Ecological assembly of natural soundscapes in the Garajonay National Park (Spain)

Soundscapes in Garajonay National Park, home to Europe's only well-preserved primary cloud forests, reveal nuanced acoustic assembly mechanisms that differ between mature and transitional forests. Mature forests exhibit stronger acoustic aggregation and niche partitioning, with higher acoustic diversity indices (ADI), while transitional forests show elevated lower-frequency sound levels. Notably, acoustic niche partitioning weakens as ADI increases, suggesting less temporal avoidance of similar frequencies in more diverse soundscapes. Seasonal comparisons indicate that burned areas are most vulnerable during harsh summer conditions but resemble intact vegetation in terms of ADI and sound levels during winter. These findings underscore the potential of soundscape monitoring to inform conservation strategies and restoration efforts in this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ortiz-Álvarez, R., García-Puig, M., & Garate, L. (2022). Ecological assembly of natural soundscapes in the Garajonay National Park (Spain). https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.21.521439