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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2022) | Viewed by 22074

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alan Ewert

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Guest Editor

Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Interests: adventure education; motivations for risk recreation; human health; natural resource management; integrated natural resource management; resilience
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jillisa Overholt

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

Outdoor Leadership Studies Department, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC, USA
Interests: adventure education; health and natural evironments; experiential education; family leisure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Humans have a long history of interaction with forests and other natural landscapes (FNL), with these environments being progressively more recognized for their contributions to human health. Historically, scientists have considered these settings in terms of supplying a set of ecosystem goods and services, such as improved air and water quality, many of which make important contributions to human wellbeing. Increasingly, FNLs have also been recognized for providing less tangible, but often equally important, services such as spiritual restoration and opportunities for health-promoting experiences such as recreation, family bonding, and physical activity.

New technologies enable researchers to better articulate the variety of ways that FNLs contribute to a sense of wellbeing and human health. For example, FNLs may be related to decreased rates of morbidity and mortality, improved educational outcomes, and decreased neighborhood violence. Moreover, outcomes related to time spent in forest environments include improved immune system function and decreased stress hormones, among others. Research also suggests that FNLs may translate to substantial healthcare savings, and carry numerous public policy implications.

We encourage submissions from a broad range of disciplines, including the biological, sociological, and psychological sciences, in order to promote knowledge that contributes to public policy development and FNL management approaches by providing documented linkages between forests and human health.

Prof. Dr. Alan Ewert
Dr. Jillisa Overholt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

forest structure
human health
natural landscapes
ecosystem services
health promotion
public policy

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1897 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Psychological Well-Being and Nature Relatedness

by Olga Grabowska-Chenczke, Sandra Wajchman-Świtalska and Marcin Woźniak

Forests 2022, 13(7), 1048; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13071048 - 02 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5222

Abstract

The way people perceive contact with nature may impact their environmental attitudes and psychological well-being (WB). Nature relatedness (NR) refers to the affective, cognitive, and experiential aspects of individuals’ connection to nature. The aim of the presented research concentrates on the assessment of the relationship between well-being, self-control and connectedness with the natural environment. The data was collected via online questionnaire between March and April 2022. In the study, we combined descriptive statistics with analysis of variance. We also quantitatively assessed correlations between major components of NR scale and psychological WB across men’ and women’ inquires. The results showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between the general index of NR and overall psychological WB. Furthermore, correlation between specific aspects of NR and WB subscales were also observed. These interactions are considerable among both men and women. We have also identified a major correlation between NR and self-control, which indicates the link between the way a person approaches oneself and natural environment. Finally, the analysis provides evidence that women are on average more related to nature, although the men may benefit more from this kind of relationship. Further gender differences could be observed in terms of nature-relatedness perspective component, general self-control, score and overall NR score These relationships are highly vital among men while irrelevant among women. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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17 pages, 2046 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human Health and Outdoor Adventure Recreation: Perceived Health Outcomes

by Ryan Zwart and Alan Ewert

Forests 2022, 13(6), 869; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13060869 - 01 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4022

Abstract

Forests and similar types of landscapes offer a myriad of outcomes and benefits often associated with participation in outdoor adventure recreation (OAR) activities. Previous research has shown that OAR participants are able to identify, perceive, and accurately report the effects and benefits of their participation. The health benefits of outdoor experiences, both active and more passive, have received a growing research interest, both as a setting and as a setting/activity complex. Research has identified six primary forms of health and well-being from outdoor and forest-type landscapes, including emotional, environmental, intellectual, social, spiritual, and physical. The preponderance of research in the health and wellness field synthesizes these forms into two primary categories, physical/physiological and mental/psychological. This study considered the health outcomes attributed to highly active OAR participation using three popular OAR activities: mountain biking (MTB), rock climbing (RC) and whitewater paddling (WW; including whitewater kayaking, whitewater canoeing, and whitewater rafting). A survey presented in situ to OAR participants in various areas of the Midwestern and Southeastern United States yielded 288 respondents. Using health perceptions and outcomes instruments as well as semi-structured interviews, the researchers found health to be an important factor for OAR participation. These findings are congruent with previous research that suggest that OAR participants specifically recreate in forested and other natural areas for enhanced physical and psychological health outcomes. The findings in this study also support the efficacy of the participation in OAR activities toward supporting both health improvement and maintenance. With physical and psychological health continuing to be an area of concern in today’s world, this study suggests that participation in OAR on forested and similar landscapes can be a successful health intervention strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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13 pages, 4680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Forest Area, CO₂ Emission, and COVID-19 Case-Fatality Rate: A Worldwide Ecological Study Using Spatial Regression Analysis

