Acoustic Monitoring for Assessing Biodiversity Recovery in Restored Tropical Rainforests

Abstract

This paper examines how acoustic monitoring can be applied to determine biodiversity recovery in restored tropical rainforests. Acoustic data were recorded over 6 months at both restored and control sites within a tropical rainforest, and the soundscape reflected species activity and the ecosystem's well-being. The findings indicate a high level of species richness in the restored sites, increasing to 38 species in Month 6, up from 18 in Month 1. In contrast, at the control sites, the magnitude of variation was limited, ranging from 20 to 22 species. Statistical tests showed a strong positive relationship between the Shannon Index and species richness in the restored sites (r = 0.85, p < 0.01), indicating that higher biodiversity is associated with more complex and diverse soundscapes. Conversely, the correlation at the control sites was lower (r = 0.56, p < 0.05), indicating a low recovery of biodiversity. The ANOVA tests also indicated significant differences in Shannon Index between the restored and control sites (F (1, 4) = 8.22, p < 0.05). The fact that the Acoustic Entropy of the restored sites (0.72-0.78) was even higher also revealed a more active and varied soundscape, characteristic of a healthier ecosystem. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the restoration processes in biodiversity recovery, and acoustic monitoring is an effective, non-invasive tool for monitoring changes in biodiversity. Combining statistical data with acoustic information provides a good understanding of the effectiveness of restoration projects. It offers a scalable approach to continuous monitoring of biodiversity in tropical rainforests.