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Lim VC, Sing KW, Chong KY, Jaturas N, Dong H, Lee PS, Tao NT, Le DT, Bonebrake TC, Tsang TPN, Chu L, Brandon-Mong GJ, Kong WL, Soga M, Wilson JJ. Familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies of urban park users in megacities across East and Southeast Asia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220161. [PMID: 36405642 PMCID: PMC9653264 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Perceptions of, and attitudes toward, wildlife are influenced by exposure to, and direct experiences with, nature. Butterflies are a conspicuous and ubiquitous component of urban nature across megacities that are highly urbanized with little opportunity for human-nature interactions. We evaluated public familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies across nine megacities in East and Southeast Asia through face-to-face interviews with 1774 urban park users. A total of 79% of respondents had seen butterflies in their cities mostly in urban parks, indicating widespread familiarity with butterflies. Those who had seen butterflies also had higher perceptions of butterflies, whereas greater than 50% of respondents had positive attitudes toward butterflies. Frequent visits to natural places in urban neighbourhoods was associated with (i) sightings of caterpillars, indicating increased familiarity with urban wildlife, and (ii) increased connectedness to nature. We found two significant positive relationships: (i) between connectedness to nature and attitudes toward butterflies and (ii) between connectedness to nature and perceptions of butterflies, firmly linking parks users' thoughts and feelings about butterflies with their view of nature. This suggests that butterflies in urban parks can play a key role in building connectedness to nature and consequently pro-environmental behaviours and support for wildlife conservation among urban residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Voon-Ching Lim
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, 18110, Saraburi, Thailand
| | - Kong-Wah Sing
- South China DNA Barcoding Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, People's Republic of China
| | - Kwek Yan Chong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Republic of Singapore
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569, Republic of Singapore
| | - Narong Jaturas
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Hui Dong
- Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping-Shin Lee
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 24100, People's Republic of China
| | - Nguyen Thien Tao
- Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Institute of Genome Research, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Graduate University of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dzung Trung Le
- Ministry of Education and Training, 35 Dai Co Viet Road, Hai Ba Trung District, Vietnam
| | | | - Toby P. N. Tsang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leo Chu
- Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RH, UK
| | - Guo-Jie Brandon-Mong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wye-Lup Kong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Masashi Soga
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - John-James Wilson
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 24100, People's Republic of China
- Vertebrate Zoology at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EN, UK
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Durations of virtual exposure to built and natural landscapes impact self-reported stress recovery: evidence from three countries. LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [PMCID: PMC9531188 DOI: 10.1007/s11355-022-00523-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to natural landscapes can benefit human health. However, several knowledge gaps remain regarding the impacts of duration and cultural differences on the health benefits of nature. If these gaps are filled, designers and planners can better design landscapes for stress recovery. This study examined the effects of durations of virtual exposure to the built and natural environments across three countries using an experimental design. Two-hundred and seventy people from USA, Taiwan, and Thailand were induced with an acute stressor and then randomly assigned to watch 360° videos of urban or natural landscapes for 1, 5, or 15 min. Self-reported stress recovery data were collected before and after the exposure. The results suggested that gender and duration of exposure to virtual natural landscapes impacted stress recovery. Female participants recovered from stress more when exposed to the virtual natural landscapes than urban landscapes. Among those participants who were exposed to virtual natural landscapes, 5 min of exposure resulted in greater stress recovery than shorter or longer durations of exposure. Perceived familiarity did not influence the extent of stress recovery. These findings support previous research on how nature exposure is related to stress recovery and varies by dosage, leading to better understanding toward landscape design. Future studies should explore other measures of stress, different landscape designs, participants’ immersion, and levels of control in simulated nature scenes.
