• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.529-536
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• 2021

The forest landscape has been considered to be one of the most beneficial factors, in regard to facilitating the therapeutic effects of the forest environment. The aim of this study was to review the preceding literary works on the correlation between forest landscape and its therapeutic effects and to ponder on key factors of forest landscape that promotes therapeutic results on people's psychological and physiological responses. Literature found in domestic research databases was analyzed and examined in accordance with the 'Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses(PRISMA)' process. Six papers out of 1,890 were selected as key literature to support the connection. The quality of forest landscape was found to be an integral environmental factor in determining the healing effects of forests. In particular, several factors, including forest types, aquatic elements within the forest landscape, forest-use density and aesthetic elements of forest landscape were found to be crucial for enhancing the therapeutic effects on people's wellbeing. Despite the limited sample groups in the analyzed literature, the results offered a significant insight in supporting the healing effects of forests. Further studies on this subject are required to provide more scientific data for verifying the quality of the therapeutic effects of forests.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.6
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• pp.634-640
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to clarify the physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest of forest bathing). The subjects were twelve male university students ($21.6{\pm}2.1$ years old). On the first day, six subjects were sent to a forest area, and the others to a city area. On the second day, the subjects were sent to the opposite areas for a cross check. The subjects were seated on chairs and viewing the landscapes of their given areas for 15 minutes. HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and diastolic blood pressure were used as physiological indices. Diastolic blood pressure and LF/(LF+HF) components of HRV in the forest area were significantly lower than in the city area. And HF power components of HRV in the forest settings were significantly enhanced than in city settings. In conclusion, the results of the physiological measurements show that Shinrin-yoku was able to effectively relax people in both mind and body.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.2
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• pp.294-299
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of a forest healing program on the level of job stress and the profile of mood states (POMS). 38 public servants who were in charge of social welfare in A city as well as 24 metal health care workers in C province participated in the forest healing programs. The data were collected by a pretest-posttest design. The data analysis showed that both job stress and POMS levels were significantly improved by the forest healing program. The therapeutic effects of forests are highly expected to be utilized for healing programs for job stress reduction and burnout prevention.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the potentiality of urban forest roads as an environment for enhancing physical fitness. Six male university students participated in the study as subjects. The subjects walked on an urban forest road for 30 minutes. As a control experiment, they also walked on a national park trail for 30 minutes. Subjects' heart rates were monitored during the walks to calculate the ratio of the average time their heart rates were within the target range (from 60% to 80% of the maximal heart rate) for Enhancing Physical Fitness. After the walks, images of the spaces were analyzed using the semantic differential (SD) method. During the walk on the urban forest road, subjects' heart rates were within the target range 63.3% of the time, and lower than the target range 36.7% of the time. During the control experiment on the national park trail, subjects' heart rates were within the target range only 23.3% of the time, and higher than the target range 76.7% of the time. From the spatial perception evaluation using the SD method, subjects' comfortable and natural feelings when they were on the national park trail were significantly greater than when they were on the urban forest trail, but there were no differences in terms of other SD descriptors, such as friendliness and likeability. The results of our study indicate that the urban forest road provides a good environment for walking to enhance physical fitness. Although not as close to nature as national park trails, urban forest roads offer similar natural environments and have a high potentiality for serving as leisure spaces for urban residents who seek physical activities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.1
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• pp.140-149
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to clarify the physiological and psychological effects of walking around and viewing a lake in a forest environment. The subjects included 11 male Japanese university students (age: $22.0{\pm}1.2$ years) who were randomly assigned to visit either a forest or an urban (control) setting. They were instructed to walk a predetermined 15-min course and to view the setting from a seated position for 15 min. Heart rate variability, heart rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, and salivary cortisol levels were measured to assess the subject's physiological responses to the environment. Four questionnaires (SD method, reports of "refreshed" feeling, POMS, and STAI) were administered to assess the subjects' psychological responses. It was found that walking around and viewing a lake in a forest environment can suppress sympathetic nerve activity, increase parasympathetic nerve activity, and decrease the heart rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, and cortisol levels. In addition, a forest environment can enhance the "comfortable," "soothing," "natural," and "refreshed" feelings, improve the mood state, and reduce anxiety. These results provide scientific evidence of the physiological and psychological effects of forest therapy.