Studying anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity is essential to understanding the ramifications within different ecosystems and community structures. This study assesses the habitat quality of the Worcester Plateau Ecoregion in Massachusetts through geospatial analysis, remote sensing, and soundscape ecology. The integration of soundscape ecology surmounts the challenges of studying biodiversity by providing a reliable approach to measurement and analysis. By understanding the relationships between community acoustic and habitat configuration, the project aims to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 15-- to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Our working hypothesis suggests a higher level of acoustic diversity is inversely related with a degraded habitat. Together these metrics will indicate where to focus conservation efforts and inform decisions moving forward.
Study Area
