The Attractiveness of Woodlands: Perceptions of Forest Landowners in Massachusetts

To discover what private owners of commercial forest land in Massachusetts consider as scenic attributes of woodlands, photographs of 20 sites were shown to individual landowners and to groups of students with and without forestry training. These respondents were asked to rate the attractiveness of each stand, and to complete a checklist of 14 forest features. The data indicated that (1) forest landowners perceive differences in the attractiveness of stands on the basis of certain spatial qualities; (2) large, enclosed spaces and spaces created by thinning well-stocked stands are more attractive than unbounded openings and dense, overstocked stands; (3) the forestry students agreed with the landowners in their ratings, and (4) some photographs did not accurately represent the attractiveness of the stands. Forest Sci. 25:495-506.