by Hansen Li, Guodong Zhang and Yang Cao

Forests 2022, 13(5), 736; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13050736 - 09 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1429

Abstract

Spatial analysis is essential to understand the spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to numerous factors of multi-disciplines involved, the current pandemic is yet fully known. Hence, the current study aimed to expand the knowledge on the pandemic by exploring the roles of forests and CO₂ emission in the COVID-19 case-fatality rate (CFR) at the global level. Data were captured on the forest coverage rate and CO₂ emission per capita from 237 countries. Meanwhile, extra demographic and socioeconomic variables were also included to adjust for potential confounding. Associations between the forest coverage rate and CO₂ emission per capita and the COVID-19 CFR were assessed using spatial regression analysis, and the results were further stratified by country income levels. Although no distinct association between the COVID-19 CFR and forest coverage rate or CO₂ emission per capita was found worldwide, we found that a 10% increase in forest coverage rates was associated with a 2.37‰ (95%CI: 3.12, 1.62) decrease in COVID-19 CFRs in low-income countries; and a 10% increase in CO₂ emission per capita was associated with a 0.94‰ (95%CI: 1.46, 0.42) decrease in COVID-19 CFRs in low-middle-income countries. Since a strong correlation was observed between the CO₂ emission per capita and GDP per capita (r = 0.89), we replaced CO₂ emission with GDP and obtained similar results. Our findings suggest a higher forest coverage may be a protective factor in low-income countries, which may be related to their low urbanization levels and high forest accessibilities. On the other hand, CO₂ can be a surrogate of GDP, which may be a critical factor likely to decrease the COVID-19 CFR in lower-middle-income countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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17 pages, 1093 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accelerating the Nature Deficit or Enhancing the Nature-Based Human Health during the Pandemic Era: An International Study in Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Myanmar, following the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Ju-hyoung Lee, Marady Cheng, Muhammad Nur Syamsi, Ki Hwan Lee, Thu Rain Aung and Robert C. Burns

Forests 2022, 13(1), 57; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13010057 - 04 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2910

Abstract

In modern society, the opportunity to experience nature is separate from everyday life, requiring time and effort. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on freedom of activity and communication around the world have become a crisis, causing a nature deficit by accelerating the process of separation from nature. At the same time, the pandemic has increased people’s motivation to return to nature, providing an opportunity to seek experiences and health recovery in nature. The authors conducted an international cross-sectional study in five Asian countries, investigating changes in the perception of recreational activities and health restoration in the natural environment, one of the many effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on human society. An online survey, completed by 524 respondents, has confirmed the efficacy of the SEM model, which includes COVID-19 stress, increased indoor activity, a preference for the natural environment, and the perception of health recovery. Although the five countries had different response values for each theme, the stress caused by restricted activities and communication during the pandemic was linked to a preference for natural experiences and the motivation to visit natural environments in all five countries, ultimately affecting perceptions of health recovery in nature. This study has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic, a disaster afflicting all human civilization, has changed people’s perceptions by enhancing their preference for natural recreational activities and health. It has accelerated people’s return to nature and fostered a positive perception of nature’s ability to promote good health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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20 pages, 2662 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mountain Pine Beetle Impacts on Health through Lost Forest Air Pollutant Sinks

by Benjamin A. Jones

Forests 2021, 12(12), 1785; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12121785 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1889

