multivariate assessment of how the structural–functional quality of university green spaces influences students’ neurobiological stress mechanisms: a systematic review (2022-2025)

Background: university students face significant psychological distress, which has distinct neurobiological correlates. while university green spaces (ugs) are considered critical environmental buffers against stress, empirical evidence is often contradictory. this is largely because research has failed to differentiate between the simple quantity of greenness (e.g., ndvi) and the specific structural–functional qualities of the ugs that promote health. furthermore, few studies link these specific environmental qualities to objective neurobiological stress markers rather than self-reported outcomes. objective: this systematic review synthesizes recent (2022–present) empirical literature that integrates (1) advanced geospatial (gis) and remote sensing (rs) assessments of ugs quality and (2) biomarker and biofeedback measurements of student neurobiological stress mechanisms. methods: following prisma guidelines, a systematic search of pubmed, scopus, and web of science was conducted for studies published from january 2022 to the present. inclusion criteria required studies to: (1) focus on a university student population; (2) use objective gis/rs metrics for green space quality (e.g., 3d canopy, landscape configuration, functional amenities) beyond simple 2d greenness; and (3) measure objective neurobiological or physiological stress markers (e.g., heart rate variability (hrv), cortisol, electroencephalography (eeg)). results: the synthesis identified a clear methodological shift. gis/rs assessment is evolving from 2d quantity metrics (ndvi) toward 3d structural (e.g., tree canopy density, spatial configuration) and human-centered functional (e.g., amenities, acoustic quality, perceived safety) metrics [1, 2]. neurobiological evidence confirms that exposure to high-quality ugs modulates the two primary stress axes: it enhances parasympathetic (rest) activity via the autonomic nervous system (ans), measured by improved hrv [3, 4], and dampens the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis, measured by reduced salivary cortisol [5]. conclusion: a multivariate approach integrating geospatial science and environmental neuroscience is essential. the quality of ugs, not just its presence, is the primary driver of psychophysiological stress recovery. future research must prioritize longitudinal and experimental designs, integrating dynamic gis analysis (e.g., space-time paths) with wearable biofeedback to establish causal mechanisms and inform the engineering of restorative campus environments [6, 7].