Exposure Ecology Drives a Unified Understanding of the Nexus of (Urban) Natural Ecosystem, Ecological Exposure, and Health

Abstract

The intersection of ecology and exposure science with health concerns has led to a gradual infiltration of these disciplines. Exposure to (urban) natural ecosystems, defined as ecological exposure, has proven to be substantially beneficial to health, providing more effective and preventive measures than dealing with downstream consequences of the disease. Besides, the eco-environment & health field have shifted its paradigm from focusing on negative environmental exposure to exploring the positive health benefits of ecological exposure. However, a unified framework that integrates the nexus of natural ecosystem, ecological exposure, and health is still lacking. To address these challenges, here, we propose a new framework (discipline), exposure ecology (EE), and reviewed relevant studies. We suggest that the domain and scope of EE include subject-reality, object-reality, subject-virtual, and object-virtual dimensions and that all previous studies can be covered within this coordinate frame. We analyze the trends and shortcomings of each domain and explain the pathways of ecological exposure to health, including reduction, restoration, promotion capacity, and potential harm. Furthermore, we discuss the theoretical basis for the formation of the theoretical framework of EE, as well as the EE-derived hypotheses, implications, and connections to other related fields. In short, the EE-driven holistic critical review enhances our understanding of this frontier topic substantially, and it can serve as a unified framework for understanding the nexus of natural ecosystems, ecological exposure, and health and realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).