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Fifty-nine percent of species on Earth inhabit the soil. However, soils are degrading at unprecedented rates, necessitating efficient, cost-effective, and minimally intrusive biodiversity monitoring methods to aid in their restoration. Ecoacoustics is emerging as a promising tool for detecting and monitoring soil biodiversity, recently proving effective in a temperate forest restoration context. However, understanding the efficacy of soil ecoacoustics in other ecosystems and bioregions is essential. Here, we applied ecoacoustics tools and indices (Acoustic Complexity Index, Bioacoustic Index, Normalised Difference Soundscape Index) to measure soil biodiversity in an Australian grassy woodland restoration chronosequence. We collected 240 soil acoustic samples from two cleared plots (continuously cleared through active management), two woodland restoration plots (revegetated 14-15 years ago), and two remnant vegetation plots over 5 days at Mount Bold, South Australia. We used a below-ground sampling device and sound attenuation chamber to record soil invertebrate communities, which were also manually counted. We show that acoustic complexity and diversity were significantly higher in revegetated and remnant plots than in cleared plots, both in-situ and in sound attenuation chambers. Acoustic complexity and diversity were also strongly positively associated with soil invertebrate abundance and richness, and each chronosequence age class supported distinct invertebrate communities. Our results provide support that soil ecoacoustics can effectively measure soil biodiversity in woodland restoration contexts. This technology holds promise in addressing the global need for effective soil biodiversity monitoring methods and protecting our most diverse ecosystems.
Fifty-nine percent of species on Earth inhabit the soil. However, soils are degrading at unprecedented rates, necessitating efficient, cost-effective, and minimally intrusive biodiversity monitoring methods to aid in their restoration. Ecoacoustics is emerging as a promising tool for detecting and monitoring soil biodiversity, recently proving effective in a temperate forest restoration context. However, understanding the efficacy of soil ecoacoustics in other ecosystems and bioregions is essential. Here, we applied ecoacoustics tools and indices (Acoustic Complexity Index, Bioacoustic Index, Normalised Difference Soundscape Index) to measure soil biodiversity in an Australian grassy woodland restoration chronosequence. We collected 240 soil acoustic samples from two cleared plots (continuously cleared through active management), two woodland restoration plots (revegetated 14-15 years ago), and two remnant vegetation plots over 5 days at Mount Bold, South Australia. We used a below-ground sampling device and sound attenuation chamber to record soil invertebrate communities, which were also manually counted. We show that acoustic complexity and diversity were significantly higher in revegetated and remnant plots than in cleared plots, both in-situ and in sound attenuation chambers. Acoustic complexity and diversity were also strongly positively associated with soil invertebrate abundance and richness, and each chronosequence age class supported distinct invertebrate communities. Our results provide support that soil ecoacoustics can effectively measure soil biodiversity in woodland restoration contexts. This technology holds promise in addressing the global need for effective soil biodiversity monitoring methods and protecting our most diverse ecosystems.
The need for remote, reliable, and scalable monitoring of plummeting biodiversity amidst mounting human pressures on ecosystems and changing climate has sparked enormous interest in Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) over multiple disciplines and ecosystems. Even though PAM could support UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility by facilitating the evaluation of management and conservation actions, global efforts have not yet been synthesised. We collated metadata from 293 soundscape datasets since 2001 describing sampling sites, deployment schedules, focal taxa, and recording parameters. We quantified biological, anthropogenic, and geophysical soundscape components across nine terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This is the first global, quantitative analysis of ecoacoustic sampling coverage across spatial, temporal, and ecological scales. Spatial sampling densities are two orders of magnitude higher in terrestrial realms (33 sites/Mkm2) compared to aquatic realms, while substantial data gaps remain in subterranean realms, extreme environments, and tropical waters. Diel and lunar cycles are well-covered, but in temperate regions, a third of freshwater and terrestrial datasets sample only one season while 57% of marine datasets cover all seasons. Opportunities arise for taxonomically broader sampling on land, for increasing spatial coverage in the high seas, and for more spatially-replicated deployments in freshwater. We illustrate the potential of soundscape ecology to address global questions related to macroecology, conservation biology, and phenology using sample soundscapes. PAM-enabled soundscape ecology has come of age to bridge different disciplines and quantify our progress towards Sustainable Development Goals on land and underwater.
Restoring and monitoring soil biodiversity has never been more important. Ecoacoustics is emerging as a promising tool to detect and monitor soil biodiversity and was recently effective in a temperate forest context. However, there is a need to investigate the efficacy of soil ecoacoustics in other ecosystems and bioregions. Here, we applied ecoacoustics tools and indices (Acoustic Complexity Index, Bioacoustic Index, Normalised Difference Soundscape Index) to measure soil biodiversity in an Australian grassy woodland restoration chronosequence, spanning three age classes. We collected n = 240 soil acoustic samples from two cleared plots (continuously cleared through active management), two woodland plots undergoing restoration (revegetated 14–15 years ago) and two plots of remnant vegetation over 5 days in Mount Bold, South Australia. We used a below‐ground sampling device and sound attenuation chamber to record soil invertebrate communities, which were also manually counted. We found that acoustic complexity and diversity were significantly higher in revegetated and remnant plots than in cleared plots, both in‐situ and in sound attenuation chambers. The acoustic complexity and diversity also significantly associated with soil invertebrate abundance and richness. Synthesis and applications. Our results provide new support that ecoacoustics can help monitor soil biodiversity in different forest restoration contexts, including in UK temperate and Australian grassy woodlands. This technology holds promise in addressing the global need for effective soil biodiversity monitoring methods and protecting our planet's most diverse ecosystems.
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