Empirical studies of the perceived scenic beauty of forest settings have followed either the psychophysical or psychological traditions of environmental-perception research. Although psychophysical models of forest scenic beauty have proven useful to resource managers, they tend to lack theoretical content. On the other hand, psychological research often fails to produce results directly applicable to landscape management. This paper reports on an analysis combining the strong points of both the psychophysical and psychological approaches to environmental-preference research. Psychological theories of aesthetic response are used to deduce a variable, visual penetration, which is evaluated in psychophysical models of forest scenic beauty. Visual penetration is shown not only to be a significant positive contributor to explained variance, but also to be more important in accounting for scenic beauty evaluations than measures more typical of psychophysical models.

In human-dominated regions, forest vegetation removal impacts remaining ecosystems but regional-scale biological consequences and resource value changes are not well known. Using forest resource survey data, I examined current bottomland hardwood community types and a range of fragment size classes in the south central United States. Analyses examined resource value indicators, appraised tree-based flood zone and shade tolerance indices, and identified potential regional-scale processes. Findings revealed that the largest fragments had fewer tree species, reduced anthropogenic use evidence, and more older and wetter community types than small fragments. Results also suggested the need for incorporating hydrologic, geomorphic, and understory vegetation parameters in regional forest resource monitoring efforts.Two regional-scale processes are hypothesized: (1) forest fragmentation occurs more frequently in drier habitats and dry zone (inundated _< 2 months annually), younger seral stage bottomland community types; and (2) forest fragmentation induces establishment of drier habitats or dry zone, younger seral stage community types. Both hypotheses suggest that regional forest fragmentation impacts survival of distinct community types, anthropogenic uses, and multiple resource values.

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We dcvelopt~l a spatially explicit modeling approaclr, using a county-scaled rem01 e forest (i.e., forested area reserved frown or having no direct human interference) assessment derived from l! 184-90 forest resonrce inventory data arid a 1984 trlack bear (Urszrs americancts) range map for 12 states in the southern United States. We defined minirtiinn suitable and optimal black bear habitat criteria and gc o-referenced remote forest classificatiori with csxisting black bear range. Using a suitable habitat criterion, we classified 97.2% of occupied arid 97% of rmoccupied range (38.9% of the south. U.S. region's area). I sing optimal habitat criteria, we classified 60.8% of occnpied and 60.1% of uncrccupied range (63.3% of the r :gion's area), interpreted occupied ram+* withoiit optimal habitat wt su ioptimal areas (9.9% of the regior 's area), ant1 unoccupied range with optimal Irabitat as areas with repopulation potential (26.8% of the r -g ,gion's area). There was a lack of high-density (~34%) optimal habitat linkages among existing black bear populations, which we construed as a limitaticrn on interpopulation gene flow. We recommend expansion of fr ture regional land surveys to (1) address Iargc, carnivore mammal habitat and broad home ranges of other species that may conflict with humails or tlonlcbtic animals, (2) include field inventories of woodland and reserved areas, (3) use standard measures to assess remote forests, and (4) organize available data in a geographic information system.

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