2026-10-14T13:57:26Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33987349 2026-09-24T17:25:34Z category_24 category_45 category_734 category_106 category_133 portal_87 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Visual preference across plant grouping scales in residential autumn landscapes: evidence from an eye-tracking experiment Hang Lv (5366651) Hongyu Mao (12466149) Evolutionary Biology Sociology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Science Policy Plant Biology Urban ecosystems Eye-tracking cultural ecosystem services visual behavior landscape preference plant phenology <p>Colored-leaf planting can strengthen seasonal aesthetic cultural ecosystem services in residential green spaces, but empirical design evidence remains limited for how color proportion and grouping scale shape visual preference. This study examined visual preference across colored-leaf ratio categories and plant grouping scales using standardized residential autumn landscape stimuli derived from field photographs in Shenyang, China. Forty adult participants viewed 45 plant-grouping images representing three colored-leaf ratio categories (0–40%, 40–70%, and 70–100%) and three grouping scales (small, medium, and large). We combined seven-point preference ratings, eye-tracking metrics, heat maps, scan-path visualizations, and crossed linear mixed-effects models. Subjective preference differed among colored-leaf ratio categories after accounting for participant and stimulus random effects. The medium ratio category (40–70%) received the highest preference scores, while the high category (70–100%) produced no further gain, indicating a non-monotonic categorical pattern. Medium-scale groupings showed a higher descriptive mean preference, but the mixed-effects model did not support grouping scale as a stable fixed effect. Whole-image eye-tracking indicators showed very weak associations with preference and no consistent prediction of ratings in the mixed-effects models. At the area-of-interest level, area-normalized total fixation duration indicated that attention allocation varied with area type and colored-leaf ratio category. These findings support intermediate colored-leaf proportions as preliminary design references for aesthetic cultural ecosystem service-oriented seasonal planting in cold-region residential landscapes.</p> <p></p><p>Urban greenspace managers can treat autumn color as a plant composition feature that contributes to aesthetic cultural ecosystem services. Within the tested Shenyang stimulus set, the medium colored-leaf ratio category (40%–70%) offers a preliminary reference for balancing seasonal visual attraction, green background, and perceived spatial coordination.</p><p>Medium-scale plant groupings can be considered in close-range residential viewing contexts, although this recommendation remains preliminary because grouping scale was not supported as a stable fixed effect. Together, subjective preference and eye-tracking evidence provide perceptual support for aesthetic CES-oriented seasonal planting under controlled image viewing conditions.</p><p>Because visual attention varied by landscape area and colored-leaf ratio, planting guidance should consider where autumn color is positioned, not only its overall proportion. Local pilot testing is advisable before applying these findings beyond cold region residential landscapes.</p><p></p> <p>Urban greenspace managers can treat autumn color as a plant composition feature that contributes to aesthetic cultural ecosystem services. Within the tested Shenyang stimulus set, the medium colored-leaf ratio category (40%–70%) offers a preliminary reference for balancing seasonal visual attraction, green background, and perceived spatial coordination.</p> <p>Medium-scale plant groupings can be considered in close-range residential viewing contexts, although this recommendation remains preliminary because grouping scale was not supported as a stable fixed effect. Together, subjective preference and eye-tracking evidence provide perceptual support for aesthetic CES-oriented seasonal planting under controlled image viewing conditions.</p> <p>Because visual attention varied by landscape area and colored-leaf ratio, planting guidance should consider where autumn color is positioned, not only its overall proportion. Local pilot testing is advisable before applying these findings beyond cold region residential landscapes.</p> 2026-09-24T17:25:34Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33987349.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Visual_preference_across_plant_grouping_scales_in_residential_autumn_landscapes_evidence_from_an_eye-tracking_experiment/33987349 CC BY 4.0