Ecoacoustics: acoustic sensing for biodiversity monitoring at scale

Stowell, Dan; Sueur, Jérôme

doi:10.1002/rse2.174

Cited by 44 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Much recent research on PAM surveys has focussed on automated methods (Stowell & Sueur, 2020) but it is likely to be years or even decades before off-the-shelf, highly accurate classification methods are available for the world's most speciose regions (Gibb et al, 2019;Priyadarshani et al, 2018;Sugai et al, 2019). In this context, the improved efficacy of high temporal resolution sampling for species inventories and estimation of species richness represent a significant benefit.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing tropical forest bird surveys using passive acoustic monitoring and high temporal resolution sampling

Metcalf

Barlow

Marsden

et al. 2021

Remote Sens Ecol Conserv

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Estimation of avian biodiversity is a cornerstone measure of ecosystem condition. Surveys conducted using autonomous recorders are often more efficient at estimating diversity than traditional point-count surveys. However, there is limited research into the optimal temporal resolution for sampling-the trade-off between the number of samples and sample duration when sampling a survey window with a fixed survey effort-despite autonomous recorders allowing easy repeat sampling compared to traditional survey methods. We assess whether the additional temporal coverage from high temporal resolution (HTR) sampling, consisting of 240 15-s samples spread randomly across a survey window detects higher alpha and gamma diversity than low temporal resolution (LTR) sampling of four 15-min samples at the same locations. We do so using an acoustic dataset collected from 29 locations in a region of very high avian biodiversity-the eastern Brazilian Amazon. We find HTR sampling outperforms LTR sampling in every metric considered, with HTR sampling predicted to detect approximately 50% higher alpha diversity, and 10% higher gamma diversity. This effect is primarily driven by increased coverage of variation in detectability across the morning, with the earliest period containing a distinct community that is often under sampled using LTR sampling. LTR sampling produced almost four times as many false absences for species presence. Additionally, LTR sampling incorrectly found 70 species (34%) at only a single forest type when they were in fact present in multiple forest types, while the use of HTR sampling reduced this to just two species (0.9%). When considering multiple independent detections of species, HTR sampling detected three times more uncommon species than LTR sampling. We conclude that high temporal resolution sampling of passive-acoustic monitoring-based surveys should be considered the primary method for estimating the species richness of bird communities in tropical forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing tropical forest bird surveys using passive acoustic monitoring and high temporal resolution sampling

Metcalf

Barlow

Marsden

et al. 2021

Remote Sens Ecol Conserv

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“…Such arrays may be used to investigate dynamics in the animal communities of a particular landscape. By contrast, conventional animal community inventories based on visual identification or collection are time and resource intensive, and inaccessible areas are difficult to investigate [ 5 ]. If recorded soundscapes, especially the acoustic complexity of their biophonies, can be related to biodiversity, it would improve biodiversity monitoring substantially, as it allows continuous monitoring with manageable effort.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies have focused on climatic [ 13 ], human-technological [ 14 ] and land use influences [ 15 ] or on spatiotemporal dynamics in the composition and behavior of animal populations [ 16 ]. Ecoacoustic methods have already been used in a wide variety of tropical, montane, and temperate ecosystems—above ground and underwater [ 17 ]. However, some white spots remain on the global sound map.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and spatial dynamics in soil acoustics and their relation to soil animal diversity

et al. 2022

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The observation and assessment of animal biodiversity using acoustic technology has developed considerably in recent years. Current eco-acoustic research focuses on automatic audio recorder arrays and acoustic indices, which may be used to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of local animal communities in high resolution. While such soundscapes have often been studied above ground, their applicability in soils has rarely been tested. For the first time, we applied acoustic and statistical methods to explore the spatial, diurnal, and seasonal dynamics of the soundscape in soils. We studied the dynamics of acoustic complexity in forest soils in the alpine Pfynwald forest in the Swiss canton of Valais and related them to meteorological and microclimatic data. To increase microclimatic variability, we used a long-term irrigation experiment. We also took soil samples close to the sensors on 6 days in different seasons. Daily and seasonal patterns of acoustic complexity were predicted to be associated with abiotic parameters—that is, meteorological and microclimatic conditions—and mediated by the dynamics of the diversity and activity of the soil fauna. Seasonal patterns in acoustic complexity showed the highest acoustic complexity values in spring and summer, decreasing in fall and winter. Diurnal acoustic complexity values were highest in the afternoon and lowest during the night. The measurement of acoustic diversity at the sampling site was significantly associated with soil communities, with relationships between taxa richness or community composition and acoustic complexity being strongest shortly before taking the soil samples. Our results suggest that the temporal and spatial dynamics of the diversity and community composition of soil organisms can be predicted by the acoustic complexity of soil soundscapes. This opens up the possibility of using soil soundscape analysis as a noninvasive and easy-to-use method for soil biodiversity monitoring programs.

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“…Deploying remote acoustic sensors in the sea allows capturing all the sounds in the surrounding environment [64]. This underwater soundscape emerges from geophysical, biological, and anthropogenic sources [65].…”

Section: Monitoring As An Inventorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity Monitoring in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas: Scientific and Methodological Challenges

et al. 2022

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Biodiversity is a portmanteau word to indicate the variety of life at all levels from genes to ecosystems, but it is often simplistically equated to species richness; the word ecodiversity has thus been coined to address habitat variety. Biodiversity represents the core of the natural capital, and as such needs to be quantified and followed over time. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a major tool for biodiversity conservation at sea. Monitoring of both species and habitat diversity in MPAs is therefore mandatory and must include both inventory and periodic surveillance activities. In the case of inventories, the ideal would be to census all species and all habitats, but while the latter goal can be within reach, the former seems unattainable. Species inventory should be commeasured to investigation effort, while habitat inventory should be based on mapping. Both inventories may profit from suitability spatial modelling. Periodic surveillance actions should privilege conspicuous species and priority habitats. Efficient descriptor taxa and ecological indices are recommended to evaluate environmental status. While it seems obvious that surveillance activities should be carried out with regular recurrence, diachronic inventories and mapping are rarely carried out. Time series are of prime importance to detect marine ecosystem change even in the absence of direct human impacts.

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Ecoacoustics: acoustic sensing for biodiversity monitoring at scale

Cited by 44 publications

References 29 publications

Optimizing tropical forest bird surveys using passive acoustic monitoring and high temporal resolution sampling

Optimizing tropical forest bird surveys using passive acoustic monitoring and high temporal resolution sampling

Temporal and spatial dynamics in soil acoustics and their relation to soil animal diversity

Biodiversity Monitoring in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas: Scientific and Methodological Challenges

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