153
Service Cascade Model defines biodiversity as any biophysical structure or process
(Potschin and Haines-Young 2011), and biodiversity can take on different roles in
the cascade (Mace et al. 2012).
Biodiversity is not explicitly discussed in the Preference Matrix, SRT and
ART. In both the Preference Matrix and SRT, the term ‘complexity’ is used, which
could be considered as a proxy for biodiversity; both frameworks define complexity
as the number of independently different visual elements in a setting (Kaplan and
Kaplan 1989; Ulrich 1983). This suggests that a biodiverse environment could be a
complex environment due to having a greater number of independently different
stimuli (i.e. species; Korpela et al. 2018) and, indeed, Ulrich (1983) specifically
states that biodiversity can be considered a measure of an environment’s complexity. ART does not discuss biodiversity. As such, one has to hypothesise how biodiversity could be applied to the ART; for example, an environment with a greater
number of different species may contain fascinating stimuli and afford the experience of being away (Marselle et al. 2016; Korpela et al. 2018). This hypothesis has
empirical support (see Sect. 7.3.2.1).
Which Theories Address Mental Well-Being? Mental well-being is discussed in
the ART and SRT. Both the ART and SRT are theories of restorative environments,
which refer to the recovery of physiological or psychological resources that have
been diminished through the demands of dealing with everyday life (Hartig et al.
2011; von Lindern et al. 2016). Over time, lack of restoration of these resources can
lead to mental and physical ill health (Hartig et al. 2011; von Lindern et al. 2016).
Health and well-being in the ART is the restoration of the ability to concentrate or
direct attention. In SRT, health and well-being is considered as the recovery from
psychological and physiological stress reactions.
Mental well-being is not explicitly discussed in the Preference Matrix, fractals,
Biophilia Hypothesis and the Ecosystem Service Cascade Model. The first three of
these frameworks are environmental preference models. Preference can signal that
certain natural stimuli could possibly contribute to health or well-being (Hartig et al.
2011), but cannot in itself be considered a health or well-being outcome (Lovell et al.
2014). Recent studies on fractals are finding that visual fractal objects may contribute
to attention restoration (Hagerhall et al. 2015) and physiological arousal (Stevens
2018). The Ecosystem Service Cascade Model discusses human health and wellbeing as benefits derived from biodiversity and ecosystem services (Haines-Young
and Potschin 2010; Potschin and Haines-Young 2011), but little research links ecosystem services to human health and well-being (Sandifer et al. 2015).
Which Frameworks Discuss Mediating Pathways? All six frameworks detail
the mediating pathways of the relationships between nature and health. These same
mediating pathways could also account for biodiversity and mental well-being relationships. The Preference Matrix suggests that informational needs of understanding and exploration mediate the relationship between informational qualities (e.g.
complexity) and preference. Frameworks on fractals in nature suggest that perceptual fluency, the ease of cognitively processing a visual stimulus, would explain
7 Theoretical Foundations of Biodiversity and Mental Well-being Relationships
Service Cascade Model defines biodiversity as any biophysical structure or process
(Potschin and Haines-Young 2011), and biodiversity can take on different roles in
the cascade (Mace et al. 2012).
Biodiversity is not explicitly discussed in the Preference Matrix, SRT and
ART. In both the Preference Matrix and SRT, the term ‘complexity’ is used, which
could be considered as a proxy for biodiversity; both frameworks define complexity
as the number of independently different visual elements in a setting (Kaplan and
Kaplan 1989; Ulrich 1983). This suggests that a biodiverse environment could be a
complex environment due to having a greater number of independently different
stimuli (i.e. species; Korpela et al. 2018) and, indeed, Ulrich (1983) specifically
states that biodiversity can be considered a measure of an environment’s complexity. ART does not discuss biodiversity. As such, one has to hypothesise how biodiversity could be applied to the ART; for example, an environment with a greater
number of different species may contain fascinating stimuli and afford the experience of being away (Marselle et al. 2016; Korpela et al. 2018). This hypothesis has
empirical support (see Sect. 7.3.2.1).
Which Theories Address Mental Well-Being? Mental well-being is discussed in
the ART and SRT. Both the ART and SRT are theories of restorative environments,
which refer to the recovery of physiological or psychological resources that have
been diminished through the demands of dealing with everyday life (Hartig et al.
2011; von Lindern et al. 2016). Over time, lack of restoration of these resources can
lead to mental and physical ill health (Hartig et al. 2011; von Lindern et al. 2016).
Health and well-being in the ART is the restoration of the ability to concentrate or
direct attention. In SRT, health and well-being is considered as the recovery from
psychological and physiological stress reactions.
Mental well-being is not explicitly discussed in the Preference Matrix, fractals,
Biophilia Hypothesis and the Ecosystem Service Cascade Model. The first three of
these frameworks are environmental preference models. Preference can signal that
certain natural stimuli could possibly contribute to health or well-being (Hartig et al.
2011), but cannot in itself be considered a health or well-being outcome (Lovell et al.
2014). Recent studies on fractals are finding that visual fractal objects may contribute
to attention restoration (Hagerhall et al. 2015) and physiological arousal (Stevens
2018). The Ecosystem Service Cascade Model discusses human health and wellbeing as benefits derived from biodiversity and ecosystem services (Haines-Young
and Potschin 2010; Potschin and Haines-Young 2011), but little research links ecosystem services to human health and well-being (Sandifer et al. 2015).
Which Frameworks Discuss Mediating Pathways? All six frameworks detail
the mediating pathways of the relationships between nature and health. These same
mediating pathways could also account for biodiversity and mental well-being relationships. The Preference Matrix suggests that informational needs of understanding and exploration mediate the relationship between informational qualities (e.g.
complexity) and preference. Frameworks on fractals in nature suggest that perceptual fluency, the ease of cognitively processing a visual stimulus, would explain
7 Theoretical Foundations of Biodiversity and Mental Well-being Relationships