tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/sounds-of-nature-2764/articlesSounds of nature – The Conversation2023-05-23T00:15:39Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052232023-05-23T00:15:39Z2023-05-23T00:15:39ZGood vibrations: how listening to the sounds of soil helps us monitor and restore forest health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526930/original/file-20230518-12204-6wif25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4307%2C2851&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-xnwfk">pxfuel</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nurturing a forest ecosystem back to life after it’s been logged is not always easy. </p>
<p>It can take a lot of hard work and careful monitoring to ensure biodiversity thrives again. But monitoring biodiversity can be costly, intrusive and resource-intensive. That’s where ecological acoustic survey methods, or “ecoacoustics”, come into play. </p>
<p>Indeed, the planet sings. Think of birds calling, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534706000218?casa_token=o5SOujsJEcMAAAAA:DGMMfg-Le6QaVPY756llqYodbVZi5hlji-MQ8wNdOFn7dMBOOeT9emo8flURI6x3c7GMLKtx3A">bats echolocating</a>, tree leaves fluttering in the breeze, frogs croaking and bush crickets <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00114-021-01749-7">stridulating</a>. We live in a euphonious theatre of life. </p>
<p>Even the creatures in the soil beneath our feet emit unique vibrations as they navigate through the earth to commute, hunt, feed and mate.</p>
<p>Eavesdropping on this subterranean cacophony using special microphones can provide researchers with important insights into ecosystem health. Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rec.13934">new study</a> published in Restoration Ecology shows ecoacoustics can provide an effective way of monitoring biodiversity in soil and in the forest it supports. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/restoring-forests-often-falls-to-landholders-heres-how-to-do-it-cheaply-and-well-204123">Restoring forests often falls to landholders. Here's how to do it cheaply and well</a>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525045/original/file-20230509-15-uslr52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Setting up the ecoacoustics field trial.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jake M. Robinson</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>What did the study do?</h2>
<p>Acoustic technology is widely used to survey bats, birds and other creatures. However, scientists who restore degraded ecosystems have yet to make full use of soil ecoacoustics. This is despite its demonstrable effectiveness at detecting small animal vibrations.</p>
<p>Our study applied ecoacoustic tools to measure biodiversity above and below ground in a UK forest. We hypothesised that the soils of forests restored to a healthier state would have a higher diversity of sounds than the soils of recently deforested plots. This is because we assumed more creatures would live in the restored and “healthier” soils, producing a greater variety of sounds that we would detect. </p>
<p>Think of two symphony orchestras. Half of one orchestra’s musicians have fallen ill and can’t play at the concert. This is analogous to a degraded ecosystem. In contrast, the other orchestra has all its members and will therefore be louder, with more complex and diverse sounds.</p>
<p>During the spring and summer of 2022, we collected 378 samples from three recently deforested and three restored forest plots. We created a recording system with special “contact” microphones that we inserted into the ground. </p>
<p>We used a chamber with sound-dampening foam inside to record soil creatures such as earthworms and beetles. This chamber allowed us to block out unwanted signals such as mechanical noise, wind and human activity. The chamber housed the microphone and a 5 litre sample of the soil at each plot.</p>
<p>Our results were exciting. The diversity of sounds was much higher in the soil from the restored plots. This finding confirmed our suspicions that healthier soil would be more tuneful. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Earthworms making tunnels through soil" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526433/original/file-20230516-23-ofar3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Earthworms make sounds as they digest organic matter and tunnel through the soil.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-technology-allows-us-to-reveal-secrets-of-amazonian-biodiversity-182077">How technology allows us to reveal secrets of Amazonian biodiversity</a>
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<h2>Why is monitoring soil health important?</h2>
<p>Our preliminary findings suggest ecoacoustics can monitor life underground. But why is monitoring soil biodiversity so important? Soil health is the foundation of our food systems and supports all other <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.13453?casa_token=7c9REV8s7m0AAAAA%3A8hfzqCbk1BIhUrRZSuqjsj442JnhcIPBGkNT3XmMZRbfi43XbIhLkfFmx47HEaDBTeEsS7finQnOEII">life on land</a>. It should be a global priority.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Australian magpie cocking its head to one side as it listens for worms in the soil" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526439/original/file-20230516-15-mt7dsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Birds, including Australian magpies, are known to listen for worms. Scientists can also use the sounds of the soil to assess its health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>The “unseen” and “unheard” organisms living in the soil maintain its health. Below-ground organisms, such as earthworms and beetles, play a crucial role in <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-74943-3_8">nutrient cycling</a> and soil health. Without them, forests can’t thrive. </p>
<p>By using ecoacoustics to monitor below-ground biodiversity, ecologists can better assess the effectiveness of restoration efforts. This will allow them to make more informed decisions about the best ways to protect nature.</p>
<p>Using ecoacoustics in restoration efforts could also have important implications for climate change mitigation. Forests are crucial <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22459-8">carbon sinks</a>. They absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in their woody biomass and soils. </p>
<p>In contrast, degraded or deforested areas are significant sources of <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/whats-redd-and-will-it-help-tackle-climate-change/#:%7E:text=When%20deforestation%20occurs%2C%20much%20of,Africa%2C%20followed%20by%20South%20America.">carbon emissions</a>. Restoring these areas and monitoring subterranean life can help reduce carbon emissions and improve our ability to reduce the effects of a changing climate.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-more-excuses-restoring-nature-is-not-a-silver-bullet-for-global-warming-we-must-cut-emissions-outright-186048">No more excuses: restoring nature is not a silver bullet for global warming, we must cut emissions outright</a>
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<h2>It’s still an emerging science</h2>
<p>The use of ecoacoustics in restoration efforts is still relatively new, but it’s an important step towards a more holistic and effective approach to ecosystem recovery. By embracing new technologies and approaches, we can work towards a healthier and more sustainable planet.</p>
