Effectively hearing natural sounds is a robust contributor to positive outdoor sound perception in the everyday living environment

Abstract

Natural sounds are known for their positive affective and restorative effects on people, as well as their ability to enhance soundscapes dominated by technical sounds. While small-scale experiments have demonstrated these benefits, their real-world applicability remains less explored. This study, part of a large-scale citizen science project called “De Oorzaak”, analyzed data from 4665 participants who completed soundwalks, revealing that effectively hearing natural sounds strongly predicts positive soundscape experiences. The impact of natural sounds on pleasantness, calmness, and annoyance is limited when hearing traffic noise is very high or low, but becomes strong at intermediate levels, common in dense urban areas. Land use also plays a key role: green infrastructure identified by the Flemish Green Maps —including treedense areas, low-greenery zones, and farmland—greatly increases the likelihood of perceiving natural sounds. Notably, green features within a 500 m radius matter more than those immediately nearby. This larger area may serve as a more significant source of natural sounds capable of reaching the listener and being noticed. The provision of natural sounds can therefore be considered as an important and robust ecosystem service of green infrastructure.