Behavioral Impact of Naturalistic and Wilderness Settings

Environmental psychologists have long understood that exposure to the natural world profoundly impacts human behavior. Moreover, contact with nature, or simulations of nature, can provide benefits to the well-being of humans, offering opportunities to enhance both physical and mental health. Evidence suggests the green space offered by natural settings produces a therapeutic and restorative effect on humans, and is of particular importance for those living in urban environments. The following chapter reviews the impact of natural or naturalistic recreational settings on human mental and physical health, cognition, and social parameters. More specifically, the authors take a closer look at how recreational settings including zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens compare to naturalistic settings by providing ample green space and blue space, thereby creating pathways for improved cognitive function, social relationships, and overall mental and physical well-being

The Biota of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams: Prokaryotes, Fungi, and Protozoans

Microbial diversity and function in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are tightly linked to specific habitat availability and hydrological phases. The intensity and frequency of the different phases (especially drying and rewetting) affect community composition and key functions, mainly linked to biogeochemical processes. Resistance and resilience strategies are distinct among microorganism groups-bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoans-and strongly depend on different types of microhabitat or refuge available. The biodiversity of prokaryotes in IRES is strongly affected by hydrology but microhabitat conditions and type of benthic substrate significantly affect their community composition. Fungi are very sensitive to drying but use several refuges, including the terrestrial habitat, and resistance strategies. Protozoans show a wide range of survival strategies and several species can resist harsh conditions such as anoxia in drying pools. Thus, they become especially relevant for ecosystem functions when other organisms are inhibited. This sensitivity causes waves of microbial functions and biodiversity to covary with hydrological phases, potentially affecting ecosystem functioning and higher trophic levels. Microbially mediated functions in IRES are perhaps the most critical to freshwater ecosystem services such as nitrogen and carbon cycling. Therefore, efforts to manage and restore IRES will depend on improved understanding of hydrological controls on microbial communities and functions across space and time. © 2017 Copyrigh