Symposium Abstract: This symposium deals with research to understand the human aspects in horticulture, addressing such issues as the influence of plants and horticulture on human health and welling being, what humans learn through horticulture, horticultural influences in different cultures, how living plants play a role in humans' daily life, etc. The concept of human-horticulture relationship and the subjects addressed and the progress of this field differs with countries and/or cultures. This four keynote speakers will give a global perspective on this new and emerging area of study.
Human-Horticulture Relationships in North and South America
Virginia I. Lohr
Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture
Washington State University; Pullman, WA 99164-6414, USA
Abstract. Plants have been used to benefit humans in the Americas for as long as there have been people in the Americas. Formal research on the impacts of plants on people was not documented until the 1970's, when research from collaborations between social scientists and horticultural practitioners began appearing in print. Research in this area grew in the 1980's on a sporadic basis. In the 1990's, symposiums, including the first on "The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-Being and Social Development," brought people from around the world together to share and expand their knowledge in this emerging field. Symposium participants have included researchers in the social sciences and plant sciences, practitioners in horticultural therapy, teachers in colleges and public gardens, business representatives applying the knowledge, and more. This has formed the basis for current activities in research, teaching, and practice throughout the Americas. Examples from these areas will be shared.
Present Status of Human-Horticulture Relationships Research: Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
David E. Aldous
University of Melbourne-Burnley College
Victoria, Australia.
Abstract. The Australian and South Pacific region principally involves the land mass of Australia and the islands of New Zealand, New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Within this region, 31M inhabitants occupy 8M sq. kms of land area, with Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea accounting for 80 percent of the population and 96 percent of the land area. Human-horticulture relationships, and how humans first became aware of and used plants, go back to the earliest times of habitation in this region.
The paper addresses the provision of horticulture in the region, both as a source of food, fuel, and clothing, and as the physiological need for plants and the effects that plants have on human beings. Changes in the human-horticulture relationship are often dependent on a host of social and economic factors ranging from personality and gender, family and peer group pressure, age, stage in the life cycle through educational, financial and class background, to such variables as history of the region, experiences in childhood, the content of school curricula, value positions and changes in the allocation of time to work and leisure.
Human-horticulture Relationship: Current Situation in Europe in Research, Education, and Application
Aino-Maija Evers
Department of Plant Production
Helsinki University, Finland.
Abstract. Human-horticulture relationships, also called sociohorticulture, human issues in horticulture or people-plant interactions, focus on all aspects where plants influence the quality of life of people. This may be near-by nature effects in cities, the use of horticulture in therapy, in schools, in institutes, or in offices in order to effect improvement, learning, social skills, labour productivity, consumer attitudes or preferences as well as other issues. The present study summarizes information collected from European researchers concerning their activities in human-horticulture research and is based on surveys of those individuals who participate in the People-Plant Council and receive the newsletter.
Present Status of Human-horticulture Relationships in Asia/Africa
Eisuke Matsuo
Faculty of Agriculture
Kyushu University, Japan.
Abstract. Plants and horticulture play an integral role in the cultural heritage of Eastern societies. Plants are deemed as important in many ways beside being a source of food and shelter. The present study summarizes information on research in to the value and application of horticulture collected from Asian and African countries with particular focus on the work being conducted regarding human-horticulture relationships in Korea and Japan.