Abstract
In Germany mere is currently (again) a massive turn-over of grassland into fields to enhance the plant production for biogas (especially maize). Almost all statements and bulletins in this field mention a considerable impact on the landscape scenery. Since the aesthetic effects of grassland have been little researched so far this paper gives an overview of empirical investigations about aesthetic preferences for meadows, pastures, and grasslands. Further, the study depicts the typical aesthetic modes of grassland ("the beautiful and the plain") as well as arcadian and utopian visions as common symbolic meanings of meadows and grasslands. Using cheerfulness and melancholy as examples the investigations also show that grasslands function as "landscapes for special moods". Next, the specific relevance of grassland for outdoor recreation and tourism has been elaborated. The study concludes with a compilation of the manifold aesthetic losses occurring if grasslands are changed into fields.
| Translated title of the contribution | Grassland and landscape aesthetics - Aesthetic relevance of grassland and the impact of grassland reduction on landscape scenery |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 357-364 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| State | Published - 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |