Biodiversity as a Dominant Force in Shaping Ethnic Music Styles

Abstract

The diversity of plants, birds, and mammals plays a crucial role in shaping the musical styles of ethnic communities. The origin and development of music are nurtured by the natural environment surrounding human societies. To explore how the natural environment influences the musical styles of various ethnic groups, we focused on ethnic minorities in China and their environments. We applied ecological geography approaches to analyze the influence of different ecological and geographical factors on musical characteristics. The results show that neither the living habits of different ethnic groups nor geographical factors are the dominant influences on ethnic music. Instead, the diversity of plants, birds, and mammals plays a key role in shaping the musical styles of these communities. The findings imply that by protecting biodiversity, the musical and cultural heritage of humanity can also be protected.

Keywords

biodiversity / Chinese ethnic minorities / cultural music influences / ecological geography / ethnic music style / influence of ecology on music / musical characteristics / natural environment

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2026 The Author(s). Integrative Conservation published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG).