Human activity generates characteristic noise patterns that can negatively affect the communication and behaviour of wildlife, says Maciej Adamiak, PhD, who, while studied the soundscape by 'eavesdropping' on nature along the Czarna River, the Pilica River and the Cieszanowice Reservoir.
Sound can be a unique feature of a given landscape. The condition of the soundscape is an important indicator of the health of natural habitats. However, each year we are slowly losing this valuable element, exerting increasing pressure on the environment.
'I like to think of soundscapes as another layer of geographical space. From this layer I receive a very interesting signal that reflects the interactions between the components of the studied place', says Maciej Adamiak, PhD, from the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences of the University of Lodz , quoted in the university's press release.
Adamiak conducted research to help understand the variability of soundscapes, their structure and the impact of human-generated noise in different spaces and at different times on ecosystems.
He collected sound samples in central Poland - along the Czarna River, the Pilica River, and the Cieszanowice Reservoir. He used special sound recording devices. Their casing was adapted to fit and resemble the biotope of each target area. In total, he collected over 2.2 thousand hours of high-quality audio recordings. He then analysed them using advanced sound processing and spatial analysis techniques.
Examples of the collected sounds: birdsong in spring, winter rain interrupted by car horns, are available on this website: https://medium.com/@maciej.adamiak/soundscapes-unveiled-6e2525391aa0
The research has shown that natural soundscapes are much more complex than previously thought. The greatest variety of sounds was recorded in areas characterised by biotic richness, and where human interference was minimal, the University of Lodz reports in the release.
Unfortunately, dominant anthropogenic sounds disrupt the 'natural sound order', which can negatively affect the communication and behaviour of wildlife. Distant and persistent noise (e.g. from cars) was present and noticeable especially in winter and early spring.
'Human activity, including transport and recreation, generates characteristic noise patterns. These patterns have a noticeable impact and sufficient strength to muffle even the most distinct natural sounds. Moreover, when sound waves travel long distances and interact with the landscape, they eventually become indistinguishable noise. I am certain that this disrupts wildlife communication, because even I had difficulty separating sounds using modern processing methods. Can this change entire ecosystems? It is difficult to say, but it certainly reduces the peace of natural environments', Adamiak writes on his project website.
The researcher points out that soundscapes play a very important ecological role in maintaining the integrity of the entire ecosystem, and his research fits into the ongoing debate on the protection of biodiversity and the issue of mitigating noise pollution. It combines geomatics, data engineering and innovative data analysis.
'With the support of spatial analysis techniques, data engineering and machine learning, the spatial scope of soundscape research can be significantly increased. The support of technology allows us to remove the limitations associated with the huge volume of data. The research project is a combination of many hours of geographical field research, a lot of remote sensing tasks and a ton of geoinformatics', says the researcher, quoted in the release.
He adds that currently, there is nothing to prevent processing information about a given geographical space in near real time.
'It would be interesting to include sound information into crisis information systems, forest management support, or environmental protection. However, I would really like my research to be the first step in developing a methodology for preserving and searching for sound information collected from various corners of our country. An archive of soundscapes would be something', the researcher emphasises.
The study was published in the paper 'Exploring soundscapes of Central Poland: a quantitative study of middle Pilica River basin within the Radomsko and Opoczno Hills' in Acta Geographica Lodziensia.
PAP - Science in Poland
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