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The diversity of life sensu lato comprises both biological and cultural diversity, described as “biocultural diversity.” Similar to plant and animal species, cultures and languages are threatened by extinction. Since drylands are pivotal systems for nature and people alike, we use oases in the Sahara Desert as model systems for examining spatial patterns and trends of biocultural diversity. We identify both the underlying drivers of biodiversity and the potential proxies that are fundamental for understanding reciprocal linkages between biological and cultural diversity in oases. Using oases in Algeria as an example we test current indices describing and quantifying biocultural diversity and identify their limitations. Finally, we discuss follow-up research questions to better understand the underlying mechanisms that control the coupling and decoupling of biological and cultural diversity in oases.

广义而言，生命多样性涵盖生物多样性与文化多样性，二者合称为“生物文化多样性（biocultural diversity）”。与动植物物种类似，人类文化与语言亦面临灭绝威胁。鉴于干旱区是维系自然与人类社会的关键生态系统，本研究以撒哈拉沙漠中的绿洲作为模式系统，探究生物文化多样性的空间格局与演变趋势。本研究旨在明确绿洲生物多样性的潜在驱动因子，以及可用于理解绿洲内生物多样性与文化多样性之间相互关联的核心替代指标。本研究以阿尔及利亚境内的绿洲为案例，对现有描述与量化生物文化多样性的指数开展测试，并剖析其局限性。最后，本研究将探讨后续研究方向，以更深入地解析调控绿洲内生物多样性与文化多样性耦合与解耦关系的内在机制。