Table 2.

A summarized overview of human and ecosystem health from an interdisciplinary perspective.

	Characteristics	Description	Implications and practicalities
Human health (inner circle)	Physical, mental, and social health	The three components of human health (see Defining Health): physical, mental, and social	This acts on 2 levels: collectively and intervening mechanisms
			To identify and evaluate the sources, directions as well as outcomes of health. To measure these through both objective and subjective indicators, using a mixed-method approach. Examples include questionnaires, governmental and public datasets, behavioral observations, and physiological markers
			To enhance understanding and accounting of health capital as well as intervening mechanisms. To use such knowledge to foster and support healthy lifestyles and communities
Human–nature relationship (middle circle)	Biophysical, biotic, and cultural interaction	Describes humans’ connections with the natural environment (see Defining the Human–Nature Relationship) and the interrelationship between two or more inherent systems (e.g., biophysical, biotic, and cultural)	This refers to a two-way relationship between human health and nature
		These connections were explored and summarized from those four research fields, which have paid most attention to studying the interface of humanity and the natural environment: evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, social economics, and environmentalism	To identify and evaluate the sources, directions as well as outcomes of these 4 human–nature connections, using an interdisciplinary perspective. To measure these through both objective and subjective indicators, using a mixed-method approach. Examples include participatory research methods, governmental and public datasets, as well as systematic and thematic reviews
			To enhance ecosystem services accounting, to be inclusive of natural and health-related capital. To integrate nature-based activities into health-care systems. To design human environments, social economic systems, and “power” relationships to be more in balance with nature
Nature (outer circle)	Nature in space, nature of space, and natural analogs	Describes humanity’s exposure to nature and experience categories, which relate to natural materials and patterns experienced in nature, both visually and non-visually (see Current Knowledge on the Human–Nature Relationship and Health and Impacts of the Human–Nature Relationship on Health)	Exposure refers to those visual, multisensory, or by active engagement
			To identify and evaluate the sources, directions as well as outcomes of exposure to nature. To measure these through both objective and subjective indicators, using a mixed-method approach. Examples include interviews, governmental and public datasets, and questionnaires
			To enhance understanding and accounting of natural capital as well as intervening mechanisms. To include such knowledge in human practices (e.g., public policies) and design