Biological diversity evokes happiness
rael-science
Biological diversity evokes happiness
More bird species in their vicinity increase life satisfaction of Europeans as much as higher income
- Date:
- December 4, 2020
- Source:
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
- Summary:
- A high biodiversity in our vicinity is as
important for life satisfaction as our income, scientists found. All
across Europe, the individual enjoyment of life correlates with the
number of surrounding bird species. An additional 10% of bird species
therefore increases the Europeans' life satisfaction as much as a
comparable increase in income. Nature conservation thus constitutes an
investment in human well-being.
- Share:
Under the current pandemic conditions,
activities out in nature are a popular pastime. The beneficial effects
of a diverse nature on people's mental health have already been
documented by studies on a smaller scale. Scientists of the Senckenberg
Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, the iDiv, and the University of Kiel
now examined for the first time whether a diverse nature also increases
human well-being on a Europe- wide scale.
To this end, the researchers used the data from the "2012 European
quality of Life Survey" to study the connection between the species
diversity in their surroundings and the life satisfaction in more than
26,000 adults from 26 European countries. Species diversity was measured
based on the diversity of avian species, as documented in the European
breeding bird atlas.
"Europeans are particularly satisfied with their lives if their
immediate surroundings host a high species diversity," explains the
study's lead author, Joel Methorst, a doctoral researcher at the
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, the iDiv, and the
Goethe University in Frankfurt. "According to our findings, the happiest
Europeans are those who can experience numerous different bird species
in their daily life, or who live in near-natural surroundings that are
home to many species."
Birds are well-suited as indicators of biological diversity, since
they are among the most visible elements of the animate nature --
particularly in urban areas. Moreover, their song can often be heard
even if the bird itself is not visible, and most birds are popular and
people like to watch them. But there is also a second aspect that
affects life satisfaction: the surroundings. A particularly high number
of bird species can be found in areas with a high proportion of
near-natural and diverse landscapes that hold numerous greenspaces and
bodies of water.
"We also examined the socio-economic data of the people that were
surveyed, and, much to our surprise, we found that avian diversity is as
important for their life satisfaction as is their income," explains
Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaese, director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity
and Climate Research Centre, professor at the Goethe University in
Frankfurt am Main, and member of the iDiv. This result becomes
particularly obvious when both values increase by ten percent. Fourteen
additional bird species in the vicinity raise the level of life
satisfaction at least as much as an extra 124 Euros per month in the
household account, based on an average income of 1,237 Euro per month in
Europe.
According to the study, a diverse nature therefore plays an important
role for human well-being across Europe -- even beyond its material
services. At the same time, the researchers draw attention to impending
health-related problems. "The Global Assessment 2019 by the World
Biodiversity Council IPBES and studies of avian species in agricultural
landscapes in Europe clearly show that the biological diversity is
currently undergoing a dramatic decline. This poses the risk that human
well-being will also suffer from an impoverished nature. Nature
conservation therefore not only ensures our material basis of life, but
it also constitutes an investment in the well-being of us all," adds
Methorst in conclusion.
Story Source:
Materials provided by German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Joel Methorst, Katrin Rehdanz, Thomas Mueller, Bernd Hansjürgens, Aletta Bonn, Katrin Böhning-Gaese. The importance of species diversity for human well-being in Europe. Ecological Economics, 2020; 106917 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106917