The role of biodiversity in stress alleviation: an experiment using VR

Research has shown that exposure to green, natural environments can help the body recover from stress. Because of this effect, stress alleviation is considered an ecosystem service provided by nature for the benefit of human health and well-being. But is this effect equal when viewing natural environments with different levels of biodiversity? For example, is a natural forest with higher visual biodiversity better at alleviating stress than a low biodiversity spruce plantation, or an urban city? This question was tested in an experiment using virtual reality (VR). Test participants (n=31) were divided into three groups, induced with stress from a stressor, and then exposed to images of either natural forest, spruce plantation, or urban city in VR. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance level (SCL) were used as physiological measurements for stress. SCL and HR showed a significant decrease in stress for the natural forest, but not in the spruce plantation or the urban city. The results for HRV were inconclusive. The results suggest that the stress alleviation is stronger when exposed to a natural forest, indicating that visual experience of biodiversity may have an important role in stress alleviation, and further stress its value as an ecosystem service