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Biodiversity and human health: mechanisms and evidence of the positive health effects of diversity in nature and green spaces

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Biodiversity and human health: mechanisms and evidence of the positive health effects of diversity in nature and green spaces
2018 07-10

Authors: Aerts R, Honnay O, Van Nieuwenhuyse A

Abstract

Natural environments and green spaces provide ecosystem services that enhance human health and well-being. They improve mental health, mitigate allergies and reduce all-cause, respiratory, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. The presence, accessibility, proximity and greenness of green spaces determine the magnitude of their positive health effects, but the role of biodiversity (including species and ecosystem diversity) within green spaces remains underexplored. This review describes mechanisms and evidence of effects of biodiversity in nature and green spaces on human health.

British Medical Bulletin, 127(1), 5–22

Biodiversity and human health: mechanisms and evidence of the positive health effects of diversity in nature and green spaces