02493nas a2200265 4500008004100000245009300041210006900134260001600203520166400219653002601883653001801909653001701927653002001944653002101964653003101985653002302016653003202039653002102071653001002092100002102102700002702123700001502150700001302165856004902178 2017 eng d00aAcoustic monitoring for conservation in tropical forests: examples from forest elephants0 aAcoustic monitoring for conservation in tropical forests example cJan-01-20173 a

1. The accelerating loss of biodiversity worldwide demands effective tools for monitoring animal populations and informing conservation action. In habitats where direct observation is difficult (rain forests, oceans), or for cryptic species (shy, nocturnal), passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) provides cost-effective, unbiased data collec- tion. PAM has broad applicability in terrestrial environments, particularly tropical rain forests.


2. Using examples from studies of forest elephants in Central African rainforest,we show how PAM can be used to investigate cryptic behaviour, mechanisms of communication, estimate population size, quantify threats, and assess the efficacy of conservation strategies. We discuss the methodologies, requirements, and challenges of obtaining these data using acoustics. Where applicable, we compare these methods to more traditional approaches.


3. While PAM methods and associated analysis are maturing rapidly, mechanisms are needed for processing the dense raw data efficiently with standard computer hardware, speeding development of detection algorithms, and harnessing communication networks to move data from the field to research facilities.


4. Passive acoustic monitoring is a viable and cost-effective tool for conservation and should be incorporated in monitoring schemes much more broadly. The capability to quickly assess changes in behaviour, population size, and landscape use, simultaneously over large geographical areas, makes this approach attractive for detecting human-induced impacts and for assessing the success of conservation strategies.

10aanthropogenic impacts10aanti-poaching10abioacoustics10acryptic species10adensity estimate10alaw enforcement monitoring10aLoxodonta cyclotis10apassive acoustic monitoring10asignal detection10aSMART1 aWrege, Peter, H.1 aRowland, Elizabeth, D.1 aKeen, Sara1 aShiu, Yu uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/2041-210X.12730