This dataset contains audio files for TERN Whroo Dry Eucalypt SuperSite. Long-term recordings of the environment can be used to identify sound sources of interest, characterise the soundscape, aid in the assessment of fauna biodiversity, monitor temporal trends and track environmental changes.
The site was established in 2011 in box woodland dominated by Eucalyptus microcarpa (grey box) and Eucalyptus leucoxylon (yellow gum). Smaller numbers of Eucalyptus sideroxylon (ironbark) and Acacia pycnantha (golden wattle) are also found on site. Elevation of the site is close to 165 m and mean annual precipitation from a nearby Bureau of Meteorology site measure 558 mm. Maximum temperatures range from 29.8°C (in January) to 12.6°C (in July), while minimum temperatures range from 14.2°C (in February) to 3.2°C (in July). Maximum temperatures vary on a seasonal basis by approximately 17.2°C and minimum temperatures by 11.0°C. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/whroo-dry-eucalypt-supersite/.
In 2012 an acoustic recorder was set up to collect audio data for a total of 12 hours per day, split between six hours around dawn and six hours around dusk. The recording schedule aimed at capturing morning and evening bird choruses while minimizing memory and battery requirements. A long-term spectrogram has been generated for each audio file to aid in data exploration. The sensor also recorded temperature, minimum- maximum- and mean-sound pressure levels.
Data are made available through the data link. For downloading large amount of data, please follow these instructions How to download TERN's acoustic data in bulk
Credit
We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Whroo Dry Eucalypt SuperSite was originally managed by Monash University and the University of Western Australia and is now managed by the University of Melbourne.
This work was funded by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), an Australian Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) project.
Purpose
Long-term acoustic recordings are collected to characterise the acoustic sources in the ecosystem. Recordings can be used to estimate biodiversity, monitor temporal changes in the soundscape, compare the acoustic characteristics of different locations, and assess the effect of particular events such as bushfires and floods.
Lineage
An acoustic sensor was set up to collect audio data as part of a continent wide long term monitoring project. The sensor was a Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter 2. Each sensor had two microphones. According to manufacturer's specifications the microphones sensitivity was -36±4 dB (0 dB=1 V/Pa at 1 kHz). The sensor was mounted on a star picket. Data were recorded for a total of 12 hours per day, split between six hours around dawn and six hours around dusk. Recordings were made as dual channel, three-hour long wac files, and were later converted into flac format. They had a sampling rate of 22,050 Hz and a depth of 16 bits. Long-term spectrograms have been created for the audio files and are avaialble through the data link.
The sensor also recorded 'ancillary data' such as temperature, minimum- maximum- and mean-sound pressure levels.
Authors
Point of Contact
Publisher
Method Documentation