The Environmental and Psychological Benefits of Landscaping

1. The Environmental and Psychological Benefits of Landscaping AGSC 361 Landscape Design, Construction, and Maintenance

2. Set up your notes…

3. Objectives • Recognize environmental benefits of landscaping. • Identify psychological benefits of landscaping. • Describe the role of plants and landscaping in the development of healthy neighborhoods and communities.

4. Objectives • Describe horticultural and physical therapy programs that utilize landscaping. • Defend landscaping efforts based on the benefits of landscaping and research findings.

5. Introduction • Plants and the outdoor environment influence the natural behavior and relationships people have with nature. • These interactions promote healthy and positive attitudes because of the natural beauty of the outdoors and the sense of relaxation and recreation it provides.

6. Introduction • The more nature is a part of people’s daily lives, the better they feel and think, and the greater their quality of life. • Plants and nature, and the associations that people have with them, have many environmental and psychological benefits.

7. Environmental Benefits of Landscaping • Soil Erosion Control • Air Purification • Habitat Protection • Microclimate Moderation • Solar Glare Reduction and Heat Dissipation • Pollution Control • Utility Savings

8. Soil Erosion Control • Landscaped areas have less erosion problems than areas that are not landscaped. • Roots of landscape plants hold soil particles in place that would otherwise be displaced by wind or water.

9. Soil Erosion Control • Roots and foliage of turfgrass and ground- covers reduce the velocity and eroding effects of rapidly moving surface water. • This allows more water to soak into the ground, replenishes soil moisture, and recharges the ground water supply.

10. Air Purification • Through the process of photosynthesis, plants help purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. • One large tree removes up to 26 lbs. of carbon dioxide every year. • One large tree can produce about 13 lbs. of oxygen every year. • This is enough to support a family of four.

11. Air Purification • Landscape plants also help filter dust particles from the air. • Dust particles may consist of pollen grains and disease-causing bacteria and viruses, all of which can cause respiratory problems for people and animals.

12. Habitat Protection • Trees and plants in the landscape can serve as a source of food and shelter for birds and other types of wildlife. • Healthy turfgrass can aid in fire prevention by serving as a barrier to protect a residence and control the spreading of wildfire.

13. Microclimate Moderation • Microclimate refers to the climate of a small, specific space within a landscape site that differs from the climate of the overall region. • Microclimates may be formed by plants and hardscape features in a landscape.

14. Microclimate Moderation • Microclimates in a landscape may include the following: • Areas shaded by trees. • Fences creating wind breaks and redirecting air flow. • Areas warmed due to sidewalks, paved areas, and lack of turf or ground cover. • Several microclimates may exist depending on how much shade, sun, or wind exposure different areas receive.

15. Microclimate Moderation • When strategically placed, dense canopies of evergreen trees or shrubs redirect wind. • Thus serving as a windbreak and minimizing wind damage to structures and plants. • Shaded areas provide higher humidity and moderate temperatures during the summer, thus increasing the level of human comfort. • Tree and shrub canopies release water vapor during transpiration.

16. Microclimate Moderation • During the summer, deciduous trees provide shade and reduce the typically higher temperatures existing on the southern and western exposures of a home. • During the winter, sunlight penetrates the branch framework of deciduous trees to provide a natural warming effect.

17. Solar Glare Reduction and Heat Dissipation • Plant canopies diffuse and disperse direct rays and heat associated with solar glare. • Incorporating trees and shrubs in “heat islands” reduces heat buildup caused by solar glare and heat reflection.

18. Solar Glare Reduction and Heat Dissipation • “Heat islands” are large, open paved areas. • Typically 10 to 30 degrees warmer than nearby areas with shade trees and turfgrass. • Retain large amounts of heat and seldom cool during the summer.

19. Pollution Control • Landscape plants aid in the control of soil, water, air, and noise pollution. • Plant roots trap and degrade soil pollutants such as chemical wastes that could affect ground water and surface water quality. • Plant canopies trap air-borne pollutants and reduce dust and smog.

20. Pollution Control • Plant canopies reduce noise by up to 50%. • Plant leaves and canopies diffuse and reflect sound waves, thus reducing the intensity of noise.

21. Utility Savings • Trees and shrubs can reduce energy demands by up to 60%. • Reduced energy demands may reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 20%.

22. Utility Savings • During the summer, tree canopies absorb up to 85% of sun’s direct rays. • A large shade tree can lower temperature by 10 degrees and absorb as much heat as several window air conditioning units. • Eight average-size front lawns have the same cooling affect as about 70 tons of air conditioning.

23. Utility Savings • Selecting plants adapted for the conditions of a landscape site reduces the amount of water needed to maintain the plants on the site. • Proper mulching helps conserve soil moisture and reduces the need and frequency for watering.

24. Psychological Benefits of Landscaping • Plants affect people psychologically, physiologically, and socially in many positive ways. • Psychological refers to the mind or emotions. • Physiological refers to the healthy or normal functioning of a person. • Socially refers to how people interact with other people • Plants in a person’s surroundings affect the person’s attitudes, whether his/her interest in nature is active or passive.

25. Psychological Benefits of Landscaping • Most people have an innate preference toward nature and to a relaxed natural environment. • As people in society pursue an active, fast-paced lifestyle, their interactions with nature and a natural environment become reduced. • Studies have shown that this increases mental and physical health issues, societal problems, and negative mental attitudes.

