Acoustic Ecology

Acoustic Ecology

(Code: 132ΚΕΥ, Course outline)

Semester:  5 Teaching Credits: 3 ECTS: 5 Type: Compulsory
Prerequisite Courses:  – Course type: Skills development Instructor: Matsinos Ioannis

With the successful completion of the course students will be able to:

  • Understand the basic principles and concepts of acoustic ecology, soundscape ecology and ecoacoustics
  • Use acoustic ecology tools similar to the sound level meter
  • Understand specific applications of software that amongst other reasons are used for acoustic ecology (audacity, R Statistics)
  • Understand the concept of Rapid Biodiversity Assessment
  • Understand the purpose of the acoustic biodiversity indicators and of the available noise indicators
 Topics per week: Topics

  • Introduction to acoustic ecology and soundscape ecology
  • Ecoacoustics and applications
  • Introduction to the bioacoustics theories
  • The use of acoustic ecology tools (sound level meter, digital recorder)
  • The use of acoustic ecology software: Audacity, R Statistics, SPSS, CadnaA
  • A theoretical approach regarding protocol creation on field sampling methods using examples
  • Data analysis procedure (SPSS, R Stats, Audacity, CadnaA)

Labs and field trips

  • Soundwalks
  • Noise sampling and sound recordings using the created protocols
  • Soundscape analysis and noise/soundscape mapping
  • Analysis of important ecoacoustic events similar to dawn chorus+Socioeconomic applications in spatial planning
  • Applications to environmental planning
  • Global change and landscapes; tools for prediction
Theory – Lectures
(hours / week):		  3
Exercises – Laboratories
(hours / week):		  3
Other Activities:  –
Grading:
  • Multiple choice test: 15%
  • Oral presentation: 15%
  • Field trip (soundscape analysis): 50%
  • Project noise/soundscape mapping: 20%
Notes:
Basic Textbook:
Bibliography:
  • Soundscape Ecology, Principles, Patterns, Methods and Applications, Almo Farina, 2014, Springer
  • Acoustic Communication, Barry Truax, 2001, Greenwood Publishing Group
  • Animal Communication and Noise, Henrik Brumm, 2013, Springer
  • Avian Urban Ecology Behavioural and Physiological Adaptations, Diego Gil and Henrik Brumm, 2014, Oxford University Press
  • Pijanowski, B. C., Villanueva-Rivera, L. J., Dumyahn, S. L., Farina, A., Krause, B. L., Napoletano, B. M., Pieretti, N. (2011a), Soundscape Ecology: The Science of Sound in the Landscape. BioScience,61(3):203–216
  • Seuer J., Farina A. (2015), Ecoacoustics: the Ecological Investigation and Interpretation of Environmental Sound, Biosemiotics (8): 493–502
  • Truax, B. (1978). Handbook for Acoustic Ecology. Retrieved 20 September 2016, from http://www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio/handbook/
Language:  The course is taught in Greek. For exchange students, English literature is proposed and examinations are given in English.
Internet Links: