What are the relationships between public aesthetic preferences and ecological quality?

This study will determine the correlation between one or more measures of ecological condition/quality (e.g., biodiversity, productivity, succession stage, sustainability) and public observers' ratings of natural beauty for a sample forest.

Do ecologically informed observers exhibit different aesthetic preferences than less ecologicallyinformed observers?

This study will test the empirical hypothesis that individuals having greater current knowledge of forest ecosystems and ecological processes will have different aesthetic preferences for forest sites than individuals with less ecological knowledge. A distinction will be made in this study between general ecological knowledge and specific knowledge of the particular forest ecosystems represented in the study.

Does the provision of ecological information/education affect aesthetic preferences?

This experiment will compare aesthetic preferences for the forest sites with and without (before and after) exposure to relevant information about the ecology of those sites. If it proves relevant separate groups may receive general or specific ecological knowledge.

What are the interrelationships among ecological knowledge, feelings, values and aesthetic preferences and what are the separate and combined contributions to the judged acceptability of ecosystem management effects on forest sites?

A multivariate experiment will determine the inter-correlation among observers expressed knowledge, emotions, values and aesthetic preferences for forest sites exhibiting different ecological conditions/effects of ecosystem management practices. These variables, in turn, will be related to expressed acceptability of the management policies and practices that produce these conditions/effects.

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