Conservation, Ecology and Animal Behaviour Group - Laboratory of Bioacoustics and Ecoacoustics, Post-Graduate Program of Vertebrate Biology, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Rua Dom José Gaspar, 290, Bairro Coração Eucarístico, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30535-901, Brazil; Museum of Natural Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Rua Dom José Gaspar, 290, Bairro Coração Eucarístico, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30535-901, Brazil.
Laboratory of Bioacoustics (LaB) Department of Physiology & Behaviour and EcoAcoustic Research Hub (EAR), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Bairro Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN 59078-970, Brazil.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 May 15;769:144988. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.144988. Epub 2021 Jan 18.
Wildfire is a natural process in Brazilian savannas, but human activities alter fire regimes and threaten biodiversity. In this study, we used an ecoacoustics approach to assess fauna responses and recovery after wildfire in a Brazilian savanna. Six passive acoustic monitoring devices were used to record soundscapes before and after a wildfire a at burned and non-burned sites for one year and one month (September 2012 to September 2013). Power Spectral Density and the Acoustic Complexity Index were used to track biophony. Before the fire, the two sites had similar biophonic patterns (PSD: T = 1136, Z = 1.52, P = 0.12; ACI: T = 1117, Z = 1.10, P = 0.26) and soniferous species richness (Site 1 = 52 and Site 2 = 49). However, in the first two sessions of recordings after the fire, biophony became higher at the burned site during the day (PSD: T = 211 and 233; Z = 4.13 and 6.41; ACI: T = 120 and 469, Z = 5.14 and 7.07; all P < 0.00). During the night, biophony was usually higher at the non-burned site until May 2013 (PSD: T = 0 to 453; Z = 3.30 to 5.90; ACI: T = 333 to 491, Z = 3.80 to 4.93; all P < 0.00). Biophony became similar (P = 0.17 to 0.38) at the two sites or higher (P = 0.00 to 0.01) at the burned site from July to September 2013 (PSD: T = 55 to 1167; Z = 1.35 to 6.89; ACI: T = 719 to 1365, Z = 0.87 to 3.04). After the fire, a reduction of soniferous species at the burned site was observed for insects and bats. Both biophonic activity and soniferous species showed a tendency to recover one year after the fire, but there were still less species in September 2013 (non-burned = 43 and burned = 37) when compared to September 2012 at both sites (Site 1 = 52 and Site 2 = 49). Our results showed that changes in the natural regimes of fire can negatively impact the biodiversity and reinforce the need for monitoring protocols and inspection of wildfires.
野火是巴西热带草原的一种自然过程，但人类活动改变了火灾发生的规律，威胁到了生物多样性。在这项研究中，我们使用生态声学方法来评估巴西热带草原野火后的动物群响应和恢复情况。在燃烧和未燃烧的地点，使用六台被动声学监测设备在一年零一个月（2012 年 9 月至 2013 年 9 月）内进行火灾前后的声景记录。使用功率谱密度和声学复杂度指数来跟踪生物发声。火灾前，两个地点的生物发声模式相似（PSD：T = 1136，Z = 1.52，P = 0.12；ACI：T = 1117，Z = 1.10，P = 0.26）和发声物种丰富度（地点 1 = 52，地点 2 = 49）。然而，在火灾后的前两次录音中，白天燃烧地点的生物发声更高（PSD：T = 211 和 233；Z = 4.13 和 6.41；ACI：T = 120 和 469，Z = 5.14 和 7.07；所有 P < 0.00）。夜间，直到 2013 年 5 月，非燃烧地点的生物发声通常更高（PSD：T = 0 至 453；Z = 3.30 至 5.90；ACI：T = 333 至 491，Z = 3.80 至 4.93；所有 P < 0.00）。从 2013 年 7 月到 9 月，两个地点的生物发声变得相似（P = 0.17 至 0.38）或燃烧地点的生物发声更高（P = 0.00 至 0.01）（PSD：T = 55 至 1167；Z = 1.35 至 6.89；ACI：T = 719 至 1365，Z = 0.87 至 3.04）。火灾后，观察到燃烧地点昆虫和蝙蝠的发声物种减少。火灾后一年，生物发声活动和发声物种都有恢复的趋势，但与 2012 年 9 月相比，2013 年 9 月两个地点的物种仍然较少（未燃烧地点 = 43，燃烧地点 = 37）（地点 1 = 52，地点 2 = 49）。我们的结果表明，火灾自然规律的变化会对生物多样性产生负面影响，并加强对火灾监测协议和检查的需求。
