09/29/2022
Increased Trees and Increased Health
Emily Zhang
Urban forests can provide an abundance of health benefits for humans. One benefit that scientists from Washington and Canada found is that urban forests decreased harmful pollutants such as O3 and NO2 in the atmosphere.2 Decreased pollutants led to a reduced prevalence of lung cancer and asthma.2 Mental health benefits were also found. Near-infrared spectroscopy and MRI scans showed that adults living close to urban forests had calmer brain states with higher stress thresholds.2 One cross-sectional study also showed that increased urban forests in the U.S. resulted in fewer mental health complaints among the public.2 Recovery times following medical procedures also improved.2 In a case-control study, gallbladder surgery patients improved more quickly when they had a view of trees outside the window rather than brick.2 Other health benefits discovered included increased immune system functioning, lower prevalence of obesity, improved cardiovascular function, and increased social cohesion.2 Another study in New York found 252 species of plants in urban forests that had at least one medicinal or edible use.1 Due to their many health benefits, increased appreciation and implementation of urban forests should be further considered. Local areas such as Dunn’s Woods on Indiana University’s campus can help provide many of these stress-relieving and health improving benefits to students and community members.
Image: Living in an area with abundant foliage, like Brown County State Park, pictured here, provides an abundance of mental health benefits.
Image Credit: Emily Zhang
Acknowledgements: This post was prepared in the context of community-engaged learning for the IU course Biodiverse-City! taught by Dr. Heather Reynolds
References:
1. Hurley, Patrick T. and Emery, Marla R. "Locating Provisioning Ecosystem Services in Urban Forests: Forageable Woody Species in New York City, USA." Environmental Studies Faculty Publications 13 (2018). Accessed October 14, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.09.025
2. Wolf, Kathleen L., Sharon T. Lam, Jennifer K. McKeen, Gregory R.A. Richardson, Matilda van den Bosch, and Adrina C. Bardekjian. "Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 (2020): 4371. Accessed November 7, 2021. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124371.
