Robinson, Jake M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8108-3271 (2021) Nature-based Interventions and the Environment-Microbiome-Health Axis. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield.
Abstract
This interdisciplinary PhD is an innovative socioecological investigation into two key
phenomena: 1. nature-based interventions, which are structured nature-based
activities that aim to facilitate behavioural changes for the benefit of health and
wellbeing; and 2. the relationship between the environment, the microbiome and
human health. The aims of the PhD study include:
o Determining the distribution of, and socioecological constraints and opportunities
associated with nature-based interventions.
o Ascertaining how engagement with nature may have supported population
health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the pandemic affected
nature engagement.
o Investigating the environment-microbiome-health axis, including a review of
potential anthropogenic disruptions to this relationship, and determining the
spatio-compositional and ecological factors that affect exposure to the
aerobiome (microbiome of the air) in urban green spaces.
o Determining whether relationships with and knowledge of biodiversity affect
attitudes towards microbes.
o The development of novel conceptualisations that transcend the boundaries of
current knowledge, including Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure (MIG) –
multifunctional green infrastructure that aims to enhance ecosystem functionality
and human health through considerations for the microbiome; the Lovebug
Effect – microbially-mediated nature affinity; and, the Holobiont Blindspot – a
newly proposed cognitive bias that may result from the failure to recognise the
microbiome’s role in behaviour and health.
This is a PhD by publication comprising 9 chapters and 12 publications. Chapter 2
presents publications on nature-based interventions (Robinson and Breed, 2019;
Robinson et al. 2020a), and the potential health benefits of engaging with nature are
presented in Chapter 3 (Robinson et al. 2020b). This is followed by an overview of
the environment-microbiome-health axis (Robinson and Jorgensen, 2020) and how
nature engagement may affect our attitudes towards microbes in Chapter 4
(Robinson et al. 2021e). This is followed by the aerobiome studies in Chapter 5
(Robinson et al. 2020c; Robinson et al. 2021b) and potential disruptions to the
environmental microbiome and human health in Chapter 6 (Robinson et al. 2021c).
Chapter 7 presents Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure (Robinson et al. 2018;
Watkins and Robinson et al. 2020), and finally in Chapter 8, novel conceptualisations
are presented, including the Lovebug Effect (Robinson and Breed, 2020) and the
Holobiont Blindspot (Robinson and Cameron, 2020).
The methods used in the nature-based intervention studies included geospatial
analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) and online questionnaires. The
methods used in the microbiome studies included the creation of novel sampling
methods to collect bacterial DNA in urban green spaces, DNA sequencing, and the
application of bioinformatic tools. Although systematic reviews were not included, the
reviews in this thesis did follow the preferred reporting system for systematic reviews
(PRISMA) method to ensure robust data collection.
This PhD makes several important contributions to knowledge. For example,
constraints to nature-based interventions were identified, and these show that
enhanced transdisciplinary collaborative pathways and efficient infrastructure are
needed. The research also identified that people significantly changed their patterns
of nature engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and many visited nature for
important wellbeing and coping benefits. This highlights the immense value of nature
to health and wellbeing during unprecedented times. The research also revealed for
the first time that attitudes towards microbes might be influenced by nature
engagement and biodiversity literacy, and that anthropogenic pollution (light and
sound) could affect the microbiome with important ecological and health implications.
In the aerobiome studies, the cutting-edge discovery of ecological factors that drive
aerobiome assembly and potentially affect exposure types and routes could have
important implications for public health and landscape management.
Nature-based interventions have the potential to enhance human and environmental
health, and the environmental microbiome will likely play an important role. The
novel conceptualisations developed during this PhD add new knowledge to the fields
of landscape design, microbiome science, and environmental psychology and have
stimulated new research agendas across the world. The work in this thesis is
influenced by the emerging planetary health paradigm, the ‘interconnectedness’ and
intrinsic value narrative associated with Indigenous cultures, and ‘systems thinking’
(a holistic analytical approach that focuses on the way a system’s constituent parts –
– and how systems themselves –– interrelate). Fostering deep reciprocity with the
natural world to enhance personal and planetary health has never been more
important. We have a key opportunity to redefine our relationship with the wider
biotic community by establishing a new appreciation of our ‘microbial friends’ and the
profound interconnectedness between the environment, the microbiome and human
health.
