According to a new study, there is mounting evidence that nature can help humans address the time pressure of contemporary urban lifestyles by contributing to the regulation of human sense of time. A better understanding of the relationship between natural environments and human time perception can help design healthier living environments.
According to a new Finnish study, greenness around the home in early childhood does not seem to protect children from atopic eczema. Instead, the proximity of coniferous, mixed forests and agricultural areas was associated with elevated risk of eczema. The effect was seen especially in children who were born in the spring.
Living in a greener environment has an impact on the composition of oligosaccharides in mother's breastmilk, which in turn may affect the infant’s health. A study conducted at the University of Turku showed that greater diversity and proportion of green environments in the residential area were associated with increased diversity in the composition of the oligosaccharides in breastmilk.
Most residents in Turku have been forced to change their daily routines significantly due to the corona virus situation. A map-based survey aims to find out what kind of changes have happened in outdoor activities and moving in nature.
The diversity and ecology of African parasitoid wasps was studied for over a year during a project run by the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku. Parasitoid wasps are one of the animal groups that are the most rich in species. However, the tropical species are still very poorly known. Understanding the diversity of parasitoid wasps inhabiting rainforests is important, because tropical biodiversity is dwindling at an accelerating rate.