Integrating Forest Ecosystem Services into Health Strategies to Improve Human Well-Being

Abstract

As the largest terrestrial ecosystem covering extensive expanses of the Earth’s surface, forests offer crucial health benefits to humans, both directly and indirectly. Presently, health services derived from forest resources have presented significant opportunities for enhancing human well-being. Nonetheless, the absence of a comprehensive understanding regarding the mechanisms by which forests impact human health jeopardizes the potential gains in health. Regrettably, there remains a dearth of scholarly work elucidating these pathways. This paper aims to furnish a thorough examination of how forests influence human health. We initiate by formulating a conceptual framework upon which we delineate the various pathways through which forests impact human health. These encompass the provisioning of resources, preventive services, and forest therapies. Concurrently, we outline the moderating influence of social, economic, and individual characteristics as mediators within this pathway. These characteristics are classified into two overarching dimensions: accessibility and behavioral choices, which notably affect marginalized demographics such as those with lower socioeconomic status, women, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and children in developing nations. Consequently, we build upon these foundational insights to propose six strategies aimed at perpetuating the positive impact of forests on human health in the foreseeable future. In the future, the development of forest management policies, the assessment of long-term health benefits, social practices, and international cooperation must be considered holistically to attain the dual objective of sustainable forest management and the advancement of human well-being.