How Do Spatiotemporal Factors, Landscape Pattern and Plant Diversity Shape Soundscape Perception in an Urban Park? A Case Study of Yueyatan Park in Kunming, China

Soundscapes contribute to human well-being, yet the combined effects of spatiotemporal dynamics, landscape patterns and vegetation on acoustic perception remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated Yueyatan Park (16 ha) using 20 sample points categorized by blue, blue–green and green landscapes in street-side or inner-park locations. Over two weekdays and two rest days, A-weighted sound pressure level (SPL) was measured (5 × 2 min, energy-averaged), ISO 12913 soundwalk evaluations were conducted (960 valid responses) and plant diversity was surveyed. Results showed that rest-day SPL exceeded weekday levels, peaking 14:00–18:00, with blue–green and street-side sites loudest. Perception decoupled from SPL: water sound and birdsong enhanced ISO-P (Pleasantness) and ISO-E (Eventfulness), while traffic noise reduced ISO-P. Mediation analysis indicated that elevated SPL suppressed natural sounds and amplified traffic noise. Three-way ANOVA confirmed significant effects of time, pattern and location on ISO-P, with key Pattern × Time interactions. Plant diversity exhibited non-linear effects; overall richness sometimes lowered ISO-P via recreational noise, whereas shrub and tree richness buffered temporal fluctuations in perception. Within this single-park, non-probability sample, results suggest that soundscape quality depends more on source semantics than absolute noise levels. An eco-acoustic coupling framework integrating vegetation structure, landscape pattern and time-sensitive management may inform to optimise urban park soundscapes.