Objective Investigate the coupling relationship between stand structure traits and visual morphological traits to reveal the formation mechanisms of the scenic quality within recreational forests and provide a basis for technological innovation aimed at improving landscape quality.

Method This study selected the scenic and recreational forests in the hilly area of Beijing as research subjects, using correlation and principal component analyses to explore how stand structure and visual morphology affect landscape beauty. It also employed partial least squares path modeling and coupling analysis to study their relationship.

Result (1) All stand structure indicators significantly influenced landscape quality within the forest (P < 0.05), and two principal components, namely tree size index (I_TS) and horizontal coverage index (I_HC), can be extracted.Tree size (I_TS) had a positive overall impact on the landscape beauty, whereas horizontal coverage (I_HC) had a negative impact. (2) Stand structure influenced visual morphological traits by modifying tree crown shapes , creating recreational spaces under the canopy, and enhancing landscape diversity. Specifically, I_HC positively influenced visual morphological traits, while I_HC had an antagonistic effect on them. (3) Stand structural traits were highly coupled and well-coordinated with visual morphological traits, with a coupling degree of 0.81 to 0.99, and a coupling coordination degree of 0.58 to 0.89. The scenic beauty estimate (E_SB) increased with better coupling coordination, suggesting that recreational forests with higher coordination levels exhibit superior visual quality.

Conclusion Both stand structure traits and visual morphological traits have a significant impact on the in-forest landscape quality of the recreational forests. Changes in stand structure traits could effectively reflect changes in visual morphology traits. Therefore, optimizing stand structure could significantly effectively improve landscape visual quality.