The forest of knowledge under global change

Лес знаний в условиях глобальных изменений
Patrick R. Roehrdanz, Jordi Bascompte, Rodrigo Cámara‐Leret
2026-07-08

Amazon native plant usebiocultural heritage vulnerabilityclimate change scenarios SSP1-2.6 SSP3-7.0 SSP5-8.5loss of Indigenous languagesspecies distribution models
. So far, however, no study has assessed how climate change and the loss of Indigenous languages may simultaneously impact its biological and cultural heritage. Here, to bridge this gap, we first assembled a database of 90,536 reports from 700 references to understand the societal benefits that native plants provide across all countries of the Amazon basin. We found that humans utilize 5,796 native plant species, which amounts to one-third of the known Amazon vascular seed plant flora. Next, analysing 8,429 species distribution models across three future climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5), we show that climate change will produce a greater reduction in the ranges of utilized than of non-utilized species by 2060-2080. Locally, Indigenous cultures may lose an average of 28-34% of their utilized plant species and 18-23% of their associated services from climate change. Regionally, the loss of threatened Indigenous languages may result in a 26% reduction in the Amazonian knowledge pool. Overall, our results point to the strong climate and language vulnerability of Amazonian biocultural heritage. At the same time, these results-together with our publicly available dataset-may serve to guide biocultural restoration and reverse the growing global change effects on ecosystems and cultural traditions.
1
Analysis of 8,429 species distribution models across SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5 shows climate change will reduce ranges of utilized species more than non-utilized species by 2060–2080.
2
Humans utilize 5,796 native plant species in the Amazon, representing one-third of known Amazon vascular seed plant flora.
3
Locally, Indigenous cultures may lose on average 28–34% of their utilized plant species and 18–23% of associated services due to climate change.
4
Regionally, the loss of threatened Indigenous languages may cause a 26% reduction in the Amazonian knowledge pool.
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The study provides a publicly available dataset intended to guide biocultural restoration to mitigate climate and language-driven losses of Amazonian biocultural heritage.

Utilized native plant species of the Amazon basin (human-used Amazonian vascular seed plants)

Vulnerability of these utilized plant species and associated Indigenous biocultural knowledge/services to future climate change and loss of Indigenous languages (range reductions, local species/service loss, and regional reduction of knowledge pool)

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2026-07-08
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Patrick R. Roehrdanz
Jordi Bascompte
Rodrigo Cámara‐Leret
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