Unpacking the causes and consequences of the extinction of experience

Urbanization and urban lifestyle are progressively diminishing individuals' opportunity (e.g., nature exposure) to experience and orientation (affinity) towards nature, ultimately reducing people's experiences of nature. This process has been described as the ‘extinction of experience’ (EoE), and it was suggested that it can alter the way people benefit from, interact with, learn about, emotionally connect with and commit to protect the natural world. The EoE is underpinned by interconnected relations between the drivers, nature experiences and outcomes, yet to date most research have focused on bilateral relations (e.g. between opportunity and well-being). Here we adopt a holistic approach to jointly explore the network of relationships suggested by the EoE theory. We conducted a survey of 523 inhabitants of a large metropolis, Tel Aviv, Israel, living in neighborhoods varying in nature intensity levels, and explored their orientation, health, well-being, environmental attitudes and conservation behaviors. Using a structural equation model, we empirically demonstrated the validity of the theoretical model of the EoE, but also showed more complex relationships. For instance, opportunity to experience urban nature was only related to health and well-being benefits, while orientation towards nature was related to well-being, conservation attitudes and behaviors in different contexts. Thus, providing opportunities to experience nature seems to be less sufficient than strengthening people's orientation to avert the EoE, as the latter can simultaneously enhance nature experiences, conservation behaviors and provide social benefits. This knowledge is pivotal if we are to promote policies that achieve the behavioral changes needed to mitigate the biodiversity crisis.