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Causes of Biocultural Diversity
Certain geographic areas have been positively correlated with high levels of biocultural diversity, such as lower latitudes, higher rainfalls, higher temperatures, coastlines, and high altitudes. A negative correlation is found with areas such as high latitudes, plains, and drier climates. Positive correlations can also be found between biological diversity and linguistic diversity, illustrated in the overlap between the distribution of plant diverse and language diverse zones. Social factors have also been found to effect biocultural diversity, such as modes of subsistence.

Language Diversity and its Decline
Cultural traditions are passed down through language, making language an important factor in the existence of biocultural diversity. There has been a decline of languages globally. The index of language diversity recorded this decline between 1970 and 2005. Over this thirty years, the number of languages spoken globally has decreased by 20%. This decline has been especially felt on indigenous languages, with a 60% decline in the America, 30% in the Pacific, and 20% in Africa. Currently, there are 7,000 languages being spoken in the world. Half the population speaks only 25 of these languages, the top 5 in order being Mandarin, Spanish, English, Hindi, and Bengali. The remaining 6975 languages are divided between the other half of the population, making the number of people who speak each language unequal and skewed.

The Rise of Monoculture
Monocultures are the norm in most developed countries. These monocrops are seen on large scales, especially for crops such as soy beans, corn, and cotton. Monocrops not only have a negative effect on the diversity of plants which are grown for agricultural purposes, but also effect the biodiversity of the surrounding environment. Cross pollination between crops, such as Monsanto corn, and local varieties of corn, as seen in Mexico, can cause the local varieties to mutate. This causes the over all plant diversity of the area to decline. The results of this have a strong impact on the culture of the region because as the plant diversity dwindles, the cultural practices and understands around those plants is also lost.