Subj : Love of nature is partially heritable, s
To   : All
From : ScienceDaily
Date : Thu Feb 03 2022 21:30:42

 Love of nature is partially heritable, study of twins shows 
 Identical twins' nature experiences more similar than fraternal twins but
local environment also key 

  Date:
      February 3, 2022
  Source:
      PLOS
  Summary:
      A person's appreciation of nature and their tendency to visit
      natural spaces are heritable characteristics, according to a
      large-scale study of UK twins.



FULL STORY
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A person's appreciation of nature and their tendency to visit natural
spaces are heritable characteristics, according to a large-scale study of
UK twins led by Chia-chen Chang at the National University of Singapore,
publishing Feb. 3 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.


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Researchers surveyed 1153 pairs of twins on the TwinsUK registry about
how they experience nature, asking them to rate their familiarity with
and desire to be in nature, and how frequently they visit natural spaces
such as public parks and private gardens.

They found that identical (monozygotic) twins, who share almost 100%
of their genes, were more similar to each other in their orientation
towards nature and how frequently they visited nature compared to
fraternal (dizygotic) twins, who share around 50% of their genetic
material. Heritability ranged from 46% for nature orientation to 34%
for frequency of garden visits, suggesting a moderate influence of
genetics over how people experience nature. However, environmental factors
explained more than half of the differences between individuals. People
living in urban environments tended to have less nature experiences, due
to for example limited access to gardens, highlighting the importance
of availability in shaping nature-seeking behaviors. Heritability also
declined with age, suggesting that genetics may become less influential
as people age and experience a unique set of environmental conditions.

Spending time in natural spaces has been found to improve mental
well-being, but different people experience and benefit from nature
differently. This study provides the first evidence for a genetic
component to both our predispositions towards nature and our tendency to
visit natural spaces. Nature-oriented people may actively seek out nature
even if it means traveling from their home, but diverse urban planning
is needed to provide access to natural spaces -- and the benefits they
offer -- for all, the authors say.

"Spending time in nature links to better health and wellbeing,"
adds Chang. "A twin study shows that a person's desire to be in
nature and how often they experience it are influenced by both
genes and personal experiences."  special promotion Get a free
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Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


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Journal Reference:
   1. Chia-chen Chang, Daniel T. C. Cox, Qiao Fan, Thi Phuong Le Nghiem,
      Claudia L. Y. Tan, Rachel Rui Ying Oh, Brenda B. Lin, Danielle F.

      Shanahan, Richard A. Fuller, Kevin J. Gaston, L. Roman
      Carrasco. People's desire to be in nature and how they experience
      it are partially heritable. PLOS Biology, 2022; 20 (2): e3001500
      DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pbio.3001500
==========================================================================

Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220203161159.htm

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