Humans and Nature: How Knowing and Experiencing Nature Affect Well-Being

By R. Russell, A. Guerry, P. Balvanera, Rachelle K. Gould, X. Basurto, Kai Ma Chan, Sarah C. Klain, Jordan Levine, Jordan Tam. 2013

660 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Ecosystems provide many of the material building blocks for human well-being. Although quantification and appreciation of such contributions have rapidly grown, our dependence upon cultural connections to nature deserves more attention. We synthesize multidisciplinary peer-reviewed research on contributions of nature or ecosystems to human well-being mediated through nontangible connections (such as culture). We characterize these connections on the basis of the channels through which such connections arise (i.e., knowing, perceiving, interacting with, and living within) and the components of human well-being they affect (e.g., physical, mental and spiritual health, inspiration, identity). We found enormous variation in the methods used, quantity of research, and generalizability of the literature. The effects of nature on mental and physical health have been rigorously demonstrated, whereas other effects (e.g., on learning) are theorized but seldom demonstrated. The balance of evidence indicates conclusi...

Subfields: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/d25be6440554e9569b4f41031e77fd6837c3f175

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Citations in the corpus

Mapping the global value and distribution of coral reef tourism (2017, background): “Finally, the health benefits associated with proximity to nature and to marine environments more generally are now increasingly realised [31,32], and are”
Predictors of Nature Connection Among Urban Residents: Assessing the Role of Childhood and Adult Nature Experiences (2018, background): “suggest that people’s nature connection may be developed through frequent and direct contact with nature (Lin et al., 2014; Restall & Conrad, 2015; Russell et al., 2013; Scopelliti et al., 2016).”
Engaging with Natural Beauty May Be Related to Well-Being Because It Connects People to Nature: Evidence from Three Cultures (2017, positive): “…and stress reduction (Ulrich et al., 1991), an abundance of research demonstrates that people tend to feel and function better when nature is near (Capaldi, Passmore, Nisbet, Zelenski, & Dopko, 2015; Howell & Passmore, 2013; MacKerron & Mourato, 2013; McMahan & Estes, 2015; Russell et al., 2013).”
An Exploration of the Relationships between Adults' Childhood and Current Nature Exposure and Their Mental Well-Being (2023, background): “…it is broadly accepted that experiences in nature may increase connectedness (e.g., Mayer et al., 2009, Study 2), as well as overall well-being (see Russell et al., 2013 for a review), once again, what is not known is to what extent these effects may be lasting products of childhood nature…”
The Role of Methodological Choices in the Effects of Experimental Exposure to Simulated Natural Landscapes on Human Health and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review (2020, background): “Other potential influences on study findings are sociodemographic factors (Browning & Lee, 2017; Markevych et al., 2017; Russell et al., 2013), urbanicity (Berto, 2007; Wilkie & Clouston, 2015), preferences and familiarity with landscapes (Han, 2007; Nanda et al., 2008; Thake et al., 2017;…”
Noticing nature: Individual and social benefits of a two-week intervention (2017, background): “…including life satisfaction, positive affect, meaning in life, feelings of elevation, vitality and both psychological and social well-being (see literature reviews by Capaldi, Passmore, Nisbet, Zelenski, & Dopko, 2015; Howell & Passmore, 2013; McMahan & Estes, 2015; Russell et al., 2013).”
Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda (2017, background): “Several recent reviews have summarized and evaluated the growing evidence base (Bowler et al. 2010; Hartig et al. 2014; James et al. 2015; Lee and Maheswaran 2011; Martens and Bauer 2013; Russell et al. 2013; Seymour 2016).”
The Relationship between Social Cohesion and Urban Green Space: An Avenue for Health Promotion (2019, background): “As a sense of belonging involves feelings of acceptance and inclusion in social groups, it is also considered another mechanism between social ties and improved physical and psychological health [100,104].”