Diversity patterns of plant place names reveal connections with environmental and social factors |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Zapateira Campus, University of A Coruña, 15071, A Coruña, Spain;2. Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain;1. Geography and Geology, Sam Houston State University, PO Box 2148, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA;2. Geography and Environmental Resources, Southern Illinois University, Mail Code 4514, Faner Hall, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA;1. Department of Natural Resources, TERI University, New Delhi, 110070, India;2. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India;1. Department Geoecology and Climatology, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda, 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland;2. Department of Historical Atlas, Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rynek Starego Miasta 29/31, 00-272, Warsaw, Poland;3. Department of Silviculture and Genetics of Forest Trees, Forest Research Institute, S?kocin Stary, Braci Le?nej 3, 05-090, Raszyn, Poland;1. Department of Planning, Policy and Design, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA;2. School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA;3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA;1. Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Darwinweg 4, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands;2. Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 6700 AP, Wageningen, The Netherlands;3. Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80125, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands;4. Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden;5. The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway |
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| Abstract: | There is a strong connection between cultural and biological diversity at a global scale, especially in the linguistic domain, but less is known at regional scales. Indicators of such reciprocity are found in the linguistic expression of natural elements, and their representation in the landscape through toponymy. Here we evaluate the geographic distribution of phyto-toponyms, places named after a native local flora, in Galicia, NW Spain. We created the concept of toponymic species (topo-species) for groups of places named after a plant taxon. By using different regression models assuming global effects of the variables (Ordinary Least Squares, OLS) or non-stationarity (Geographically Weighted Regression, GWR), we explored the connection of topo-species richness and diversity with environmental (river density, altitude and natural habitats density) and social (total density of toponyms, population density) factors.Topo-species richness and diversity were significantly correlated with the studied factors. Total density of toponyms, river density, altitude and natural habitats density showed significant positive values in the models, while population density had little or no effects. GWR performed better for all variables, especially for Shannon diversity index. We conclude that place names of natural elements depict human’s interaction with the environment. They are stable, spatially-explicit elements that may be used as indicators of bio-cultural diversity. In addition, they represent an intangible cultural heritage that should also be preserved. |
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| Keywords: | Biocultural diversity Phyto-toponymy Landscape change Land abandonment Conservation areas Land management Land-use change Rural landscape |
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