“Plant blindness” is caused by a lack of exposure to nature and could be cured by close contact through activities such as wild food foraging, a study shows.
A lack of awareness and appreciation for native flora stems from diminished time with plants, and is not an innate part of being human, according to the research. This leads to the common misperceptions that plants are ‘less alive’ than animals.
Researchers say the key to breaking the cycle of plant awareness disparity lies in introducing individuals to biodiverse places and altering their perceptions of the perceived utility of plants. Plant blindness is a well-evidenced lack of interest and awareness for plants in urban societies, as compared to animals.
The research, by Dr Bethan Stagg from the University of Exeter and Professor Justin Dillon from UCL, shows people's plant awareness develops where they have frequent interactions with plants that have direct relevance to their lives.
Researchers examined 326 articles published in academic journals from 1998 to 2020. Most showed people had more interest and paid more attention – and were more likely to remember – information about animals. There was no concrete evidence this was an innate human characteristic, instead, diminished experience of nature in urbanised societies appeared to be the cause. It was not inevitable if people had regular contact with plants. The research shows a decline in relevant experience with plants leads to a cyclical process of inattention. This can be addressed through first-hand experiences of edible and useful plants in local environments.
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Posted On: 14/10/2022