Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Landscape and health

Mann joggt auf einem Waldweg, umgeben von dichtem grünem Laub.

Landscape and nature provide a multitude of specific health benefits such as improving air quality in cities and opportunities for sporting and social events. We study the relationship between landscape and human health, for example relief from stress and mental fatigue. Our aim is to better understand the mechanisms of action and the underlying processes involved in this. This knowledge helps us to promote the desired positive effects of natural spaces and landscapes on people. In this way, we contribute to the development of policy and planning strategies which can be used to manage and coordinate the recreational benefits of the landscape. This important benefit of the landscape helps in the prevention of disease and the promotion of public health.

Publications

Schaupp J., Hediger K., Wunderli J.M., Schäffer B., Tobias S., Kolecka N., Bauer N. (2024) Psychophysiological effects of walking in forests and urban built environments with disparate road traffic noise exposure: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychol. 12, 250 (18 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01720-xInstitutional Repository DORA

Dopico J., Schäffer B., Brink M., Röösli M., Vienneau D., Binz T.M., … Wunderli J.M. (2023) How do road traffic noise and residential greenness correlate with noise annoyance and long-term stress? Protocol and pilot study for a large field survey with a cross-sectional design. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 20(4), 3203 (19 pp.). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043203Institutional Repository DORA

Hegetschweiler T., Salak B., Wunderlich A.C., Bauer N., Hunziker M. (2022) Das Verhältnis der Schweizer Bevölkerung zum Wald. Waldmonitoring soziokulturell WaMos3. Ergebnisse der nationalen Umfrage. WSL Berichte: Vol. 120. (2nd ed.). Birmensdorf: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL. 166 p. https://doi.org/10.55419/wsl:30512Institutional Repository DORA

Dopico J., Schäffer B., García Martín M., Kolecka N., Tobias S., Schaupp J., … Wunderli J.M. (2022) Studying the association between noise exposure, stress and characteristics of green spaces: protocol and pilot study. In 51st international congress and exposition on noise control engineering. Internoise 2022. Edinburgh: Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA. 4144-4152. https://doi.org/10.3397/IN_2022_0591 Institutional Repository DORA

Young C., Bauer N. (2022) Eviction from paradise: lived experience, psycho-social and health effects of allotment garden loss. Urban For. Urban Green. 75, 127708 (11 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127708Institutional Repository DORA

Kowasch M., Oettel J., Bauer N., Lapin K. (2022) Forest education as contribution to education for environmental citizenship and non-anthropocentric perspectives. Environ. Educ. Res. 28(9), 1331-1347. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2060940 Institutional Repository DORA

Projects

Effect of contact with nature during childhood on environmental attitudes, ecological behavior and environmental citizenship behavior

The project will assess the impact of a multitude of different settings on EA and EB/Environmental Citizenship Behavior by comparing children's and adults' self-report.

Sociocultural Forest Monitoring (WaMos3)

The aim of WaMos is to investigate the relationship of the Swiss population to the forest. In WaMos3, important aspects of the last household survey are replicated and the survey instrument is further developed in terms of content and methodology.

Health benefits of different recreational spaces within cities

Daily life stress can be a substantial detriment to human health and wellbeing. In comparing the stress-reduction capacities among different urban recreational spaces, this project aims at identifying the components of urban nature causing these health benefits.

Recipies for Biocities

Basierend auf bestehendem Wissen und der Zusammenarbeit zwischen verschiedenen Partnern im In- und Ausland entwickeln wir eine Vision für nachhaltige Städte der Zukunft, in denen urbane Wälder eine zentral Rolle spielen

Artificial Light at Night: Mitigating an Extreme Disturbance for Humans and the Environment (ALANex)

ALANex brings together lighting engineers, practitioners, and experts from ecological and social sciences to reduce the negative impacts of artificial light at night while still meeting human lighting needs.

Hören und Stören? Subjektive Geräuschwahrnehmung von Erholungssuchenden in Grünräumen

In der Studie wird die wahrgenommene Landschaftsqualität von Grünräumen für die Erholung unter Berücksichtigung visueller und akustischer Eigenschaften (Lärm/Stille/Naturgeräusche) durch NutzerInnen charakterisiert

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