List of publications in this PhD thesis:
1. Robinson, J.M., and Breed, M.F. (2019). Green Prescriptions and Their Co-
Benefits: Integrative Strategies for Public and Planetary Health. Challenges. 10,
pp. 1-14.
Part of the Special Issue - The Emerging Concept of Planetary Health:
Connecting People, Place, Purpose, and Planet.
2. Robinson, J.M., Jorgensen, A., Cameron, R., and Brindley, P. (2020). Let
Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in
the UK. Int J Environ Public Health. 17, pp. 1-24.
Part of the Special Issue "Planetary Health: From Challenges to Opportunities
for People, Place, Purpose and Planet”
3. Robinson, J.M., Brindley, P, Cameron, R., MacCarthy, D., and, Jorgensen, A.
(2021). Nature’s Role in Supporting Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A
Geospatial and Socioecological Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 18, pp.
1-21.
4. Robinson, J.M., and Jorgensen, A. (2019). Rekindling Old Friendships in New
Landscapes: The Environment-Microbiome-Health Axis in the Realms of
Landscape Research. People Nat. 2, pp.339-349.
5. Robinson, J.M., Cameron, R., and Jorgensen, A. (2021). Germaphobia! Does
our Relationship with, and Knowledge of Biodiversity, Affect our Attitudes
Towards Microbes? Front Psychol, 12, pp. 1-10.
6. Robinson, J.M., Cando-Dumancela, C., Liddicoat, C., Weinstein, P., Cameron,
R. and Breed, M.F. (2020). Vertical Stratification in Urban Green Space
Aerobiomes. Environ Health Persp, 128, p.117008.
7. Robinson, J.M., Cando-Dumancela, C., Antwis, R.E., Cameron, R., Liddicoat,
C., Poudel, R., Weinstein, P., and Breed, M.F. (2021). Urban Green Space
Aerobiomes: Exposure to Airborne Bacteria Depends Upon Vertical Stratification
and Vegetation Complexity. Sci Rep, 11, pp. 1-17.
8. Robinson, J.M., and Parker, B. (2021). The Effects of Anthropogenic Sound and
Artificial Light Exposure on Microbiomes: Ecological and Public Health
Implications. Front Ecol Evol. 9, pp. 1-7.
9. Robinson, J.M., Mills, J.G., and Breed, M.F. (2018). Walking Ecosystems in
Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure: An Ecological Perspective on
Enhancing Personal and Planetary Health. Challenges. 9, pp.1-15.
10. Watkins, H., Robinson, J.M., Breed, M.F., Parker, B. and Weinstein, P. (2020).
Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure: A Toolkit for Multidisciplinary
Landscape Design. Trends in Biotech. 38, pp.1305-1308.
11. Robinson, J.M., and Breed, M.F. (2020). The Lovebug Effect: Is the Human
Biophilic Drive Influenced by Interactions Between the Host, The Environment,
and the Microbiome? Sci Tot Environ. 720, p.137626.
12. Robinson, J.M., and Cameron, R. (2020). The Holobiont Blindspot: Relating
Host-Microbiome Interactions to Cognitive Biases and the Concept of the
“Umwelt”. Front Psychol. 11, p.591071.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Jorgensen, Anna and Cameron, Ross |
---|---|
Keywords: | Aerobiome; planetary health; microbiome; biodiversity; health; microbiome-inspired green infrastructure; biodiversity hypothesis; old friend's hypothesis; ecological restoration |
Awarding institution: | University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Landscape (Sheffield) |
Identification Number/EthosID: | uk.bl.ethos.837170 |
Depositing User: | Mr Jake Robinson |
Date Deposited: | 18 Aug 2021 15:24 |
Last Modified: | 01 Oct 2021 09:53 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:29279 |
Download
Final eThesis - complete (pdf)
Filename: JAKE M. ROBINSON PHD THESIS FINAL.pdf
Licence:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Export
Statistics
You do not need to contact us to get a copy of this thesis. Please use the 'Download' link(s) above to get a copy.
You can contact us about this thesis. If you need to make a general enquiry, please see the Contact us page.