Many people maybe suffering from “plant blindness”, mainly because they don’t spend enough time in the great outdoors, a new study suggests. Researchers from the University of Exeter say the phenomenon (现象) basically involved a lack of awareness and appreciation of native plants. Study author explains that humans are not naturally bad at understanding plants, and that plant blindness is “curable” through people’s close contact with plants.

For the study, researchers read 326 articles published in academic journals. Most of them showed people were more interested in and paid more attention to information about animals and plants. However, they did not find evidence that this is an in born (天生的) human characteristic. Instead, it seems to be the result of our less experience with nature in urbanized environments. Nowadays, our increased reliance on urban services and cash economies means that exploring plants does not seem to be indispensable to us, making us strange to plants.

Study showed it was common for children, especially younger kids, to consider plants not as good as animals and not to be able to identify many species. The team also found a difference in plant awareness among teachers and students, particularly primary school teachers who did not study science further at college. Older people had a better understanding of plants, which might be because they were more likely to have nature-related hobbies.

Researchers note that modernization or urbanization has a negative impact on our plant knowledge. Going to work and school also reduces the time we spend in the natural environment. Those factors also reduce the time we spend with family, indicating grandparents do not pass on so much knowledge about plants to their grandchildren.

“People living in highly industrial countries have a plant attention shortage due to a decline in relevant experience with plants,” says study author Dr. Bethan Stagg. “People living in rural communities in low-and-middle-income countries are more likely to have great plant knowledge due to more dependence on natural resources. Interestingly, economic development doesn’t necessarily lead to the knowledge being lost if communities still have access to bio-diverse (生物多样性的) environments. The key is to show some direct benefits of plants to people instead of the indirect benefits,” Dr. Be than Stagg adds.

Losing Touch with Nature May Make You Sick

For something that’s not actually a recognized medical condition, Nature-Deficit Disorder (NDD) has gotten a lot of attention since it was first coined in 2005. Writer Richard Louv came up with the term in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. 【小题1】 Louv explained that children who play outside often are less likely to become ill, stressed, or aggressive compared to those who watch a lot of television and spend most of their free time indoors. Indeed, studies appear to back up that claim by noting that children who spend a significant amount of time outdoors tend to have better mental and physical health. 【小题2】 Nevertheless, they may be worsened by staying inside watching TV, playing video games, or being glued to a smartphone. What’s more, research also suggests that getting a nature fix can help boost the immune system.

According to Louv, the effects of NDD can be lessened or even reversed by making sure parents encourage their kids to enjoy playing outdoors as much as they can. 【小题3】 Rather, they should lead by example, spending time with them in the park, at the beach, camping, and doing other activities, Louv said. He added that children learn many important and practical skills while interacting with nature, like risk-taking, independence, and decision-making. 【小题4】

For years I hadn't known much about gardening. I grew up in the countryside but got hooked on music and drawing and put a great deal of effort into books. As a teenager, the fields beyond my home became a green barrier to the big city I so longed to be part of.I was always full of life,free from worries.

Breaking up with Josh changed everything. I felt so lost and alone. Yet I didn't turn to gardening for recovery straight away. That summer I went to a dozen festivals,danced my way through sleepless weekends and relied on kind friends. But none of them worked for long.

Then one day I walked to the balcony,seeing sunflowers blooming brightly in the wind. They made me realize that plants always carried on. “How small my heartbreak is in the grand scheme of things," I said to myself. I had no idea where I'd end up living, but I could rely on those cycles of growth,decay(衰退)and renewal. There was something enormously comforting in that.

Gradually,the need for green space became a habit that changed my life. When I was staying with friends, I'd hunt out parks. Within a couple of months, I'd signed up as a volunteer at a local community garden and would get there early on Sunday mornings, as if it were my own kind of church.

It's not surprising that being outdoors and surrounding myself with nature helped me through this difficult time. Studies by the Royal College of Physicians have found that gardening can lower blood pressure,relieve anxiety and depression, boost mood,and burn calories.

Fifteen months later, I found a new home,nestled in a patch of south London woodland.I have 30 houseplants in total and my balcony blooms all year around,so it feels like both an oasis(绿洲)and somewhere to think.

Life is still sometimes frustrating.Difficult things still happen. But these days I know how to treat myself: I make sure I go outside, breathe in, look at what's growing, and I always feel better.