title: Biodiversity, cultural pathways, and human health: a framework.
abstract: Direct contact with biodiversity is culturally important in a range of contexts. Many people even join conservation organisations to protect biodiversity that they will never encounter first-hand. Despite this, we have little idea how biodiversity affects people's well-being and health through these cultural pathways. Human health is sensitive to apparently trivial psychological stimuli, negatively affected by the risk of environmental degradation, and positively affected by contact with natural spaces. This suggests that well-being and health should be affected by biodiversity change, but few studies have begun to explore these relationships. Here, we develop a framework for linking biodiversity change with human cultural values, well-being, and health. We argue that better understanding these relations might be profoundly important for biodiversity conservation and public health.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK. Electronic address: n.e.clark@pgr.reading.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Natalie E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro Campus, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lovell
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro Campus, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Benedict W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro Campus, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Sahran L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro Campus, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Depledge
authors.affiliation: Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norris
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology; D012945:Social Values