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Assessment of landscape silhouette value in urban forests based on structural diversity indices
Ozkan, U. Y. & Ozdemir, I.
Abstract
Urban forests form an important component of
the urban environment. They make a significant contribution
to landscape silhouettes due to species diversity and
the differences observed within forest communities such as
tree composition, size and form. Visual effects such as
these are referred as aesthetic value. Therein, quantitative
assessments of targeted forest structures that will optimize
aesthetic values are vital during urban forest planning.
However, the silhouette effect, which is an important
component of aesthetic value, has not been extensively
studied to date. This study aims to reveal the relationship
between forest structure, the visual quality of tree composition
and the different forms and sizes that create the
silhouette effect. To this end, virtual landscapes of different
structures were created using computer-assisted images.
The forest structure was characterized by a Form Mingling
Index (FMI) and Height Dominance Index (HDI). A Pearson
correlation was applied in order to find the relationship
between the landscape silhouette values through a perceptual
test as well as the FMI and HDI. The results of the
analyses showed that there was a strong positive relationship
between the FMI and HDI (r = 0.78, r = 0.75,
P<0.01, respectively) and landscape silhouette values.
The combined effect of FMI + HDI was found to have the
highest relationship with landscape silhouette values
(r = 0.80, P<0.01). In conclusion, FMI and HDI offer a
rapid, cost-effective method which can be used by
managers to assess the silhouette value of an urban forest
landscape.
Keywords
Urban forestry; Form Mingling Index; Height Dominance Index; Silhouette value
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