The amount of birds within a home’s environment is linked with happiness, as per an upcoming study on the quality of life that included more than 26,000 people across 26 European countries.
A 10 per cent increase in birds
in the area improves the happiness of Europeans at about the same rise in income, the study finds. The conservation of nature, therefore, is an investment in the human condition According to the study’s authors.
In the current state of the pandemic outdoors activities are an increasingly popular activity. The positive effects of a variety of natural environments on mental health have been studied on an individual scale.
Researchers from the Senckenberg
the iDiv as well as the University of Kiel now examined for the first time if a diversity of nature can also improve the well-being of people across the globe. To achieve this, researchers utilized data from the “2012 European Quality of Life Survey” to investigate the relationship between the diversity of species within their environments and the happiness of people. Do Birds Have Sex
The diversity of species was assessed using the variety of species in the avian kingdom, according to the European breeding bird atlas.Europeans are particularly satisfied with their lives if their immediate surroundings host a high species diversity,” says the study’s researcher
Joel Methorst, a doctoral researcher at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and the iDiv as well as 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. More
Avian diversity is as important as income
Birds are the perfect indicator of diversity in the biological world, as they are among the most visible components of living nature, particularly in urban zones. Additionally, their songs are often heard even if the bird isn’t apparent.
However, there is an additional factor that can affect the quality of life: the environment. Particularly high numbers of bird species are found in areas that contain high levels of near-natural and diverse landscapes which contain lots of green spaces 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,” prof. Dr Katrin Bohning-Gaese, director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and professor at Goethe University in Frankfurt is Main and a part of it.
This is evident when both values rise by 10 per cent.
The addition of 14 bird species to the area raises the satisfaction of living by at least an additional 124 euros per month on the household account Based on an average monthly income of 1,237 euros monthly in Europe.
According to the study, diversity in the natural environment plays a significant contribution to human well-being throughout Europe and beyond physical services.
The researchers call attention to health issues
that are likely to arise in the near future. “The global assessment 2019 conducted by the World Biodiversity Council IPBES and studies of avian species within agricultural landscapes
Across Europe clear that biological diversity is currently experiencing an enormous decrease. This poses the chance that human health will be affected by an eroding natural environment. Conservation of nature, therefore, does more than just provide the material base of existence as well,
but also represents an investment in the wellbeing of everyone,” adds Methodist. Thanks to the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) for supplying the information.
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