Walking Ecosystems in Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure: An Ecological Perspective on Enhancing Personal and Planetary Health

Abstract

Principles of ecology apply at myriad scales, including within the human body and the intertwined macro and microscopic ecosystems that we depend upon for survival. The conceptual principles of dysbiosis (‘life in distress’) also apply to different realms of life—our microbiome, the macro environment and the socioeconomic domain. Viewing the human body as a holobiont—a host plus billions of microbial organisms working symbiotically to form a functioning ecological unit—has the potential to enhance personal and planetary health. We discuss this ecological perspective in our paper. We also discuss the proposals to rewild the microbiome, innovative microbiome-inspired green infrastructure (MIGI) and the basis of prescribing ‘doses of nature’. Particular emphasis is given to MIGI—a collective term for the design and management of innovative living urban features that could potentially enhance public health via health-inducing microbial interactions. This concept builds upon the microbiome rewilding hypothesis. Mounting evidence points to the importance of microbial diversity in maintaining favorable health. Moreover, connecting with nature—both physically and psychologically–has been shown to enhance our health and wellbeing. However, we still need to understand the underlying mechanisms, and optimal types and levels of exposure. This paper adds to other recent calls for the inclusion of the environment-microbiome-health axis in nature–human health research. Recognizing that all forms of life—both the seen and the unseen—are in some way connected (ecologically, socially, evolutionarily), paves the way to valuing reciprocity in the nature–human relationship. It is with a holistic and symbiotic perspective that we can begin to integrate strategies and address connected issues of human and environmental health. The prospective strategies discussed in our paper focus on enhancing our connections with the natural world, and ultimately aim to help address the global challenge of halting and reversing dysbiosis in all its manifestations.

Rekindling old friendships in new landscapes: The environment–microbiome–health axis in the realms of landscape research

“…The hypothesis is based on the premise that humans have co‐evolved with a diversity of microbiota (or ‘old friends’) in biodiverse environments, and this relationship was essential to the evolution of resilient immune systems (Rook & Brunet, 2005; Rook, Raison, & Lowry, 2014). The hypothesis supports the relatively recent view that humans are ‘holobionts’—that is, a host plus trillions of micro‐organisms working symbiotically to form a functional ecological unit (Robinson, Mills, & Breed, 2018; Salvucci, 2016). There is an increasing body of evidence pointing to the involvement of the microbiome (the collection of micro‐organisms and their genetic material in a given environment) in the health and well‐being of humans—for example, in processes such as emotional regulation, nutrient processing and the modulation of inflammatory diseases (Bicknell, Liebert, Johnstone, & Kiat, 2019; Koppel, Maini Rekdal, & Balskus, 2017; Schirmer et al, 2016; Thomas et al, 2017).…”

“…An emerging objective for those involved in urban ecological design is to understand whether green infrastructure could be designed and managed to generate microbiome‐associated health benefits (Robinson et al, 2018; Watkins, Robinson, Breed, Parker, & Weinstein, 2020). This will require a comprehensive understanding of the various physical, spatial and biological factors that affect the composition, function and transmission of environmental microbiota in urban landscapes, and of the social factors that influence interactions (Figure 2).…”

“…Considering the environment–microbiome–health axis in future green infrastructure designs could potentially have a profound impact on human health. In addition to species composition, spatial and social considerations are likely to play a role in maximizing the impact of what we call ‘microbiome‐inspired green infrastructure’ (MIGI; Robinson et al, 2018; Watkins & Robinson, 2019; Watkins et al, 2020). For example, it will be essential to understand how size, proximity, aspect and urban physical features affect microbiome dynamics.…”

A biodiversity hypothesis

“…On the urban society level, there is no return to the traditional farming life or producing your own food, but it is possible to take natural elements to modern city life in a controlled and safe way. It is a challenge for urban construction, housing, traffic arrangements and food and energy production . Whether this approach will prevent allergy and other NCDs, and slow down increase in healthcare costs, remains to be proven.…”

Narrative Medicine Meets Planetary Health: Mindsets Matter in the Anthropocene

“…We argue that not only does the illness narrative of the patient in the waiting room need to be taken into consideration, it is also an imperative that patients understand how they are unduly influenced by the larger narratives that operate around them, narratives that influence mindsets, and ultimately biophysiology. Moving along the continuum, selective narratives can compromise (or conversely, provide hope, motivation, and vision toward) the aims of planetary health [15][16][17].…”