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A biocultural hypothesis of human–environment mediations and biodiversity increase

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2025

Tlacaelel Rivera-Núñez Open the ORCID record for Tlacaelel Rivera-Núñez [Opens in a new window] ,
Anabel Ford ,
Narciso Barrera-Bassols ,
Alejandro Casas ,
Lane Fargher-Navarro  and
Ronald Nigh
Tlacaelel Rivera-Núñez*
Affiliation:
Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad, Instituto de Ecología, AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
Anabel Ford
Affiliation:
MesoAmerican Research Center, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Narciso Barrera-Bassols
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
Alejandro Casas
Affiliation:
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
Lane Fargher-Navarro
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Ronald Nigh
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
*
Corresponding author: Tlacaelel Rivera-Núñez; Email: [email protected]
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Summary

The relationship between ecosystem disturbance and biodiversity levels has been a central focus of ecological research for the past half-century. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which suggests that maximum biodiversity is achieved through the coexistence of early and late successional species, however, has been challenged for its lack of clarity regarding the intensity, duration and extent of disturbances. This Perspective article advocates for a broader biocultural framework to move from the notion of disturbance to an understanding of human–environment mediations. Our proposed biocultural hypothesis acknowledges that, in certain cultural contexts, interventions by Homo sapiens at different environmental scales – mainly at the landscape level – can generate peaks in beta and gamma biodiversity compared to reference ecosystems. We illustrate these human–environment mediations through studies conducted in the biocultural region of Mesoamerica and comparative research findings, particularly from the Amazon Basin and West and Central Africa. In our conclusions, we discuss the need to establish collaborative research programmes around the proposed biocultural hypothesis, addressing management and institutional actions that will strengthen the engagement of Indigenous people and rural local communities with their historical territories that we name ‘Priority Biocultural Areas’.

Keywords

Biocultural theorybiodiversitydisturbanceshistorical landscapeshuman–environment mediations
Type
Perspectives
Information
Environmental Conservation , First View , pp. 1 - 7
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation

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