Temporal species stability underpins the link between biodiversity and human health

Abstract

Biodiversity is known to impact human health, but the complex relationships between species diversity and health outcomes is poorly understood. Measuring the temporal dissimilarity in species composition can be leveraged to understand the stability of biodiversity and corresponding effects on human health, such as life expectancy at birth, and cause-specific mortality rates. We collected nearly 400 million bird observations from 2010 to 2019 at county level in the US, clustered each county into specific pattern groups by biodiversity characteristics, and performed multivariable linear regressions with human health indicators. Our analyses showed that reduced species replacement (regression coefficient −2.26, 95 % confidence interval (CI) −3.06 to −1.47) and less variation in nested species loss or gain (regression coefficient −1.86, 95 %CI -2.56, −1.16) were associated with increased life expectancy. Human communities exposed to more stable regional species composition demonstrated a longer average life expectancy, decreased mortality rates from high-burden diseases (e.g., neoplasms, respiratory system, and cardiovascular diseases), and a reduced age-specific mortality risk. The results were adjusted for other influential factors and accounted for the regional species richness. Our study provides epidemiological evidence on the importance of biodiversity stability regarding human health, highlighting the pressing need to preserve and enhance biodiversity stability. It offers fresh perspectives on the global biodiversity crisis and emphasizes the potential impact on human health. Show more