ACTIVITY 1 – Estimate the number of trophic levels

ACTIVITY 1 – Estimate the number of trophic levels in a
variety of communities within the Denali National Park & Preserve in
Alaska.
1) We will use soundscape data to estimate the number of
trophic levels in three different communities in Denali National Park &
Preserve in Alaska.
2) Visit this website –
https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/soundscape.htm
3) Select any three communities in the Park where sound data
have been collected (for example, McKinley Bar Trail, Fang Mountain, and Hauke
Creek).
4) Listen carefully to the soundscape data collected at each
site.
5) Which types of animal sounds do you hear?
a) The animals emitting these sounds represent which type of
consumer (1o, 2o, 3o, etc.)?
b) Based on the consumers you can identify, which other
types of consumers probably exist in the community?
6) Which types of Primary Producers probably exist in each
community?
7) Which types of Decomposers probably exist in each
community?
8) Do you detect running water? Do you detect falling water or the sound of
waves crashing?
9) Do you detect strong, consistent wind?
10) Do you detect human activity?
11) Propose the trophic levels that exist in each of these
three communities (3 points).

ACTIVITY 2 – Estimate the number of trophic levels in some
tropical rain forest communities.
1) We will use soundscape data to estimate the number of
trophic levels in three rainforest communities.
2) Use the following websites –

http://1159sequoia05.fnr.purdue.edu/bioscience/soundfile1.html
http://centerforglobalsoundscapes.org/?page_id=178 – There
are a variety of recordings on this site.
http://www.listeningearth.com/LE/p-19-tropical-queensland-rainforest
3) Select any three rain forest communities where sound data
have been collected.
4) Listen carefully to the soundscape data collected at each
site.
5) Which types of animal sounds do you hear?
a) The animals emitting these sounds represent which type of
consumer (1o, 2o, 3o, etc.)?
b) Based on the consumers you can identify, which other
types of consumers probably exist in the community?
6) Which types of Primary Producers probably exist in each
community?
7) Which types of Decomposers probably exist in each
community?
8) Do you detect running water? Do you detect falling water or the sound of
waves crashing?
9) Do you detect strong, consistent wind?
10) Do you detect human activity?
11) Propose the trophic levels that exist in each of these
three communities (3 points).

ACTIVITY 3 – Estimate the number of trophic levels in a
variety of marine communities.
1) We will use soundscape data to estimate the number of
trophic levels in three marine communities.
2) Use the following websites –
https://cmast.ncsu.edu/soundscapes/audio-gallery/ – review
all of the soundscape data for West Bay Pamlico Sound, North Carolina in order
to propose a reasonable trophic structure for this marine community.
https://chorusacoustics.com/public-outreach/underwater-sounds/
– review the soundscape data for the Marine Mammals, Fishes, and Marine
invertebrates in order to propose a reasonable trophic structure for this
marine community.
http://explore.museumca.org/naturalsounds/coastline/coastline.html
– review the sound files for each animal species in order to propose a
reasonable trophic structure for this rocky intertidal marine community.
3) Listen carefully to the soundscape data collected at each
site.
4) Which types of animal sounds do you hear?
a) The animals emitting these sounds represent which type of
consumer (1o, 2o, 3o, etc.)?
b) Based on the consumers you can identify, which other
types of consumers probably exist in the community?
5) Which types of Primary Producers probably exist in each
community?
6) Which types of Decomposers probably exist in each
community?
7) Do you detect running water? Do you detect falling water or the sound of
waves crashing?
8) Do you detect strong, consistent wind?
9) Do you detect human activity?
10) Propose the trophic levels that exist in each of these
three communities (3 points).

ACTIVITY 4 – Compare the estimated number of trophic levels
among the different communities you evaluated in Activities 1-3.
1) Do the numbers of estimated trophic levels differ among
the Denali communities in Alaska and the tropical rain forest communities? Explain (1 point).
2) Do the numbers of estimated trophic levels differ among
the Denali communities in Alaska and the marine (ocean) communities? Explain (1 point).
3) Do the numbers of estimated trophic levels differ among
the terrestrial communities and the aquatic communities? Explain (1 point).

ACTIVITY 5 – Use soundscape data collected over time to
estimate the loss of biodiversity in specific communities. Time series data are defined as a “series of
values of a quantity obtained at successive times, often with equal intervals
between them”.
1) Use this video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnpsMG0PWRY to estimate changes in the number
of animal species present in Sugarloaf State Park between 2004 and 2015.
a) Estimate the change in the number of total animal species
in Sugarloaf State Park between 2004 and 2015 (0.5 point).
b) How would this estimated change in the total number of
animal species influence the number of trophic levels in the Sugarloaf State
Park community? Explain (0.5 point).
2) Visit this website to estimate the loss of biodiversity
in Lincoln Meadow due to selective logging between 1988 and 1989 –
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/28/6071399/scientists-are-recording-the-sound-of-the-whole-planet
a) Has selective logging affected the number of trophic
levels in the Lincoln Meadow community?
Explain (1 point).
3) Compare the daytime and night time soundscape data for
two rainforest communities with the same number of trophic levels.
a) Bayaka rainforest soundscape at night (Central African
Republic, 1996) [1997 21 2 355 (edit)] – https://soundcloud.com/pittriversound-1/1997-21-2-355-edit
b) Nature Maestro Rainforest Day Soundscape – Two Scarlet
Macaws
-https://soundcloud.com/dhysom/nature-maestro-rainforest-day-soundscape-two-scarlet-macaws
c) What differences do you detect (1 point)? Should the time of day be considered when
using soundscape data to estimate biodiversity in a community? Explain.