Combining landscapes with human health: Assessing the potential of orchard landscapes for promotion of human health and well-being

Abstract

As a historically evolved cultural landscape, orchard meadows make a significant contribution to an attractive scenery in many regions of Baden-Württemberg. Besides their aesthetic values, orchard landscapes fulfil numerous ecosystem functions, such as the protection of soil and water. They are especially important for maintaining and promoting biodiversity, because they provide a habitat for many different species. Over the last decades, orchard landscapes are declining, so that both their aesthetic and their biodiversity value is deteriorating. One cause for the decline is that they can hardly be used profitably today, so that they are often no longer adequately maintained. Thus, the question arises how the decline of orchard landscapes can be stopped or even be reversed and how orchard landscapes can be preserved?

In this project, an innovative approach is being used to investigate the extent to which orchard landscapes could be integrated in therapeutic programmes of health care facilities. From the perspective of research on so-called restorative environments, orchard landscapes have a strong potential to promote human health and well-being. They provide opportunities for experiencing coherence, fascination and psychological distance from everyday hassles. Linking orchard landscapes with human health and therapeutical settings could thus generate new value-added opportunities: the extensively managed orchard landscapes with their health-promoting potential would be given a new, additional utilization function that could stop their decline and promote their preservation.

To date, it is largely unclear what requirements and preferences health care facilities have with regard to integrating orchard landscapes into therapeutical programmes, and which orchard landscapes fulfil these requirements. We therefore conducted open-ended structured guideline interviews with therapists and different people from health care facilities (n = 4). Results showed that distance to the health care facility, perceived privacy, diversity within and between orchard landscapes (e.g., deadwood as well as manicured meadows etc.), absence of major roads and distance to frequently visited recreational areas were the most significant characteristics for orchard landscapes to be integrated in therapeutical programmes. All interviewees agreed that orchard landscapes have a strong potential for promoting health and well-being, because they provide elements of restorative landscapes and can thus enhance effects of therapeutical programmes. On the other hand, the interviewees questioned that health care facilities would implement orchard landscapes into therapeutical programmes if that means additional effort or costs, because health care facilities are challenged in terms of funding and available personal.

This project is funded by the “Special Program for Strengthening Biodiversity” of the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg (MLR).