Biodiversity as a Language: What the Loss of Species Means for Human Culture

Writer: Jiyan TEKAY

Biodiversity is often described in numbers: how many species are left, how many are endangered, how many have already vanished. These numbers are important for science, but they do not capture the whole picture. Biodiversity is not only about counting species; it is about the richness of life and the meanings it carries for humans. Every species can be seen as a kind of word in a larger conversation between nature and culture (Maffi, 2005). Their songs, colors, and movements have always been part of human imagination. When species go extinct, not only the ecological balance is disrupted, but also cultural expressions, memories, and ways of seeing the world that that creature allows us to have are also destroyed. (Harmon, 1996).

Think of the long history of human language and culture. Many of our words, metaphors, and ideas are borrowed from nature. We speak of “roots” when we talk about family, “branches” when describing choices, “migration” when we refer to people moving from one place to another. These are deeply connected to the presence of natural elements such as plants, trees, and animals that people have observed by looking at the environment surrounding them over centuries. If a bird no longer sings in a region, its absence is more than ecological—it slowly erases stories, poems, and songs that once carried its name. If a plant used in traditional medicine disappears, a whole body of knowledge that families once relied on becomes harder to remember and pass on (Berkes et al., 2000). In this way, nature and culture are deeply tied together: damage to one weakens the other.

One clear example of this link is found in the Hevsel Gardens in Diyarbakır, Turkey. These gardens, stretching between the Tigris River and the Diyarbakır Fortress, have been cultivated for thousands of years. They are not only a fertile agricultural landscape but also a cultural one, shaped by the practices of local families. At the same time, they provide a habitat for hundreds of bird and plant species, making them a hotspot of biodiversity (Gültekin & Özkaya, 2018). In this sense, the Hevsel Gardens are like a living library, where human traditions and natural life are written together on the same pages. They show us that biodiversity is not separate from society; it is part of our cultural memory and daily existence (Pretty et al., 2009).

When biodiversity starts to decline, the consequences reach beyond science or conservation. Extinction is often described as a scientific fact, a problem for experts. But if we think of biodiversity as a language, then extinction is more like the burning of a book or the erasure of a library. It is not only the genes of a species that disappear but also the cultural connections built around it (Harmon, 1996). Languages themselves change as biodiversity declines. For example, without wolves, certain folk stories may lose their protagonists. Without our rivers full of fish, the songs of fishermen will no longer make sense to younger generations. Therefore, the silence left by lost species echoes in human traditions as well as in ecosystems (Maffi, 2005).

This is why many scholars and conservationists now emphasize the idea of “biocultural diversity.” It means recognizing that biodiversity and cultural diversity are linked, that the protection of one, often depends on the survival of the other (Pretty et al., 2009). Traditional ecological knowledge-such as indigenous farming techniques, local herbal medicine, or seasonal rituals-cannot be separated from the species and ecosystems where they developed (Berkes et al., 2000). In Turkey, as well as in many other countries, cultural identity is tied to specific landscapes and the species that live there. Protecting biodiversity is therefore not only about saving plants and animals; it is also about protecting culture, identity, and memory.

It is also important to note that biodiversity loss does not only threaten distant species in tropical forests or remote islands. It is happening all around the world, often silently. Urban areas, agricultural regions, and even rivers close to big cities are losing their native species. Each time this happens, a small part of culture also disappears. Soon, children may grow up without hearing the songs of frogs at night, without knowing the taste of local fruits, or without learning the stories that elders once told about animals and plants. These small silences accumulate into a larger cultural silence.

Yet there is still hope, and it lies in how we choose to act. Protecting biodiversity can be seen as keeping the conversation alive between nature and culture. Efforts to restore habitats, protect endangered species, and record traditional ecological knowledge are all ways of preserving not only ecosystems but also cultural richness (Maffi, 2005; Pretty et al., 2009). In the Hevsel Gardens, for example, documenting bird species, supporting local farmers, and maintaining traditional agricultural practices help keep both biodiversity and cultural memory strong (Gültekin & Özkaya, 2018). Similar examples can be found around the world, where communities protect their local forests, rivers, and mountains not only for ecological reasons but also to safeguard cultural identity and meaning.

In conclusion, biodiversity as a language reminds us that the loss of species is not just a distant scientific issue but a direct cultural concern. It affectshow we speak, how we imagine, how we connect with the world around us. To protect biodiversity is therefore to protect ourselves, our stories, and our ability to make sense of life. Every bee that continues to pollinate, every local seed that is planted, every bird that still sings, carries with it not only ecological value but also cultural hope. The survival of species is the survival of meanings, and the future of biodiversity is also the future of human culture.

References

1. Berkes, F., Colding, J., & Folke, C. (2000). Rediscovery of traditional ecological knowledge as adaptive management. Ecological Applications, 10(5), 1251–1262.

2. Gültekin, H., & Özkaya, V. (2018). Hevsel Gardens and the Cultural Landscape of Diyarbakır: An Intersection of Ecology and History. Journal of Environmental Studies, 27(3), 45–60.

3. Harmon, D. (1996). Losing species, losing languages: Connections between biological and linguistic diversity. Southwest Journal of Linguistics, 15(1–2), 89–108.

4. Maffi, L. (2005). Linguistic, cultural, and biological diversity. Annual Review of Anthropology, 34, 599–617.

5. Pretty, J., Adams, B., Berkes, F., et al. (2009). The Intersections of Biological Diversity and Cultural Diversity: Towards Integration. Conservation and Society, 7(2), 100–112.