26. Psychological Benefits of Landscaping • Studies have shown that landscaping benefits people and society in that it: • Provides a means for leisure and relaxation. • Creates a positive image. • Reduces criminal activity. • Increases worker productivity. • Improves mental and physical health.

27. Leisure and Relaxation • Fast paced lifestyles result in living and working environments filled with mental, visual, and physical complexity. • These complexities often lead to damaging levels of physiological and psychological stress.

28. Leisure and Relaxation • Plants and a landscaped environment create a less complex environment and offer an escape from fast- paced routines. • Outdoor living environments offer a sense of leisure and relaxation.

29. Leisure and Relaxation • Studies have shown that even brief, visual contact with plants can lead to mental recovery from stress within a few minutes.

30. Leisure and Relaxation • Gardening and landscaping are hobbies for many people. • These hobbies provide a sense of relaxation and stress relief.

31. Positive Image • Gardening and landscaping activities provide a sense of self-pride, satisfaction, and accomplishment for individuals. • Landscaping also provides a positive image for neighborhoods and communities. • A well-landscaped, attractive neighborhood increases its appeal.

32. Positive Image • Surveys of families moving to a new community consider the visual appeal of a community a top consideration. • Well-landscaped parks and places for taking walks are also an important factor to consider for many. • Up to 99% of retirement community residents feel that areas for walking and interacting with nature are essential.

33. Positive Image • Studies have shown that people living in well-landscaped neighborhoods have improved relations with their neighbors. • Gardening and landscaping create opportunities for neighbors to share values and interests. • This leads to friendly interaction and cooperation among neighbors.

34. Positive Image • Studies have shown that people living in well-landscaped neighborhoods have a greater satisfaction and appreciation for their surroundings. • This establishes a neighborhood environment that is physically and aesthetically pleasing in which to live and work.

35. Positive Image • Residents of landscaped areas tend to have stronger ties within the community. • The visually pleasing appearance of neighborhoods within a community makes people proud to be a part of the community. • Thus, appearance and attitudes of residents enhance the economic and social status of the community.

36. Positive Image • Researchers have found that landscaping is the fastest and most cost efficient way to change the negative perceptions of an area. • Landscaping can enhance and improve the psychological and economic health of a community.

37. Crime Reduction • Research has shown that urban and inner city areas have higher crime rates and higher frequencies of certain social and mental problems. • This may be attributed to the residents’ lack of contact with nature.

38. Crime Reduction • Studies have shown that community gardens and landscaped areas in urban areas are effective in reducing crime and social related problems. • These “green” spaces provide a place for people to interact with neighbors, work together, and develop a cooperative attitude and sense of community.

39. Crime Reduction • Property and buildings in landscaped areas are less likely to be damaged and vandalized. • The occurrence of littering, graffiti, and broken windows is less frequent in landscaped areas. • People perceive well-landscaped inner city areas to be safer and more user-friendly than others.

40. Increased Worker Productivity • Studies show that employees with an outside view of plants in the landscape have greater satisfaction and less pressure in their job than those with no outside view. • Such a view results in increased job productivity and a decrease in stress-related ailments such as headaches and mental fatigue.

41. Improved Mental and Physical Health • Exposure and interaction with landscape plants or garden settings can improve both mental and physical health. • Both active and passive interaction with plants results in positive changes in people’s attitudes, behaviors, and quality of life.

42. Improved Mental and Physical Health • Gardening and landscaping activities provide a means for reducing mental and physical stress. • Such activities help a person feel better, become less irritable, experience less fear and anger, and become more focused and positive.

43. Improved Mental and Physical Health • Gardening and landscaping activities provide many cardiovascular and physiological health benefits. • These benefits include: lower blood pressure, improved heart rate, increased blood circulation, and reduced muscle tension. • These activities provide moderate to vigorous levels of exercise for people of all ages.

44. Therapy Programs • Working with plants has become a part of many horticultural therapy and physical therapy programs. • Therapy programs frequently serve older adults, children, people with disabilities, and those whose motor skills have been affected by injury.

45. Therapy Programs • Since the late 1800s, horticulture has been used in psychiatric hospitals as a rehabilitation treatment for people with a variety of mental and physical disabilities. • In recent years, therapy programs involving horticulture have expanded greatly in geriatric centers, rehabilitation hospitals, and facilities for developmentally disabled people.

46. Therapy Programs • People working with plants as part of a therapy program show increased confidence, higher self-esteem, and positive psychological and physical changes that improve their quality of life.

47. Therapy Programs • Many therapy programs involve various motor skills and hand manipulations. • Such programs benefit those with decreased strength, coordination, hand motion capabilities, and motor skills.

48. Therapy Programs • Studies have shown that post-operative patients with a view of outdoor landscapes require a shorter stay than other patients. • Such patients also require fewer and less potent pain medication and have fewer negative staff evaluations regarding their care.

49. Therapy Programs • Visits to and walks through hospital gardens and landscaped areas help patients recover more quickly from anxieties, mental fatigue, and depression they may have experienced before surgery and during recovery. • This leads to shorter recovery time in the hospital and a quicker return to work.

50. Summary • Plants and the outdoor environment influence people’s natural behavior and relationships with nature. • Scientific studies show that plants and people’s relationships with plants and nature have many environmental and psychological benefits.