Primary rainforest and forest edge habitats show sharply different spectral noise profiles

Evidence

The hypothesis of a habitat-dependent noise condition has been evaluated by Slabbekoorn (2004) in two tropical forest types (a primary and secondary rainforest and a gallery forest) (forest ecotone). In the rainforest the spectral profile is characterized by an increasing peak of frequency from category 1 to 7 (kHz), but in the forest ecotone the spectrum was very monotonous with two peaks at 6 and 8 kHz, and the differences were significant (Fig. 2.4). The rainforest is characterized by distinctive frequency bands, but in the forest ecotone the peaks, probably resulting from cicada activity, are present only at the higher frequencies. The differences between the two types of forest probably are the result of windgenerated noise and animal-borne sounds. The wind noise results are more important in the forest ecotone. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 335

Categorization

• XREF: Distinct spectral profiles by habitat underpin why acoustic indices must be interpreted habitat-specifically, a core methods caveat. — connects to: Each habitat has a distinctive ambient noise spectral profile — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1256; A source at a wood’s edge creates large boundary effects on forest sound attenuation. — T. F. W. Embleton, Sound Propagation in Homogeneous…, 14; Vegetation substrate type shapes the spectral character of wind noise — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1255 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Vegetation substrate type shapes the spectral character of wind noise #corroborates (0.95) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 1255
• Open and dense forest canopies create distinct sound atmospheres #expands (0.72) — Vinson Brown, Reading the Woods, 154