Apr 22(BNP):Human activities have always shaped both biological and cultural diversity. An international team led by the University of Vienna has now investigated the link between the threat to species and that to languages. Linguists and biodiversity researchers identified a common key factor: European colonialism. The study has recently been published in the journal People and Nature.
Around one million species and almost 50 per cent of the world’s languages are threatened with extinction. A team of researchers led by the University of Vienna with contributions from Utrecht University has compiled a cross-national record of the number of threatened animal species and languages and identified global hotspots where both are particularly at risk. In a second step, they examined the current and historical factors shaping these patterns of threat.
Hotspots of threatened biocultural diversity (species and languages) are found particularly on islands in Oceania and East Asia, such as New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan. Hotspots of animal endangerment are also found in other (sub-)tropical island nations such as Madagascar, Haiti and Mauritius, whilst language endangerment is more concentrated in the Americas, southern Africa and Australia.
European colonialism is a key common factor in the threat
Despite varying hotspots of threat, the results reveal a striking commonality: “Beyond the expected current causes of the loss of biocultural diversity, our models showed that European colonialism has left a lasting impact on the threat to languages and species,” says biodiversity researcher and study lead Bernd Lenzner from the University of Vienna.
Regions that were formerly occupied by one or more European powers show the highest levels of threat to both biological and linguistic diversity. “This effect becomes all the more pronounced the longer a particular country was under colonial occupation,” adds Lenzner. European colonialism led to profound economic and social changes, for example through the spread of invasive species, introduced diseases and violent conflicts with local communities.
Island regions are particularly at risk
“Islands are particularly vulnerable to the loss of both species and languages,” says linguist and lead author Hannes Fellner from the University of Vienna, adding: “Due to their small size, species populations are more vulnerable to disruption from invasive species or habitat loss. Similarly, language communities on islands are often smaller, with fewer active speakers per language. Furthermore, younger generations are increasingly migrating away, which increases the pressure on linguistic diversity.”
Advancing globalisation highlights the relevance of the current findings
The study’s findings underscore how important it is to understand the historical impacts of human activity.
“The effects of the colonial legacy continue to shape both natural and cultural landscapes and influence the patterns of diversity we observe today,” summarises Bernd Lenzner. Hannes Fellner adds: “These findings are highly relevant in the context of advancing globalisation, where similar – or even more intense – large-scale interventions in cultural and environmental systems can have long-term consequences that cannot yet be fully foreseen.”
