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The Role of Interaction with Nature in Childhood Development: An Under-Appreciated Ecosystem Service
Citation:
Summers, J., D. Vivian, AND J. Summers. The Role of Interaction with Nature in Childhood Development: An Under-Appreciated Ecosystem Service. AMBIO. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, 8(6):142-150, (2019).
Impact/Purpose:
Childhood cognitive development is a series of progressive of stages involving multiple interactions among stages that is the result of continuing experiences with the natural environment. Natural ecosystems produce basic services upon which people depend. Ecosystem services that are provided by Nature (e.g., simply the existence of Nature and natural ecosystems providing developmental or therapeutic services), without explicit cost, are an underappreciated ecosystem services in the present ecological literature describing intermediate and final ecosystem goods and services. While often neglected, the "existence of nature" service provided by nature that directly influences childhood development is a very important and meaningful ecosystem service that should be conserved. The consideration of the costs of and need for preservation of natural environments, if only for their childhood developmental assets, provides a major example of the enrichment of well-being through broad, inclusive discourse compared to the less than holistic limited and specific conversations concerning non-sustainable development strictly for economic growth that promotes the destruction of natural ecosystems
Description:
Humans depend on the vital services provided by natural ecosystems. Regrettably, some individuals believe these ecosystem services are free; and therefore, have no value. An under-appreciated service provided by ecosystems is strengthening childhood development through interaction with nature to enhance childhood cognitive and physical development. The development of a child’s physical and cognitive abilities is complex with studies indicating multiple determinants and varied time scales. Childhood development is the product of many natural, social and built environmental attributes. While the impacts of social and built environments on childhood development are clearly described in the scientific literature, the role of natural environment is less clear. Even though people do not pay for this ecosystem service in a conventional sense, the loss of this service can result in a significant cost to humans through slower cognitive and physical development in children. Deprivation of these exposures to natural ecosystems can diminish a child’s development and eventually their underlying quality of life. While the impact of nature on childhood development is understood by most child developmental psychologists, this impact is under-appreciated by non-social scientists studying the contributions of ecosystem services in society. The complicated and symbiotic interactions of natural ecosystems, their services and childhood development are poorly acknowledged in the ecological literature. In this article, the important role of natural ecosystems and their services in childhood cognitive and physical development are examined through an examination of studies assessing this childhood development-ecosystem service connection.