Research On The Diversity Investigation And Cognitive Preference Comparison Of Artificial Lawn And Spontaneous Vegetation In The Guanzhong Region During Typical Seasons

In urban green spaces,lawns are often favored by designers and the general public for providing a clean,neat,safe,and functional place for activities that promote social interaction and communication.However,lawn maintenance activities such as mowing,fertilizing,and spraying require large amounts of fossil fuels and water resources and cause environmental pollution.At the same time,the single species composition of lawns does not provide a variety of habitats and does not contribute to the biodiversity of urban green space systems,thus increasing the loss of urban biodiversity.Therefore,there is an urgent need to find ecologically friendly and popular alternatives to lawns in urban green space planning and to build ground cover landscapes that can provide sustainable resources.Urban spontaneous vegetation communities have the advantages of high environmental adaptability,low resource consumption,and do not require much manual management.However,public attitudes toward them in terms of landscape recreation are not yet clear.Therefore,in this study,we selected seven types of artificial turf and six types of spontaneous vegetation typical of the Guanzhong area as research objects.Through field observations,we compared the differences in plant diversity between artificial lawns and spontaneous vegetation,collected information on public perceptions and preferences of artificial lawns and spontaneous vegetation under typical seasons through questionnaires,and analyzed the relationship between ground cover plant diversity,respondent demographic characteristics,and ground cover perception preferences.Our goal was to find urban ground cover landscape constructions with biodiversity value and popularity under different seasons.The results of the study are as follows:(1)In terms of plant diversity,the plant diversity of artificial turf remained constant throughout summer and winter,whereas the plant diversity of autochthonous ground cover varied significantly.The autochthonous ground cover TCC(Dandelion-Dogbane-Lesser Pomegranate-Taraxacum mongolicum-Cynodon dactylon-Conyza canadensis)showed the highest plant diversity in both summer and winter.The autochthonous ground cover CVC(Hydrangea minor-Arabian Bracken-Dogbane-Coronilla varia-Veronica persica-Cynodon dactylon)exhibited lower plant diversity in summer,while the snakeberry(Duchesnea indica)had low plant diversity in winter;(2)In terms of landscape perception,the public perceived the species richness of ground cover more strongly in both summer and winter.However,in winter,the public placed more emphasis on the naturalness,aesthetics,ecology,and maintenance level of the ground cover;(3)In terms of landscape preference,the public values the texture of ground cover plants and is more attracted to flowering ground cover plants during the summer season.Among them,artificial turf Dh(Dianthus deltoides × hybrid),O(Oxalis corymbosa),and autochthonous ground cover D(Duchesnea indica)were more preferred by the public.During the winter season,the public is more drawn to ground cover colors and prefers evergreen ground covers.Artificial turf FPL(tall fescue-ryegrass-early grass-Festuca elata-Poa annua-Lolium perenne)and autochthonous ground cover GCC(Gueldenstaedtia verna-Cynodon dactylon-Cerastium glomeratum)had a higher public preference;(4)The diversity of plants in summer is significantly related to the public’s landscape cognition and preference,while the diversity of plants in winter is significantly related to the public’s landscape cognition but not significantly related to their landscape preference(5)Among the demographic characteristics,the respondent’s occupational background and industry significantly influenced their perception of the ground cover landscape.Background knowledge and attention to ground cover plants during the daytime significantly affected their preference for ground cover landscapes.However,economic conditions and people’s living environments did not have a significant impact on the public’s landscape preferences.This study utilized a combination of ecological and sociological research methods to systematically investigate the diversity of artificial turf and self-growing ground cover plants,as well as the landscape cognition and preference characteristics of the public under typical seasonal phases.The study aimed to understand the influence of plant diversity and demographic characteristics on ground cover cognition and preference and provide a theoretical basis for urban park planners and designers to better adapt to the public’s needs and expectations for ground cover plants.By enhancing the social and ecological value of urban parks,this study can contribute to the enhancement of public happiness.