Abstract

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) destroys millions of coniferous trees annually throughout Western US forests. Coniferous forests are important air pollutant sinks, removing pollutants from the air such as PM_2.5 (particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter), O₃ (ozone), SO₂ (sulfur dioxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), and CO (carbon monoxide). In this paper, US Forest Service data on MPB tree mortality in the Western US is combined with a forest air pollution model (i-Tree Eco) and standard health impact functions to assess the human mortality and morbidity impacts of MPB-induced tree mortality. Modeling results suggest considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity of impacts across the Western US. On average, MPB is associated with 10.0–15.7 additional deaths, 6.5–40.4 additional emergency room (ER) visits, and 2.2–10.5 additional hospital admissions per year over 2005–2011 due to lost PM_2.5 sinks. For every 100 trees killed by MPB, the average PM_2.5 mortality health costs are $418 (2019$). Impacts on other criteria pollutants are also estimated. Several sensitivity checks are performed on model inputs. These results have important policy implications for MPB management and on our understanding of the complex couplings between forest pests, forest health, and human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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16 pages, 2643 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Screening of Volatile Organic Compounds in Three Common Coniferous Tree Species in Terms of Forest Ecosystem Services

by Martina Zorić, Saša Kostić, Nebojša Kladar, Biljana Božin, Verica Vasić, Marko Kebert and Saša Orlović

Forests 2021, 12(7), 928; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12070928 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2773

Abstract

Multiple positive effects that forests have on human health and overall well-being have been reported widely in the literature. Still, multiple elements of this relationship remain unidentified and unexplained. In this study, the composition of leaf volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) content in three common coniferous species: the Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Spruce (Picea abies), was analyzed. The specificity of BVOCs content in the examined species and their genotypes is observed as a plant potential to evaporate these organic compounds and potentially improve human health and well-being. Principal component analysis applied on BVOCs content among species showed significant differences between compounds that have previously been characterized as having positive effects on human health by acting as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial. Variations among genotypes of the investigated species were observed in the content of BVOCs relevant for human health improvement, such as limonene, terpinolene, β-pinene, linalool, camphene, camphor, citronellol and α-cadinol. The observed intra- and inter-species variations in the BVOCs content provide an appropriate base for further research on the forest–human health relationship, breeding and selection of the most suitable genotypes for human health improvement, and could I mpact the sustainable management of forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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13 pages, 2790 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prediction of Natural Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted by Bamboo Groves in Urban Forests

by Yeji Choi, Geonwoo Kim, Sujin Park, Eunsoo Kim and Soojin Kim

Forests 2021, 12(5), 543; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12050543 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2263

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, people in countries around the world including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada, and South Korea are seeking physiological and psychological healing by visiting forests as stay-at-home orders continue. NVOCs (natural volatile organic compounds), a major healing factor of forests, have several positive effects on human health. This study specifically researched the NVOC characteristics of bamboo groves. This study revealed that α-pinene, 3-carene, and camphene were observed to emit the most, and the largest amount of NVOC emitted was seen during the early morning and late afternoon within bamboo groves. Furthermore, NVOC emission was found to have normal correlations with temperature and humidity, and inverse correlations with solar radiation, PAR (photosynthetically active radiation), and wind speed. A regression analysis conducted to predict the effect of microclimate factors on NVOC emissions resulted in a regression equation with 82.9% explanatory power, finding that PAR, temperature, and humidity had a significant effect on NVOC emission prediction. In conclusion, this study investigated NVOC emission of bamboo groves, examined the relationship between NVOC emissions and microclimate factors, and derived a prediction equation of NVOC emissions to figure out bamboo groves’ forest healing effects. These results are expected to provide a basis for establishing more effective forest healing programs in bamboo groves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest and Other Natural Landscapes and Human Health)

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