@article {53057, title = {Species Richness (of Insects) Drives the Use of Acoustic Space in the Tropics}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-11-2017}, pages = {1096}, abstract = {

Acoustic ecology, or ecoacoustics, is a growing field that uses sound as a tool to evaluate animal communities. In this manuscript, we evaluate recordings from eight tropical forest sites that vary in species richness, from a relatively low diversity Caribbean forest to a megadiverse Amazonian forest, with the goal of understanding the relationship between acoustic space use (ASU) and species diversity across different taxonomic groups. For each site, we determined the acoustic morphospecies richness and composition of the biophony, and we used a global biodiversity dataset to estimate the regional richness of birds. Here, we demonstrate how detailed information on activity patterns of the acoustic community (\<22 kHz) can easily be visualized and ASU determined by aggregating recordings collected over relatively short periods (4\–13 days). We show a strong positive relationship between ASU and regional and acoustic morphospecies richness. Premontane forest sites had the highest ASU and the highest species richness, while dry forest and montane sites had lower ASU and lower species richness. Furthermore, we show that insect richness was the best predictor of variation in total ASU, and that insect richness was proportionally greater at high-diversity sites. In addition, insects used a broad range of frequencies, including high frequencies (\>8000 Hz), which contributed to greater ASU. This novel approach for analyzing the presence and acoustic activity of multiple taxonomic groups contributes to our understanding of ecological community dynamics and provides a useful tool for monitoring species in the context of restoration ecology, climate change and conservation biology.

}, keywords = {amphibians, ARBIMON, Biodiversity monitoring, birds, community ecology, insects, passive acoustic monitoring, rapid assessments, Soundscape, species richness}, doi = {10.3390/rs9111096}, url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/11/1096}, author = {T. Mitchell Aide and Hern{\'a}ndez-Serna, Andres and Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi and Acevedo-Charry, Orlando and Jessica L. Deichmann} } @article {51471, title = {Species Richness (of Insects) Drives the Use of Acoustic Space in the Tropics}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-11-2017}, pages = {1096}, abstract = {

Acoustic ecology, or ecoacoustics, is a growing field that uses sound as a tool to evaluate animal communities. In this manuscript, we evaluate recordings from eight tropical forest sites that vary in species richness, from a relatively low diversity Caribbean forest to a megadiverse Amazonian forest, with the goal of understanding the relationship between acoustic space use (ASU) and species diversity across different taxonomic groups. For each site, we determined the acoustic morphospecies richness and composition of the biophony, and we used a global biodiversity dataset to estimate the regional richness of birds. Here, we demonstrate how detailed information on activity patterns of the acoustic community (\<22 kHz) can easily be visualized and ASU determined by aggregating recordings collected over relatively short periods (4\–13 days). We show a strong positive relationship between ASU and regional and acoustic morphospecies richness. Premontane forest sites had the highest ASU and the highest species richness, while dry forest and montane sites had lower ASU and lower species richness. Furthermore, we show that insect richness was the best predictor of variation in total ASU, and that insect richness was proportionally greater at high-diversity sites. In addition, insects used a broad range of frequencies, including high frequencies (\>8000 Hz), which contributed to greater ASU. This novel approach for analyzing the presence and acoustic activity of multiple taxonomic groups contributes to our understanding of ecological community dynamics and provides a useful tool for monitoring species in the context of restoration ecology, climate change and conservation biology.

}, keywords = {amphibians, ARBIMON, Biodiversity monitoring, birds, community ecology, insects, passive acoustic monitoring, rapid assessments, soundscapes, species richness}, doi = {10.3390/rs9111096}, url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/11/1096}, author = {T. Mitchell Aide and Hern{\'a}ndez-Serna, Andres and Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi and Acevedo-Charry, Orlando and Jessica L. Deichmann} } @article {47729, title = {Autonomous recording units in avian ecological research: current use and future applications}, journal = {Avian Conservation and Ecology}, volume = {12}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-01-2017}, abstract = {Acoustic surveys are a widely used sampling tool in ecological research and monitoring. They are used to monitor populations and ecosystems and to study various aspects of animal behavior. Autonomous recording units (ARUs) can record sound in most environments and are increasingly used by researchers to conduct acoustic surveys for birds. In this review, we summarize the use of ARUs in avian ecological research and synthesize current knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of this technology. ARUs enable researchers to do more repeat visits with less time spent in the field, with the added benefits of a permanent record of the data collected and reduced observer bias. They are useful in remote locations and for targeting rare species. ARUs are mostly comparable to human observers in terms of species richness, but in some cases, they detect fewer species and at shorter distances. Drawbacks of ARUs include the cost of equipment, storage of recordings, loss of data if units fail, and potential sampling trade-offs in spatial vs. temporal coverage. ARUs generate large data sets of audio recordings, but advances in automated species recognition and acoustic processing techniques are contributing to make the processing time manageable. Future applications of ARUs include biodiversity monitoring and studying habitat use, animal movement, and various behavioral ecology questions based on vocalization activity. ARUs have the potential to make significant advances in avian ecological research and to be used in more innovative ways than simply as a substitute for a human observer in the field. }, keywords = {acoustic surveys, Biodiversity monitoring, noninvasive sampling, passive acoustic monitoring, point counts, vocal communication}, issn = {1712-6568}, doi = {10.5751/ACE-00974-120114}, url = {http://www.ace-eco.org/vol12/iss1/art14/}, author = {Julia Shonfield and Erin M. Bayne} }