Humans can be good or bad for diversity

As a biology student at university, I was definitely left with the impression that humans were bad for diversity in the non-human world. This is a very colonial belief, one that had a huge impact on how nature was treated when European colonizers came to places like North America. I’ve discussed this before in a post. However, as I keep learning and challenging the thoughts I have been taught. I’ve learned about how Indigenous People have often increased the biological diversity of an area through management. If you’re biologically inclined Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Jennifer Grenz is an interesting read.

Some research by Gordon and colleagues (2024) shows that whether humans increased or decreased diversity in the past is dependent on a few factors. The main factor is whether it started as a forested or open landscape. Generally, diversity in forested areas was increased by human management, while it was decreased in more open landscapes.

Because of where I live in Canada, I have heard more about Indigenous forest management. With plant harvesting and transplanting and controlled burning, the local people were able to create vibrant and diverse communities with both more plant species and more animal species.

Research like this is important in changing colonial beliefs that are embedded in fields like biology and land management. It is also important for sustainability as we look to work with ecosystems in reciprocity so that we may both find benefit.