Cultural keystone species revisited: are we asking the right questions?

Orou G. Gaoue,Michael A. Coe

doi:10.1186/s13002-020-00422-z

Abstract

The cultural keystone species theory predicts plant species that are culturally important, play a role in resource acquisition, fulfil a psycho-socio-cultural function within a given culture, have high use-value, have an associated naming and terminology in a native language, and a high level of species irreplaceability qualify for cultural keystone species designation. This theory was proposed as a framework for understanding relationships between human societies and species that are integral to their culture. A greater understanding of the dynamic roles of cultural keystones in both ecosystem processes and cultural societies is a foundation for facilitating biocultural conservation. Given such important direct conservation implications of the cultural keystone species theory, we reviewed the use of this theoretical framework across the literature to identify new directions for research. Most studies often emphasized the role of cultural keystones species in human societies but failed to provide a robust and reproducible measure of cultural keystone species status or direct test of the predictions of the theory and underemphasized their potential roles in ecosystem processes. To date, no studies that mentioned cultural keystone species tested the predictions of the theory. Only 4.4% provided a measure for cultural keystone status and 47.4% have cited or applied keystone designation to a given species without providing a reproducible measure for cultural keystone species. Studies that provided a measure for cultural keystone species primarily occurred in North America while few of these studies occurred in Australia and Europe with none occurring in Africa. As such, most cultural keystone species have been designated as such qualitatively based on researcher subjectivity while other studies have designated keystone species with quantitative indices of cultural importance, often incorporating researcher biases or measuring a few of the cultural keystone status predictors rather than all of them, indicating a lack of consensus in identifying cultural keystone species. Thus, we pose the need for a paradigm shift toward the development of serious and systematic approaches for keystone designation.

Highlights

Over two decades ago, ethnobotanists proposed the cultural keystone species concept, an ethnobotanical theoretical framework [1–4] as complementary approach for conservation of social and ecological systems [2, 3, 5–7]
“if studies, rather than testing the relationship between species cultural keystone status and the functional role cultural keystone species are expected to play in maintaining cultural community structure, directly identified cultural keystone species without a robust measure of species cultural keystone status?” We explore how the utilization of the cultural keystone species theory has changed over time and across continents to identify any gaps of knowledge that warrant further considerations
This review aims to address the following questions including (1) how has the cultural keystone species theory been tested over time and space? (2) How has cultural keystone designation been predicted? (3) What have been the limitations of prior studies that have provided a reproducible measure for cultural keystone species? and (4) What are the future directions for providing a direct test of the theory?

Summary

Introduction

Ethnobotanists proposed the cultural keystone species concept, an ethnobotanical theoretical framework [1–4] as complementary approach for conservation of social and ecological systems [2, 3, 5–7]. Garibaldi and Turner [2] proposed a synthesis of the cultural keystone species theory within an ecological context by suggesting “a decline in biological diversity often means a loss of cultural diversity.” This concept has gained momentum where the links between biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity have been identified to help advance our understanding on their potential roles in adding conservation efforts [9–11]. The premise of Garibaldi and Turner’s [2] argument is rooted in the ecological keystone species concept which suggests some species are central to ecosystem function where certain species represent keystones of the biological community often playing significant roles in maintaining the integrity and longevity of community structure It is expected the loss of these species will significantly affect ecosystem function and stability [12, 13]. The ecological keystone species theory was founded on the idea that effective conservation efforts likely depend on understanding the underlying mechanisms by which keystone species play critical roles maintaining stability of their respective ecosystems [14, 15]

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