Natural environments, nature relatedness and the ecological theater: connecting satellites and sequencing to shinrin-yoku

Abstract

Recent advances in research concerning the public health value of natural environments have been remarkable. The growing interest in this topic (often housed under terms such as green and/or blue space) has been occurring in parallel with the microbiome revolution and an increased use of remote sensing technology in public health. In the context of biodiversity loss, rapid urbanization, and alarming rates of global non-communicable diseases (many associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation), discussions of natural vis-a-vis built environments are not merely fodder for intellectual curiosity. Here, we argue for increased interdisciplinary collaboration with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms—including aerobiological and epigenetic—that might help explain some of the noted positive health outcomes. It is our contention that some of these mechanisms are related to ecodiversity (i.e., the sum of biodiversity and geodiversity, including biotic and abiotic constituents). We also encourage researchers to more closely examine individual nature relatedness and how it might influence many outcomes that are at the interface of lifestyle habits and contact with ecodiversity.

Economic Value of Parks via Human Mental Health: An Analytical Framework

“…In Scandinavian nations, concepts such as friluftsliv, open-air life, are in common use as part of national culture. In Japan and Korea, there is a widespread practice known as shinrin-yoku, "forest bathing, " as a deliberate measure to improve health (Li, 2010;Shin et al, 2010;Li et al, 2011;Morita et al, 2011;Craig et al, 2016). In China, there is a longstanding historical precedent for the philosophy of tian ren he yi, harmony between people and nature-even if, as in other nations, this may not be practiced in economic development.…”

Transforming Life: A Broad View of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Concept from an Ecological Justice Perspective

“…In the context of urban settings this may include gardens, parks, forests and waterside areas. Natural environments as whole (and specific elements within them: e.g., airborne phytoncides released from plants, natural light, negative ions, sounds, tactile opportunity, microbes (discussed in detail later)) may buffer stress, improve cognition, facilitate physical activity, encourage social cohesion, and promote overall health and mental well-being [167,168]. Residential proximity to higher concentrations of green space has been linked to lower mortality [169], and this appears to be especially true for disadvantaged communities [170].…”

“…The crises of climate change, rapid urbanization, environmental degradation and gross biodiversity loss [351,352] in the context of a disconnection from nature [167,353], force emphasis from the DOHaD perspective that human health is dependent upon planetary health. DOHaD is making every effort to undo the NCD crisis at its fetal/first 1000 days origins; however, as a scientific/clinical movement it cannot promote health without widening the lens such that it visualizes the dysbiosis (life in distress) of Earthly ecosystems [236] and the reality that NCDs will be increasingly driven by climate change [354].…”

Does waterfall aerosol influence mucosal immunity and chronic stress? A randomized controlled clinical trial

“…“Negative air ions” are positively correlated with relative humidity and their concentration is higher in natural environments compared in urban environment [11–14]. Waterfalls not only produce high levels of negative air ions, they also create a specific microbiological atmosphere by spreading of microbes in the impact zone of a waterfall, which may influence immunological and physiological parameters.…”