History, cculture aand cconservation
While the viewer can undoubtedly see other
patterns emerge in Figure 1, we would like
to call attention to some trends that are visi-
ble. The increase of biodiversity in tropical
regions is commonly known and linguistic
diversity follows this trend as well. We have
other maps under development that explore
this relationship in greater detail and that
incorporate social factors as well. For exam-
ple, one immediate trend that we noticed
was the relationship between low population
density and, in some areas, high biocultural
diversity. Some of the best examples of this
relationship are in the South Asia/Pacific
region (Figure 3) and Himalayas (Figure 4).
[As the figures need color, you will find them
in the back of the back page of the journal]
A likely explanation is that increasing popula-
tion density leads to linguistic homogenisa-
tion and also increasing impact on the bio-
physical environment.
Future directions
There is much more work to be done in
developing a GIS database to assess biocul-
tural diversity. It is not enough to merely
demonstrate the relationship. The next wave
of scholarship needs to explore various types
of association, mutual influence and even
possible causal factors in the development,
maintenance and loss of biocultural diversity.
GIS can aid in this process by not only spa-
tially demonstrating such factors but also by
allowing for the refinement of hypotheses
and even the creation of new ones. Our next
step is to continue the development of the
global database while also starting work on a
regional level. A regional approach in an
area such as Mesoamerica or the
Amazon/Andean region would allow for more
refined hypotheses and the incorporation of
more detailed data.
Apart from the theoretical aspects involved
in the use of GIS, there are important
applied aspects as well. Complex phenomena
such as biocultural diversity can be made
more accessible to a broad audience by the
development of well-designed and easily
understood visual representations such as
maps. Biocultural diversity maps, such as the
ones reported here can serve as invaluable
tools for stakeholders, educators and policy-
makers. By exploring the relationship
between language and biological diversity
and investigating potential factors that pro-
mote or inhibit biocultural diversity, we hope
to enable decision-makers to adopt appropri-
ate land management policies that will pro-
tect and conserve the diverse biocultural
landscapes throughout the world.
Notes
1 Oviedo, Maffi and Larsen, 2000
2 Barthlott, Lauer and Placke, 1996; Barthlott et al., 1999;
Mutke and Barthlott, in press (2004).
3 Grimes, 2000
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