PubMed · 2026-05-15
A small rewilding experiment in urban yards — adding deadwood, native plants, and rich soil — helped maintain skin microbial diversity through autumn and shifted oral microbiomes in ways that may support immune balance. Decaying wood in the neighborhood emerged as a surprisingly important indicator of beneficial microbial exposure.
Skin microbial diversity held steady in the rewilding group across summer to autumn despite a normal seasonal decline, and was positively associated with plant richness in those yards.
Neighborhood deadwood within a 200-meter radius was directly linked to beneficial soil bacteria (Cytobacillus sp. and Streptomyces sp.) found on skin and in saliva.
Greater diversity of oral microbial gene pathways was negatively correlated with IL-6, an inflammatory signaling molecule, suggesting a link between biodiversity exposure and immune regulation.
