Cultural and linguistic diversities are underappreciated pillars of biodiversity

Alongside climate change, the current rapid loss of biodiversity is one of the biggest threats that humanity faces to its own survival (1). With up to a million species at risk of disappearing within decades, human activities are reshaping life on Earth with no precedent in recent history. Biodiversity encompasses all life forms and their variation across the landscape. As one of the most important measures of environmental quality, high biodiversity is often linked with better provision of ecosystem services (2) and also helps assist and promote ecological conservation. Natural parks, national reserves, protected areas, and other measures for preserving the natural world are concerned first and foremost with the protection of biodiversity. But there is a critical and overlooked aspect of this important concept: its link with human cultural and linguistic diversity.