Aims: This study focused on the newest evidence of the relationship between forest environmental exposure and human health and assessed the health efficacy of forest bathing on the human body as well as the methodological quality of a single study, aiming to provide scientific guidance for interdisciplinary integration of forestry and medicine. Method: Through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, 210 papers from January 1, 2015, to April 1, 2019, were retrieved, and the final 28 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Result: The methodological quality of papers included in the study was assessed quantitatively with the Downs and Black checklist. The methodological quality of papers using randomized controlled trials is significantly higher than that of papers using non-randomized controlled trials (p < 0.05). Papers included in the study were analyzed qualitatively. The results demonstrated that forest bathing activities might have the following merits: remarkably improving cardiovascular function, hemodynamic indexes, neuroendocrine indexes, metabolic indexes, immunity and inflammatory indexes, antioxidant indexes, and electrophysiological indexes; significantly enhancing people’s emotional state, attitude, and feelings towards things, physical and psychological recovery, and adaptive behaviors; and obvious alleviation of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Forest bathing activities may significantly improve people’s physical and psychological health. In the future, medical empirical studies of forest bathing should reinforce basic studies and interdisciplinary exchange to enhance the methodological quality of papers while decreasing the risk of bias, thereby raising the grade of paper evidence.

Citral chemotypes Cinnamomum camphora (C. camphora) and Cinnamomum bodinieri (C. bodinieri) are promising industrial plants that contain abundant citral. For a more in-depth study, their significant biological effect, the chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of essential oils of citral-rich chemotype C. camphora and C. bodinieri (EOCC) were determined in the present study. The EOCC yield, obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ranged from 1.45–2.64%. Forty components more than 0.1% were identified and represented, mainly by a high content of neral (28.6–39.2%), geranial (31.8–54.1%), Z-isocitral (1.8–3.2%), E-isocitral (3.2–4.7%), geraniol (1.3–2.6%) and caryophyllene (0.6–2.4%). The antioxidant properties of EOCC were estimated by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. As our results indicated, the antioxidant activity was significantly correlated to oxygenated monoterpenes. The variety of C. bodinieri (N7) presented the best antioxidant profile, given its highest inhibition of DPPH radical (IC₅₀ = 6.887 ± 0.151 mg/mL) and ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 19.08 ± 0.02 mg/mL). To the best of our knowledge, more than 88% citral of C. bodinieri was investigated and the antioxidant properties described for the first time. Considering high essential oil yield, rich citral content and high antioxidant activity, the N7 variety will be a good candidate for pharmaceutical and cosmetic development of an improved variety.

Carbon stock is an important indicator of cumulative ecosystem productivity. Using this indicator, and based on field sampling data, this paper compared the long-term difference in carbon stocks between aerial seeding (AS) and natural regeneration (NR) forests of Pinus massoniana in sub-tropic forests, China, in order to assess the effectiveness of AS in a highly degraded forest landscape. The results showed that the carbon stocks of stems, branches, roots, and trees (including stems, branches, leaves, and roots) were 140%, 85%, 110%, and 110%, significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the NR forests than those in the AS forests at the ages of 11–20 years, respectively. In addition, the carbon stocks of understory, litter and soil were also 176%, 151%, and 77%, significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the NR forests than those in the AS forests at the same age range, respectively. However, with increasing age (i.e., >21 years), those differences became statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The total carbon stocks of the two forest types also showed a similar pattern. Those results clearly demonstrate that AS was an effective mean for restoring carbon stocks in highly degraded areas, even though their early growth was lower than the NR forests, and thus can be applied in the regions where the areas with limited seed sources and road accessibility.