Soundscapes to Landscapes
FEATURE
oundscapes to Landscapes is a
citizen science project that uses
open-source hardware – including
AudioMoth, a low-cost, full-
spectrum acoustic sensor,
developed by Open Acoustic Devices
here in the UK – to map bird diversity across
Sonoma County, California.
By comparing the research of citizen scientists with
environmental data gathered by NASA, the
Soundscapes to Landscapes project aims to advance
the use of remote sensing satellites for monitoring,
predicting, and conserving animal diversity on Earth.
“It is recognised that the data collected by citizen
scientists can be much larger and even more accurate
than by paying a team to do the work,” says
Soundscapes to Landscapes project lead, Dr Matthew
Clark, a professor at Sonoma State University.
Matthew and his team of volunteers capture
‘soundscape’ recordings at audible and ultrasonic
frequencies, which are then used by experts within
the birding community to identify bird species within
a particular area. These bird diversity maps make
it possible to test the accuracy of models that useS
Soundscapes
to
LandscapesRight
Citizen scientists
place audio recorders
in the fieSd to Japture
bird callsCameron Norris
Cameron is a
technology and
communications
specialist, passionate
about the use of
open-source hardware
for social innovation.@CameronSNorrisMapping bird diversity with citizen science and open-source
algorithms to predict the distribution of bird species
based on environmental data gathered by NASA’s
remote sensors.351,692 MINUTES OF RECORDINGS
The data collected by these systems can be used to
determine the physical structure of vegetation over
vast areas, such as the heights of trees and plants, as
well as the canopy chemistry, which can be used to
assess ecosystem productivity and habitat quality.
“In my PhD research in the early 2000s, I explored
these technologies in a wet tropical forest with the
goal to map tree species and estimate forest structure
and biomass. These were some of the first
applications of these two types of sensors in tropical
forests,” says Matthew.
To complete their prototype phase in 2017, Matthew
and his team of local volunteers partnered with the
Pepperwood Preserve, a 3200-acre site that acts as a
refuge for over 750 species of plants and 150 species
of wildlife in North California’s Mayacamas Mountains.
While at Pepperwood, they collected AudioMoth
sound recordings from over a hundred different
locations. The team also completed their speciesSENSING
SOUND
An acoustic sensor can
be any combination
of recorder, detector,
microphone, or
hydrophone, designed
to detect and record
sounds in the
environment. They are
often small, increasingly
affordable, and can be
deployed in the field
for extended periods
to monitor wildlife
and its response to
human activities.Images
Soundscapes
to Landscapes