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Methorst J. Positive relationship between bird diversity and human mental health: an analysis of repeated cross-sectional data. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e285-e296. [PMID: 38729669 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00023-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An increasing body of research has examined the link between biodiversity of birds and human mental health, but most studies only use cross-sectional data. Few studies have used longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional data to investigate the mental health benefits of bird diversity. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between bird diversity and mental health at the national level using a unique repeated cross-sectional dataset. METHODS I used repeated cross-sectional health data from the German National Cohort health study, collected between March, 2014, and September, 2019, and annual bird citizen science data to investigate the effects of bird-diversity exposure on mental health. Mental health was measured using the summary score of the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module 9 (SumPHQ) and the Short Form Health Survey-12 Mental Health Component Scale. As a proxy for bird diversity, I created a unique indicator called reporting-rate richness and combined it with the health data. Reporting-rate richness measures the number of bird species within postcode areas across Germany in probabilities while accounting for variation in survey efforts. Alternative indicators of bird diversity, such as bird-species richness or abundance, were also calculated. Associations between bird diversity and mental health were estimated using linear regression with region and time fixed effects, adjusted for a range of sociodemographic and environmental confounders and spatial autocorrelation. Interaction terms between income levels and reporting-rate richness were also analysed to examine the moderating effect of socioeconomic status. FINDINGS I did the analyses for an unbalanced (n=176 362) and balanced (n=125 423) dataset, with the balanced dataset comprising only regions (postcode areas) in which health data were available for each year. The linear fixed-effects regression analysis indicated a significant negative association between reporting-rate richness and SumPHQ, as observed in both the unbalanced dataset (β -0·02, p=0·017) and the balanced dataset (β -0·03, p=0·0037). Similarly, regression results with both datasets showed a positive relationship between reporting-rate richness and Mental Health Component Scale (MCS; unbalanced β 0·02, p=0·0086; balanced β 0·03, p=0·0018). The moderator analyses revealed a significant influence of socioeconomic status on the relationship between reporting-rate richness and mental health. The robustness of these findings was confirmed through sensitivity analyses. INTERPRETATION The results suggest that a greater likelihood of having many different bird species in a person's area of residence might positively contribute to mental health, especially for people with lower socioeconomic status. These findings could have implications for biodiversity conservation and health policy decisions, as governments are facing challenges such as global biodiversity loss and growing public mental health problems. FUNDING None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Methorst
- Helmut-Schmidt University, Holstenhofweg, Hamburg, Germany; Hamburg Institute of International Economics, Hamburg, Germany.
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Randler C, Vanhöfen J, Härtel T, Neunhoeffer F, Engeser C, Fischer C. Psychological restoration depends on curiosity, motivation, and species richness during a guided bird walk in a suburban blue space. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1176202. [PMID: 37342642 PMCID: PMC10278354 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban and suburban green and blue spaces are important places for human recreation, and the impact of biodiversity on psychological and recalled restoration has received much attention. This study addresses the relationship between bird species richness and restoration in a controlled field experiment (guided bird walk) applying a battery of individual trait scales (need for cognition, personality) as predictors of restoration. We found a significant positive relationship between the number of bird species present and recalled restoration. Personality, bird species knowledge, bird related interest as test measures, demographics and birding specialization as self-report had no influence on psychological restoration. However, need for cognition correlated positively with psychological restoration, thus providing a new predictive variable. All subscales of the intrinsic motivation scale (enjoyment, perceived competence, perceived choice, pressure/tension) were positively correlated with restoration except of pressure/tension. Learning emotions like interest and well-being were positively related to restoration, while boredom was negatively related. Therefore, we suggest research to examine the restorative function of more cognitive-oriented programs because people may also need cognition when it comes to restoration. We also suggest a broader focus on education and cognitive aspects when it comes to linking biodiversity and health within the framework of ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janina Vanhöfen
- Department of Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Talia Härtel
- Department of Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Cheyenne Engeser
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christian Fischer
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Garfinkel M, Hosler S, Roberts M, Vogt J, Whelan C, Minor E. Balancing the management of powerline right-of-way corridors for humans and nature. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 330:117175. [PMID: 36610195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Green space in electric powerline rights of way (ROWs) can be a source of both ecosystem services and disservices in developed landscapes. Vegetation management within the ROW may influence tradeoffs that maximize potential services or disservices. Frequently mowed ROWs managed as lawn harbor less biodiversity than ROWs with taller vegetation, but may be preferred by people for aesthetic reasons and because they provide space for recreational activities. We conducted a survey of residents living by ROWs in the Chicago, Illinois USA metropolitan area to determine if residents prefer ROWs managed as lawn over those managed as native prairies or allowed to grow freely with only woody vegetation removed ("old-field ROWs"). We found that respondents did not prefer mowed over prairie or old-field ROWs. Furthermore, respondents living near mowed ROWs were least likely to think that the ROW is attractive, while those living near prairie ROWs were most likely to. Survey respondents tended to believe it was important for ROWs to provide habitat for wildlife, and wildlife observation was the most frequently reported activity conducted in the ROW. Finally, we found that a respondent's perception of biodiversity in the ROW was more closely correlated with positive feelings about the ROW than measured biodiversity levels. Our results suggest that managing ROWs for wildlife habitat is fully compatible with managing them for human enjoyment. We therefore recommend that where possible, ROW vegetation is managed in a more "natural" way than lawn because it has the potential to benefit both wildlife and people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Garfinkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Sheryl Hosler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jess Vogt
- Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christopher Whelan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Cancer Physiology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Emily Minor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Hamlin I, Richardson M. Visible Garden Biodiversity Is Associated with Noticing Nature and Nature Connectedness. ECOPSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1089/eco.2021.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iain Hamlin
- School of Psychology, Human Sciences Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
| | - Miles Richardson
- School of Psychology, Human Sciences Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
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The Effect of Environmental Degradation, Climate Change, and the European Green Deal Tools on Life Satisfaction. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14185839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Environmental issues, sustainability, and climate change have become the targets of many policies from international and governmental organizations including the EU’s European Green Deal action plan. This plan provides tools to address them—which include support for the circular economy, implementation of energy and environmental taxes, and investment in environmental protection—with the aim of favoring the well-being of EU citizens. In this context, this study analyses the impact of several parameters (environmental matters, global warming, circular economy, energy and environmental taxes, and expenditure and investment on the environment) on life satisfaction, or subjective well-being, and their effects on 33 European countries. For this purpose, four econometric models were carried out using data collected from the World Values Survey (WVS), the European Values Study (EVS), and the World Bank and Eurostat, reflecting subjective citizen satisfaction data. The findings present a highly significant inverse relationship between life satisfaction variables and both environmental problems and energy taxes. Additionally, there is a highly significant positive relationship between circular economy, environmental tax, and environmental protection expenditure parameters and life satisfaction variables, as well as, to a lesser degree of significance, with noise pollution from neighbours.
