A new type of research is blooming at the Meertens Institute
How can the relationship between plants and humans offer new insights into societal issues? A new research project puts plants in the spotlight, exploring their cultural and ecological roles to better understand our past, present, and future.
By: Luiza Teixeira-Costa
The climate crisis made explicit in recent decades is one of today’s main issues. Given the magnitude of the situation, a growing number of institutions are engaging in research about environment-related questions. But what role can the Meertens Instituut, broadly known for its focus on language and culture in the Netherlands, play in this?
It is no secret that all life, including human life, is inexorably dependent on plants: they provide us with oxygen, food, clothing, leisure, and many raw materials, in addition to improving our mental and physical well-being. For this reason, we have built multiple relationships with plants over the course of our human history. So much so that, albeit often overlooked, the ways in which people interact and care for plants have become an important part of culture. Think of the range of agricultural practices, the value of spices, the beauty of gardens, and the importance of urban greening. Plants are everywhere in our lives.
Past and present traditions
With every successive generation, however, we tend to lose sight of past plant diversity. In this way, we become progressively more accustomed not only to less biodiversity, but also to less cultural diversity. Indeed, the variety of common names used for plants is a rich aspect of a language and its local dialects, reflecting past and present traditions and systems of knowledge. An interesting example is the plant Tanacetum parthenium, commonly known as “moederkruid” and described as “veelvuldig gebruikt geworden; voornamelijk tegen eenige ziekten van het vrouwelijk geslacht”. However, the Databank Plantennamen in de Nederlandse Dialecten (PLAND) van het Meertens Instituut shows a variety of other names associated with this plant. Interestingly, the most widespread name registered in the databank is “hemd-knoop”, which is associated with another species, Achillea ptarmica, which is described as “veroorzaakt kwijling, en wordt hierom in de kiespijn aangeprezen”.
This example of nomenclature differences might suggest people are now less knowledgeable about identifying plants and their common uses. Alternatively, it could suggest changes in the distribution and abundance of these plants, which we might not have noticed. The “forgotten baselines” for botanical and cultural diversity, which reflect vibrant ecosystems, language variations, and rich traditions can be found in centuries-old botanical documentation. In this context, the Meertens Instituut has recently launched the project “Botanical Records through a Social Lens”, developed in close collaboration with FLORON, the Nederlands Instituut voor Ecologie, the Koninklijk Bibliotheek, and advisors from Universiteit Utrecht. The project is analyzing a real treasure trove of bio-cultural data unlocked with the digitization of the Flora Batava, the first ever illustrated overview of the flora growing in the Netherlands.
Different threads of information for a wide range of uses
The Flora Batava series was published as 28 volumes over a period of 134 years, from 1800 to 1934. A total of 2343 species of flowering plants, fungi, mosses, ferns, algae, and conifers are included in the publication. In addition to a scientific description, each species is beautifully illustrated and described regarding its common names, areas of occurrence, household and medicinal uses. To aid in the process of extracting specific data from this wealth of information, the project employs large language models, a type of machine learning model designed to process tasks related to textual analyses. This methodology builds on Meertens’ excellence in digital humanities, an emerging field that combines computer science and humanities research to accelerate and facilitate discoveries.
For instance, within the first five months of the project, data on the area of occurrence of each species has already been extracted and shared with collaborators at FLORON. In the coming months, these data gathered from the Flora Batava will be added into the Nationale Databank Flora en Fauna Verspreidingsatlas. This will allow us to get a clearer picture as to how the distribution of plant species has changed in the Netherlands, and how changes in the landscape, from the expansion of cities to the construction of polders, might have affected that.
The data also provide valuable information as to when and where certain species were first observed in the country, revealing the interests of different groups of people in the cultivation of these plants. Although broadly famous for the cultivation of tulip varieties since the 16th century, the Netherlands is also home to a much wider diversity of ornamental plants. While some of these plants have long been found in the country many have been brought into Dutch soil much more recently. These “plant migration” stories are often difficult to trace, so this type of detailed botanical documentation from past centuries becomes even more important.
Diversity of plants and people too!
Unlike many other plant inventories compiled since the 17th century in different European countries and abroad, the Flora Batava series received the contribution of several people who collected material and provided information on which plants could be found in different parts of the country. In fact, about 48% of all species observations were made by contributors other than the author and editors of each volume, which are credited with around 18% of all observations. This method of gathering scientific information with the collaboration of the public is broadly known as Citizen Science, a practice that has become increasingly important in bringing non-academics into contact with scientific knowledge production and in connecting scientists with pressing societal questions and bringing. This practice has greatly evolved since its early days, the Flora Batava might be the first large scale application of Citizen Science in the Netherlands.
Who were these citizen scientists, though? Knowing how many people took part in gathering information for the Flora Batava series is just the start. The project also aims at analyzing social biases and dynamics within the context of botanical knowledge production in the Netherlands. A particular focus is to unravel the contributions from diverse groups, such as women and farmers. Combining different analytical methods stemming from fields like archeology and cultural evolution, the project seeks to reveal how societal factors have shaped botanical science. While research into the identity of these contributors has only just started, we have already identified more than 15 women contributors. Among these is Catharina Cool, renowned for her detailed research of different fungi and for promoting the health benefits of enjoying and studying nature.
Altogether, the project will uncover data that can impact societal problems, such as understanding of how plants have been adapting to climate change, and provide insights into broad debates, such as representation of women in scientific activities.
Read more
- Project website Botanical Records Through a Social Lens