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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: More studies report positive effects of diverse native plant communities on immune systems and public health.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>June 2, 2020<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Research from <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/109/21/8334">Finland</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rec.13175">Australia</a> has found more evidence that living among diverse native plants helps protect human populations from diseases <!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=500 height=667 style='width:5.2083in;height:6.9479in' src="https://ymlpmail2.net/imgz/09yp_kidsierrasmRoberson.jpg" align=right v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"><![endif]>associated with weakened immune systems, such as asthma, auto immune disease, and allergies.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Native plants may accomplish this by supporting more diverse populations of bacteria and other microorganisms, which in turn strengthen human immune system health.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>In a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/109/21/8334">2012 Finnish study</a>, researchers collected plant species data across a range of plant communities and compared it to the diversity of skin microorganisms in adolescents. The study concluded that the presence of <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>diverse native plant species</span></strong> in the vicinity supported healthier and more diverse microbial communities around and on humans. A <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rec.13175">2020 Australian study</a> documented a similar effect of native plants on the diversity of soil microorganisms. Microbial diversity was greater in native dominated areas vs. lawns or vacant lots. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>This is important because, as both the Finnish and Australian articles state, exposure to diverse communities of bacteria and other microorganisms may help “train” human immune systems<strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> </span></strong>to respond to threats such as asthma, allergies and chronic autoimmune disease. This idea is captured in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/all.13763">Biodiversity Hypothesis</a> which proposes that “contact with natural environments enriches the human microbiome [microorganisms on your skin and in your gut], promotes immune balance and protects from allergy and inflammatory disorders.” <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>In fact, the Finnish researchers found that subjects living among more diverse native-dominated plant communities, and thus among more diverse microorganisms, showed lower susceptibility to allergic reactions. </span></strong><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>These findings support the results of a <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_2018_donovan001.pdf">New Zealand study</a> summarized in a 2018 <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yadmhplk">NPCC News</a>. That research examined nearly 50,000 children in New Zealand. It found that those who grew up in greener neighborhoods were less likely to develop asthma. However, not all greenness is a good thing—children living in areas with nonnative plant species or low plant diversity were actually at greater risk of developing the disease.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The incidence of chronic inflammatory diseases has doubled every two decades since 1950 worldwide, especially in wealthier countries. In the U.S., allergies have increased by 50 percent and asthma by one-third over the past 20 years.<o:p></o:p></p></div><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Read more about the Finnish study and the Biodiversity Hypothesis in the article <a href="https://www.humanegardener.com/can-native-plants-prevent-human-disease/">Can Yards Without Native Plants Make Us Sick?</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Read more about the Australian study in <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-microbiome-rewilding-biodiverse-urban-green.html">Microbiome rewilding: Biodiverse urban green spaces strengthen human immune systems</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Read more about how native plants protect us from disease and support mental health in a recent <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y7gn8x37">NPCC News</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>For more information and additional examples of the health and other benefits of diverse native plant communities, see the <a href="http://nativeplantsocietyofus.org/ecosystem-services-resources/">NPCC Ecosystem Services/Nature Based Solutions web pages</a>. Click “<a href="http://nativeplantsocietyofus.org/ecosystem-services-resources/health/">Health, Well Being and Medicine</a>”.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><div><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Photo – A child supercharging her immune system with native plants © Emily B. Roberson</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Emily B. Roberson, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://plantsocieties.cnps.org/">Native Plant Conservation Campaign</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>415 531 4439<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:emilyr@plantsocieties.org">emilyr@</a><a href="mailto:emilyr@plantsocieties.org">plantsocieties.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>#<span style='color:green'>SavePlantsSaveThePlanet</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The mission of the Native Plant Conservation Campaign is to promote the conservation of native plants and their habitats through collaboration, research, education, and advocacy.</span></em><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><a href="http://signup.ymlpmail2.net/xghwwhjjgmgb">Sign up for NPCC News</a>! </b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/plantsocieties"><b>Like us on Facebook!</b></a> <b><a href="http://plantsocieties.cnps.org/index.php/action-main/donate-to-campaign">Donate</a>!</b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please forward this message to any interested individuals or organizations. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><hr size=0 width="50%" noshade style='color:black' align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="https://ymlpmail2.net/ughwwhjjgsgbeguhwhhggwebbq"><span style='color:black'>Unsubscribe / Change Profile</span></a> <br><a href="https://ymlpmail2.net/m/"><span style='color:black'>Powered by YMLP</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=1 height=1 style='width:.0104in;height:.0104in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://ymlpmail2.net/01268xberphbuwwkbbbv/footer.gif" alt=" "><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>