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The European Union Green Deal: Clean Energy Wellbeing Opportunities and the Risk of the Jevons Paradox. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14144148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
After the Great Recession of 2008, there was a strong commitment from several international institutions and forums to improve wellbeing economics, with a switch towards satisfaction and sustainability in people–planet–profit relations. The initiative of the European Union is the Green Deal, which is similar to the UN SGD agenda for Horizon 2030. It is the common political economy plan for the Multiannual Financial Framework, 2021–2027. This project intends, at the same time, to stop climate change and to promote the people’s wellness within healthy organizations and smart cities with access to cheap and clean energy. However, there is a risk for the success of this aim: the Jevons paradox. In this paper, we make a thorough revision of the literature on the Jevons Paradox, which implies that energy efficiency leads to higher levels of consumption of energy and to a bigger hazard of climate change and environmental degradation.
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Marselle MR, Lindley SJ, Cook PA, Bonn A. Biodiversity and Health in the Urban Environment. Curr Environ Health Rep 2021; 8:146-156. [PMID: 33982150 PMCID: PMC8115992 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-021-00313-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Biodiversity underpins urban ecosystem functions that are essential for human health and well-being. Understanding how biodiversity relates to human health is a developing frontier for science, policy and practice. This article describes the beneficial, as well as harmful, aspects of biodiversity to human health in urban environments. RECENT FINDINGS Recent research shows that contact with biodiversity of natural environments within towns and cities can be both positive and negative to human physical, mental and social health and well-being. For example, while viruses or pollen can be seriously harmful to human health, biodiverse ecosystems can promote positive health and well-being. On balance, these influences are positive. As biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, research suggests that its loss could threaten the quality of life of all humans. A key research gap is to understand-and evidence-the specific causal pathways through which biodiversity affects human health. A mechanistic understanding of pathways linking biodiversity to human health can facilitate the application of nature-based solutions in public health and influence policy. Research integration as well as cross-sector urban policy and planning development should harness opportunities to better identify linkages between biodiversity, climate and human health. Given its importance for human health, urban biodiversity conservation should be considered as public health investment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah J. Lindley
- Department of Geography, School of Environment, Education and Development, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
| | - Penny A. Cook
- School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Salford, M6 6PU UK
| | - Aletta Bonn
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Langen TA, Cannon CH, Blackburn DC, Morgan EL, Mera PE. Discovering and Applying the Urban Rules of Life to Design Sustainable and Healthy Cities. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1237-1252. [PMID: 33956145 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The city and its urban biome provides an extreme laboratory for studying fundamental biological questions and developing best practices for sustaining biodiverse and well-functioning ecological communities within anthropogenic built environments. We propose by studying urban organisms, urban biotic communities, the urban biome, and the interactions between the urban biome and peri-urban built and natural environments, we can (1) discover new 'rules of life' for the structure, function, interaction, and evolution of organisms;(2) use these discoveries to understand how novel emerging biotic communities affect and are affected by anthropogenic environmental changes in climate and other environmental factors; and (3) apply what we have learned to engage residents of the urban biome, and design cities that are more biologically diverse, are provided with more and better ecosystem services, and are more equitable and healthier places to live. The built environment of the urban biome is a place that reflects history, economics, technology, governance, culture, and values of the human residents; research on and applications of the rules of life in the urban biome can be used by all residents in making choices about the design of the cities where they live. Because inhabitants are directly invested in the environmental quality of their neighborhoods, research conducted in and about the urban environment provides a great opportunity to engage wide and diverse communities of people. Given the opportunity to engage a broad constituency - from basic researchers to teachers, civil engineers, landscape planners, and concerned citizens - studying the translation of the rules of life onto the urban environment will result in an integrative and cross-cutting set of questions and hypotheses, and will foster a dialogue among citizens about the focus of urban biome research and its application toward making more equitable, healthy, livable, sustainable, and biodiverse cities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eric L Morgan
- Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Paola E Mera
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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