Yard rewilding with deadwood alters skin and oral microbiomes and inflammatory markers in Finnish study (microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com)

• 21 urban private yards in Finland rewilded with deadwood, vegetation, microbially rich soil; 15 control yards.
• Skin microbial diversity stayed constant in rewilding group despite seasonal decline, associated with plant richness.
• Rewilding associated with decrease in tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis and L-histidine degradation gene pathways in oral microbiota.
• Berry/fruit picking in autumn associated with higher IL-10 and IL-6 in saliva in rewilding group.
• Neighborhood deadwood within 200m linked to fatty acid biosynthesis superpathway in oral microbiomes.
• Oral microbial functional gene pathway diversity negatively correlated with IL-6 levels.
• Deadwood abundance linked to skin Gammaproteobacteria and soil-derived Cytobacillus sp. CY-G and Streptomyces sp. HSG2 in saliva.

"Researchers in Finland rewilded 21 urban private yards with deadwood, vegetation, and microbially rich soil, comparing to 15 control yards. They analyzed skin and oral microbiomes, functional gene pathways, and cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-10) before and after three months. Skin microbial diversity remained stable in the rewilding group, linked to plant richness. Rewilding was associated with decreased tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis and L-histidine degradation pathways in oral microbiota. Berry/fruit picking correlated with higher IL-10 and IL-6 in saliva. Neighborhood deadwood abundance was linked to fatty acid biosynthesis in oral microbiomes. Oral microbial gene pathway diversity negatively correlated with IL-6 levels. Deadwood abundance also associated with skin Gammaproteobacteria and soil-derived bacteria in saliva."