaneous vegetation species were identified including 100 genera and 38 families. Species richness (SR) in semi-open green space was significantly higher than other green spaces; the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (SHDI) of semi-open and closed green spaces was significantly higher than other green spaces; the Pielou evenness index (E) of closed green space was significantly higher than others. The Sørensen–Dice similarity coefficient (SDI) of the total species between the four type of structural habitats first decreased and then rose along with the increased gradients of the canopy closure, while the SDI of the widely distributed species (frequency ≥10) slightly rose in the beginning and subsequently sharply decreased, it is SDI that between semi-closed and closed green is only 19.05%. In addition, the potential application of spontaneous wild vegetation was analyzed and discussed in order to provide a theoretical basis and development ideas for enriching urban landscape characteristics, constructing a better grassland ecosystem in Chinese cities, and developing new urban ecological designs.

As a World Cultural Heritage site, the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal is lined with historic and cultural cities that bear abundant historical and cultural connotations. It is of vital importance to address the issues of landscape homogenization, the disconnect between conservation measures and public needs, and other related challenges in the development of these cities. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative research. By integrating subjective landscape evaluation with eye tracking analysis, the ancient city of Taierzhuang along the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal was selected as the research subject to conduct an in-depth investigation into the visual experience and preferences for different types of landscapes in this area. The study yielded the following findings: There are significant differences in visual experiences among various types of landscapes in Taierzhuang Ancient City. Among them, participants exhibited the highest level of attention toward canal landscapes and the lowest toward heritage site landscapes. In terms of visual distribution differences, eye tracking heatmaps revealed that attention was primarily concentrated on architectural structures and water surface reflections. In the subjective evaluation analysis, canal cultural landscapes received the highest comprehensive score (4.39 points), followed by historical architectural landscapes (4.02 points), historical street landscapes (3.93 points), modern commemorative landscapes (3.72 points), and heritage site landscapes (3.69 points). Additionally, a significant correlation was found between eye tracking data and subjective evaluation results, validating the scientifically effective relationship between subjective assessments of historical cultural landscapes and eye tracking analysis. The findings of this study not only provide a scientific basis for landscape improvement and optimization in other canal-related historical and cultural cities but also offer new research methods and perspectives for the protection and development of other heritage landscapes.

Introduction: Soundscapes can significantly impact individuals’ physical and mental health. However, the factors influencing the perceived restorativeness of soundscapes among secondary school students remain unclear. This study aims to explore the effects of school environment sound levels, individual characteristics, types of sounds, and audiovisual interactions on the perceived restorativeness soundscape (PRS) of secondary school students.Methods: The study design includes measurements of sound pressure levels at 36 locations across six secondary schools in the Yangling District, a questionnaire survey involving 500 secondary school students, and analyses using difference, correlation, and structural equation models.Results: The school environmental sound level of 59 dB(A) serves as a turning point for PRS. Significant personal factors affecting students’ PRS include gender, stress level, attention level, and noise disruption. Additionally, the frequency of natural and artificial sounds generated by student movements showed a positive correlation with PRS. The combination of audiovisual stimuli was found to enhance PRS among students. Furthermore, the primary factors influencing PRS are the appropriateness of the auditory environment and visual landscape evaluation, followed by the frequency of natural sounds.Conclusion: Therefore, optimizing school soundscapes requires careful consideration of the appropriateness of the auditory environment, as well as the interest, harmony, and attractiveness of the visual surroundings. It is also crucial to enhance the frequency of natural sounds by incorporating greenery and other strategies. The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of secondary school soundscapes.