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Huynh LTM, Gasparatos A, Su J, Dam Lam R, Grant EI, Fukushi K. Linking the nonmaterial dimensions of human-nature relations and human well-being through cultural ecosystem services. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn8042. [PMID: 35930638 PMCID: PMC9355367 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn8042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nature contributes substantially to human well-being through its diverse material and nonmaterial contributions. However, despite the growing literature on the nonmaterial dimensions of human-nature relations, we lack a systematic understanding of how they are linked with human well-being. Here, we use the concept of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) as a lens to explore this interface. Through a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, we elicit the unique pathways and mechanisms linking individual CESs and constituents of human well-being, as well as their relative effects. Subsequently, we identify their complex interactions through latent class analysis and multiple correspondence analysis, which delineate five major assemblages that reflect synergies and trade-offs at the interface of CESs and human well-being. We critically discuss key research trends and gaps and propose directions for future research and practice to leverage the potential of the nonmaterial contributions of nature for human well-being and sustainability more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lam Thi Mai Huynh
- Graduate Program in Sustainability Science–Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa City 277- 8563, Japan
- Corresponding author. (L.T.M.H.); (A.G.)
| | - Alexandros Gasparatos
- Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 131-8654, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), United Nations University, 5-53- Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
- Corresponding author. (L.T.M.H.); (A.G.)
| | - Jie Su
- Graduate Program in Sustainability Science–Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa City 277- 8563, Japan
| | | | - Ezekiel I. Grant
- Graduate Program in Sustainability Science–Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa City 277- 8563, Japan
| | - Kensuke Fukushi
- Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 131-8654, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), United Nations University, 5-53- Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
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Tomasso LP, Laurent JGC, Chen JT, Catalano PJ, Spengler JD. Cultural Sets Shape Adult Conceptualizations and Relationships to Nature. SUSTAINABILITY 2021; 13:11266. [PMID: 36778665 PMCID: PMC9912744 DOI: 10.3390/su132011266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The variability of nature and the nature construct have complicated interpretations of empirical evidence from nature-based health studies. The challenge of defining nature exposure for purposes of methodological standardization may encompass constructs beyond vegetated landcover. This study offers a new construct for defining 'nature exposure' that considers cultural sets and nature familiarity. Focus group discussions across the United States (N = 126) explored the concept of what constitutes the relationship to nature. The participant diversity included regions, cultural demographics, cumulative nature experience, and everyday nature exposure. Mixed methods of semi-structured discussion and a photo exercise that prompted nature connectedness allowed for data triangulation and the detection of contradictions between approaches. Individuals conceptualized nature in ways reflecting highly personal and differentiated experiences, which defied consensus toward a single nature construct. The group scoring of photo imagery showed consistent high and low levels of nature connectedness with respect to wildness and outdoor urban venues, respectively, but diverged in the assessment of nature within the built environment. Everyday nature exposure significantly differentiated how groups conceptualized and related to nature imagery. This result may indicate an unmet biophilic need among groups with low backgrounds of nature exposure. The contrasts between the discussion content and the observed reactions to nature imagery showed the value of using mixed methods in qualitative research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Powers Tomasso
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Population Health Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Jarvis T. Chen
- Population Health Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Paul J. Catalano
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John D. Spengler
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Abstract
Urban blue-green spaces hold immense potential for supporting the sustainability and liveability of cities through the provision of urban ecosystem services (UES). However, research on UES in the Global South has not been reviewed as systematically as in the Global North. In Southeast Asia, the nature and extent of the biases, imbalances and gaps in UES research are unclear. We address this issue by conducting a systematic review of UES research in Southeast Asia over the last twenty years. Our findings draw attention to the unequal distribution of UES research within the region, and highlight common services, scales and features studied, as well as methods undertaken in UES research. We found that while studies tend to assess regulating and cultural UES at a landscape scale, few studies examined interactions between services by assessing synergies and tradeoffs. Moreover, the bias in research towards megacities in the region may overlook less-developed nations, rural areas, and peri-urban regions and their unique perspectives and preferences towards UES management. We discuss the challenges and considerations for integrating and conducting research on UES in Southeast Asia based on its unique and diverse socio-cultural characteristics. We conclude our review by highlighting aspects of UES research that need more attention in order to support land use planning and decision-making in Southeast Asia.
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