Assessing the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife is a necessary conservation task. The soundscape is a critical habitat component for acoustically communicating organisms, but the use of the soundscape as a tool for assessing disturbance impacts has been relatively unexplored until recently. Here we present a broad modeling framework for assessing disturbance impacts on soundscapes, which we apply to quantify the influence of a shelterwood logging on soundscapes in northern Michigan. Our modeling approach can be broadly applied to assess anthropogenic disturbance impacts on soundscapes. The approach accommodates inherent differences in control and treatment sites to improve inference about treatment effects, while also accounting for extraneous variables (e.g., rain) that influence acoustic indices. Recordings were obtained at 13 sites before and after a shelterwood logging. Four sites were in the logging region and nine sites served as control recordings outside the logging region. We quantify the soundscapes using common acoustic indices (Normalized Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI), Acoustic Entropy (H), Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), Acoustic Evenness Index (AEI), Welch Power Spectral Density (PSD)) and build two hierarchical Bayesian models to quantify the changes in the soundscape over the study period. Our analysis reveals no long-lasting effects of the shelterwood logging on the soundscape diversity as measured by the NDSI, but analysis of H, AEI, and PSD suggest changes in the evenness of sounds across the frequency spectrum, indicating a potential shift in the avian species communicating in the soundscapes as a result of the logging. Acoustic recordings, in conjunction with this modeling framework, can deliver cost efficient assessment of disturbance impacts on the landscape and underlying biodiversity as represented through the soundscape.
翻译:评估人为扰动对野生生物的影响是一项必要的保护任务。 声景是声学交流有机体的关键生境组成部分, 但使用声景作为评估扰动影响的工具一直相对没有探索到最近。 我们在这里展示了一个广泛的模型框架, 用于评估对声景的扰动影响。 我们使用这个框架来量化棚林伐木对密歇根北部声景的影响。 我们的模型方法可以广泛用于评估人为扰动对声景的影响。 这种方法包含控制和处理场地的内在差异, 以改善对治疗效应的推断, 同时还要计算影响声学指数的超常变量( 如雨) 。 记录是在护林伐木之前和之后的13个地点取得的。 4个地点是伐木区以外的9个地点作为控制记录记录。 我们用共同的声景指数( 杂变变异声景指数( NDSI), Acoucicentic Enclority Inview 指数( ACI ), 也计算出影响声调平衡指数 (AENI ), Wech Pow Sprectal Speal Excial rescienceal resmal resmal resulational resmal resmal resmal resmal resulational resmal resmal resmal resmal resmal resmal ress resmal resmal resmal, resmal resmal,, resmal resmisal, resmisal resmal resmal resmal 。 我们。 我们根,,, 。 我们, 。 我们的声调 分析中, 。