Biodiversity is the collection of different animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms in an area to cooperate and balance to create a life-supporting ecosystem. In a new study, scientists from China, Europe and Australia look at how urbanization has affected an often overlooked biodiversity, soil biodiversity, and how it has affected human health. I checked.
By 2050, 70% of the planet’s population is expected to live in cities. The planet’s rapid urbanization poses risks to biodiversity through loss of green spaces and natural habitats and increased pollution. Yet another important environmental player is often overlooked as a contributor to biodiversity. it’s the soil.
Professor Xin Sun, who leads the Urban Soil Ecology Group at the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: was the lead author of the study.
Soil contributes to human health in many ways. They provide food for humans and animals, supply important health-related resources such as antibiotics and medicines, and regulate human immune responses.
Unbalanced soil-based ecosystems can lead to increased opportunistic bacteria and parasites, increased greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient leaching, and reduced plant growth.
“Unfortunately, the land management practices associated with urbanization, surface sequestration, compaction, pollution, and removal of vegetation threaten soil biodiversity, which has traditionally been one of the planet’s largest reservoirs of biodiversity. It can have adverse effects,” said Dr. Craig Riddichourt, who contributed to the Flinders study. University in South Australia.
The question the researchers examined was the impact of soil biodiversity on human immunity. There is evidence to suggest that the reduced exposure to biodiversity that accompanies urban living can make the immune system overly sensitive to things like dust particles and pollen.
They cited previous studies that showed that farm-raised children were less likely to have allergies compared to urban areas. Long-term studies have shown that introducing plants and soil into nursery gardens promotes the growth of good bacteria and suppresses bad bacteria in children’s skin and gut.
After examining the negative and positive relationships between soil biodiversity and human health, researchers decided to prioritize human health by protecting and restoring soil biodiversity in urban areas. concluded that there is a need.
They also point to the added benefit of fostering a sense of community by providing more parks, gardens and forests.
“We are revisiting strategies to rebuild soil quality and exposure through remediation, and working on more creative ways of greening and rewilding cities to improve not only the environment but also our own health. We need to,” said contributor Associate Professor Martin Breed.
This research NPJ Urban Sustainability.
Source: Flinders University via Simex
