Endangered species, languages linked at high biodiversity regions
Penn State University Live release, 8 May 2012
Study links biodiversity and language loss
BBC, 13 May 2012
PENNSYLVANIA, USA: The decline of linguistic and cultural diversity is linked to biodiversity loss, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has suggested. Lead author Larry Gorenflo from Penn State University, USA, said previous studies had identified a geographical connection between the two, but did not offer the level of detail required. The researchers first looked regional diversity hotspots: comprising only 2.3% of the Earth’s surface, intact habitat in the 35 hotspots contain more than half the world’s vascular plants and 43% of terrestrial vertebrate species. In these 35 hotspots, the researchers found 3,202 languages – nearly half of all languages spoken on Earth. They also examined linguistic diversity in five high biodiversity wilderness areas, whose remaining habitat covers about 6.1 percent of the Earth’s surface and contains about 17% of the vascular plant species and 6% of the terrestrial vertebrate species. These regions contained another 1,622 languages. The researchers do not know why areas of endangered species concentration and endangered languages coexist. Possibly indigenous cultures, supported by their languages, create the conditions to maintain species and keep the ecosystems working. They believe their study is a starting point to explore the relationship between biological and linguistic-cultural diversity. This will also help develop strategies for conserving species and languages in areas where rich diversity of both exists. Read the Penn State release … Read the BBC article … Read the PNAS article by L.J. Gorenflo et al, Co-occurrence of linguistic and biological diversity in biodiversity hotspots and high biodiversity wilderness areas …
