Exploring spatio-temporal variation in soundscape saturation of an African tropical forest landscape

Monitoring biodiversity calls for efficient monitoring techniques. Soundscape analysis is a landscape-level approach to acoustic whereby indices are calculated as proxies based on all sounds occurring in landscape, i.e. soundscape. However, it not fully understood what the influence of environmental, anthropogenic and temporal heterogeneity soundscapes mean terms species diversity. Here, we use soundscape saturation, proxy diversity which calculates degree niches. We study how saturation responds forest management seasonality tropical forests Gabon, while taking into account distance rivers, human accessibility, signs hunting, elevation slope. To contribution medium large mammals relate abundance several animal guilds estimated with camera trap data. was higher multi-use vs. logging concessions, rainy reason dry season, proximity rivers access points. Elevation, slope, hunting were less important covariates. did find strong evidence relationship between mammal derived from traps. The lack this highlights opportunity joint eco-acoustics trapping due complementary coverage. Our provides first African combine considered useful additional index quantifying across range land-use types. Future studies may aim improve inference site-specific interpretation levels by investigating species-specific contributions to, spatiotemporal variation in, activity.