@article {57931, title = {It{\textquoteright}s time to listen: there is much to be learned from the sounds of tropical ecosystems}, year = {2018}, abstract = {

Knowledge that can be gained from acoustic data collection in tropical ecosystems is low-hanging fruit. There is every reason to recordand with every day, there are fewer excuses not to do it. In recent years, the cost of acoustic recorders has decreased substantially(some can be purchased for under US$50, e.g., Hillet\  al.2018) and the technology needed to store and analyze acoustic data is contin-uously improving (e.g., Corrada Bravoet\  al.2017, Xieet\  al.2017). Soundscape recordings provide a permanent record of a site at agiven time and contain a wealth of invaluable and irreplaceable information. Although challenges remain, failure to collect acoustic datanow in tropical ecosystems would represent a failure to future generations of tropical researchers and the citizens that benefit fromecological research. In this commentary, we (1) argue for the need to increase acoustic monitoring in tropical systems; (2) describe thetypes of research questions and conservation issues that can be addressed with passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) using both short-and long-term data in terrestrial and freshwater habitats; and (3) present an initial plan for establishing a global repository of tropical recordings.

}, keywords = {conservation technology, ecoacoustics, passive acoustic monitoring, Soundscape}, doi = {10.1111/btp.12593}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/btp.12593}, author = {Jessica L. Deichmann and Acevedo-Charry, Orlando and Barclay, Leah and Burivalova, Zuzana and Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi and d{\textquoteright}Horta, Fernando and Game, Edward T. and Gottesman, Benjamin L. and Hart, Patrick J. and Kalan, Ammie K. and Linke, Simon and Nascimento, Leandro Do and Bryan C. Pijanowski and Staaterman, Erica and T. Mitchell Aide} } @article {53065, title = {Assessing biological and environmental effects of a total solar eclipse with passive multimodal technologies}, journal = {Ecological Indicators}, volume = {95}, year = {2018}, month = {Jan-12-2018}, pages = {353 - 369}, abstract = {

On 21 August 2017, a total solar eclipse crossed the continental United States, providing a unique natural experiment to observe how wildlife and plants respond to rapid and drastic changes in photic conditions using a multi-modal suite of tools. We installed passive time-lapse and infrared cameras, sound recorders, and data loggers in the Central Platte River Valley of Nebraska to study this phenomenon. The eclipse lasted about three hours, and complete obscuration of the sun (totality) lasted for about 2 min and 30 sec. Light values, measured with time-lapse camera systems, decreased 67\% on average during totality relative to the daily mean light value. Ambient temperatures decreased by 6.7 \°C on average (12\% of the daily mean) approximately 11\–16 min after totality; concurrently, humidity increased by an average of 12\% of the daily mean. We found evidence for altered acoustic activity in response to the eclipse, including site and species-specific changes in the call activities of late season breeding birds and insects in the orders orthoptera and hemiptera. In addition, acoustic indices were differentially correlated with changes in photic and thermal conditions. However, we did not observe changes in flowering plants nor detect bat activity at known night roost and foraging areas. Historically, observations during rare occurrences, such as a total solar eclipse, were anecdotal or limited in scope, and thus, how they changed the light, sound, and meteorological conditions on the landscape were difficult to validate and measure. In comparison, anthropogenic disturbances, including impacts from light pollution and climate change, often take place slowly over long periods, and therefore, can be complex and challenging to assess. Documentation of this stochastic occurrence, with an immediate change in environmental conditions, highlights the utility of passive multimedia technologies to increase our capacity to monitor ecosystem dynamics and chronicle the variations of abiotic properties of a landscape and concomitant responses of organisms with varying sensory abilities.

}, keywords = {Animal response, image analysis, Light, Passive monitoring, Soundscape, Total solar eclipse}, issn = {1470160X}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.07.017}, url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1470160X18305375https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1470160X18305375?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1470160X18305375?httpAccept=text/plain}, author = {Brinley Buckley, Emma M. and Caven, Andrew J. and Gottesman, Benjamin L. and Harner, Mary J. and Bryan C. Pijanowski and Forsberg, Michael L.} } @article {52881, title = {Soundscapes reveal disturbance impacts: biophonic response to wildfire in the Sonoran Desert Sky Islands}, journal = {Landscape Ecology}, year = {2018}, month = {Oct-07-2018}, abstract = {

Context
While remote sensing imagery is effective for quantifying land cover changes across large areas, its utility for directly assessing the response of animals to disturbance is limited. Soundscapes approaches\— the recording and analysis of sounds in a landscape\— could address this shortcoming.

Objectives
In 2011, a massive wildfire named \‘\‘the Horseshoe 2 Burn\’\’ occurred in the Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona, USA. We evaluated the impact of this wildfire on acoustic activity of animal communities.

Methods
In 2013, soundscape recordings were col- lected over 9 months in 12 burned and 12 non-burned sites in four ecological systems. The seasonal and diel biological acoustic activity were described using the \‘\‘Bioacoustic Index\’\’, a detailed aural analysis of sound sources, and a new tool called \‘\‘Sonic Time- lapse Builder\’\’ (STLB).


Results
Seasonal biophony phenology showed a diurnal peak in June and a nocturnal peak in October in all ecological systems. On June mornings, acoustic activity was lower at burned than at non-burned sites in three of four ecological systems, due to a decreased abundance of cicadas directly impacted by the death of trees. Aural analyses revealed that 55\% of recordings from non-burned sites contained insect sounds com- pared to 18\% from burned sites. On October nights, orthopteran activity was more prevalent at some burned sites, possibly due to post-fire emergence of herbaceous.

Conclusions
Soundscape approaches can help address long-term conservation issues involving the responses of animal communities to wildfire. Acoustic methods can serve as a valuable complement to remote sensing for disturbance-based landscape management.

}, keywords = {Conservation biology, disturbance, Remote sensing, Sonic timelapse, Soundscape, Wildfire}, issn = {0921-2973}, doi = {10.1007/s10980-018-0675-3}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10980-018-0675-3}, author = {Gasc, Amandine and Gottesman, Benjamin L. and Francomano, Dante and Jung, Jinha and Durham, Mark and Mateljak, Jason and Bryan C. Pijanowski} }