Eavesdrop on forest sounds to effectively monitor biodiversity, researchers say

Citizen scientists in India are using apps like iNaturalist to contribute to scientific research on biodiversity. They help fills gaps in data by adding photos of plants and animals to the app for researchers to assess.

A biologist studies bear dens in the forests of British Columbia, Canada, to create artificial alternatives as forestry practices make suitable dens rarer.

After remote Indigenous communities in Papau New Guinea set aside some of their land as conservation areas, they wanted to know if it was working. With the help from scientists and The Nature Conservancy, they were able to use bioacoustics or audio recordings of the rainforests to map out the biodiversity. Using 34 recording devices, they were able to record the forest, listen to them, analyze the sounds, and determine that these areas had a healthy biodiversity.

An insect that makes its home on eastern hemlocks in Nova Scotia has the power to wipe out the tree species if left unchecked. Scientists are looking to a strategy called biological control — a historically controversial approach — that would introduce a new predatory species to kill the insect. After rigorous lab testing showed a small black beetle only attacked their targets and didn’t disrupt other ecosystems, they released them in 2003 at an orchard on Vancouver Island. Results show they have been somewhat effective, but it’s unclear if it will completely solve the problem.

The Vancouver Island marmot is making a comeback, thanks to recovery efforts from the Marmot Recovery Foundation. By 2003, there were only 27 marmots left in Canada’s wilderness, but their population has rebounded to just over 200 animals. These marmots are bred in captivity, where they can be monitored and acclimated to predators before being released into the wild. However, saving the species from extinction takes a lot of effort and money.

The Minnesota-based company Advanced Telemetry Systems develops trackers specifically designed for hundreds of different animals. These devices allow researchers to do things like find invasive species, learn more about critically endangered species, or better understand population declines.

Members of the A’i Kofán de Sinangoe Indigenous guard keep watch over the part of the Amazon rainforest their community resides in. With the help of technological tools like drones and camera traps, they are able to prevent invasions and illegal activity on their land — which often goes hand-in-hand with preventing deforestation and pollution.

Volunteers at the Owl Moon Raptor Center in Maryland rehabilitate injured birds by treating their injuries and exercising them. Healed birds are released back into the wild.

As a way to combat unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to prevent further deforestation in Kenya, local rangers are using smartphones, satellite feeds, and global mapping to monitor their forests. The project employs more than 250 people and allows them to target vulnerable areas more effectively. Because of their efforts, there have been lower incidences of illegal logging and forest fires from poachers.

Rainforest Connection makes a smartphone app that is part of a system using solar-powered phones in the rainforests of Brazil, Sumatra, Costa Rica, and Peru to stream audio of suspected illegal logging. This system, using recycled phones, enables the capture and shutting down of logging operations. In Brazil, about 100 loggers have been arrested and a large share of the rainforest has been protected, though many loggers there and in other countries still evade detection. This app is one example of innovations in use around the world to extend the lives of smartphones to benefit environmental conservation.