<p>Of course, there are challenges we still have to overcome. For instance, accurately identifying the sources of acoustic signals in a complex soundscape can be challenging. However, as technologies and methods continue to improve, the potential benefits of ecoacoustics are immense.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525048/original/file-20230509-23-oxr0m9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">When a forest like this temperate woodland in the UK is healthy, it acts as a carbon sink.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/photos/bluebell-woods-bluebells-oak-forest-5069304/">Pixabay</a></span>
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<p>By monitoring life underground in a non-intrusive and efficient way, we can better understand the effectiveness of our restoration efforts. This will help us make more informed decisions about how to protect nature. </p>
<p>We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface when it comes to the possibilities of ecoacoustics in restoration efforts. It’s an exciting time for those working in this field, as we discover new ways to use sound to heal our planet.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/soil-abounds-with-life-and-supports-all-life-above-it-but-australian-soils-need-urgent-repair-187280">Soil abounds with life – and supports all life above it. But Australian soils need urgent repair</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jake M Robinson is affiliated with the UNFCCC Resilience Frontiers think tank. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carlos Abrahams works for Baker Consultants, an ecological consultancy that specialises in ecoacoustics. He currently receives research funding from the UK Government.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martin Breed receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), Australian Academy of Science, and New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.</span></em></p>Acoustic technology allows us to listen to the sounds produced by the creatures in forest soils. A new study shows it’s a reliable way to monitor the biodiversity and health of the soil and forest.Jake M Robinson, Ecologist and Researcher, Flinders UniversityCarlos Abrahams, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Biology - Director of Bioacoustics, Nottingham Trent UniversityMartin Breed, Associate Professor in Biology, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1267602020-01-01T21:02:49Z2020-01-01T21:02:49ZBiodiversity and our brains: how ecology and mental health go together in our cities<p>Mental health in our cities is an increasingly urgent issue. Rates of disorders such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10190">anxiety and depression are high</a>. Urban design and planning can promote mental health by refocusing on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/2059-7932.12022">spaces we use in our everyday lives</a> in light of what research tells us about the benefits of exposure to nature and biodiversity. </p>
<p>Mental health issues have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/10253890.2014.921903">many causes</a>. However, the changing and unpredictable elements of our physical and sensory environments have a profound impact on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829216302027">risk, experiences and recovery</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/green-for-wellbeing-science-tells-us-how-to-design-urban-spaces-that-heal-us-82437">Green for wellbeing – science tells us how to design urban spaces that heal us</a>
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<p>Physical activity is still the mainstay of urban planning efforts to enable healthy behaviours. Mental well-being is then a hoped-for byproduct of opportunities for exercise and social interaction. </p>
<p>Neuroscientific research and tools now allow us to examine more deeply some of the ways in which <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17508975.2013.807765">individuals experience spaces</a> and natural elements. This knowledge can greatly add to, and shift, the priorities and direction of urban design and planning.</p>
<h2>What do we mean by ‘nature’?</h2>
<p>A large body of research has compellingly shown that “nature” in its many forms and contexts can have direct benefits on mental health. Unfortunately, the extent and diversity of natural habitats in our cities are decreasing rapidly.</p>
<p>Too often “nature” – by way of green space and “POS” (Public Open Space) – is still seen as something separate from other parts of our urban neighbourhoods. Regeneration efforts often focus on large green corridors. But even <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.12840">small patches</a> of genuinely biodiverse nature can <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320716306747?via%3Dihub">re-invite and sustain multitudes</a> of plant and animal species, as urban ecologists have shown. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-small-patch-of-bush-over-your-back-fence-might-be-key-to-a-species-survival-108672">The small patch of bush over your back fence might be key to a species’ survival</a>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303335/original/file-20191124-74562-msfbfr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">An urban orchard in Perth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zoe Myers</span></span>
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<p>It has also been widely demonstrated that nature does not affect us in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gec3.12415">uniform or universal ways</a>. Sometimes it can be confronting or dangerous. That is particularly true if nature is isolated or uninviting, or has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08873631.2015.1005881">unwritten rules around who should be there</a> or what activities are appropriate. </p>
<p>These factors complicate the desire for a “nature pill” to treat urban ills. </p>
<p>We need to be far more specific about what “nature” we are talking about in design and planning to assist with mental health.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/increasing-tree-cover-may-be-like-a-superfood-for-community-mental-health-119930">Increasing tree cover may be like a 'superfood' for community mental health</a>
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<h2>Why does biodiversity matter?</h2>
<p>The exponential accessibility and affordability of lab and mobile technologies, such as fMRI and EEG measuring brain activity, have vastly widened the scope of studies of mental health and nature. Researchers are able, for example, to analyse responses to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494418303360?via%3Dihub">images</a> of urban streetscapes versus forests. They can also track people’s perceptions “<a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/4/272">on the move</a>”.</p>
<p>Research shows us biodiverse nature has particular positive benefit for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204617300701?via%3Dihub">mental well-being</a>. Multi-sensory elements such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494413000650?via%3Dihub">bird or frog sounds</a> or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866716303107?via%3Dihub">wildflower smells</a> have well-documented beneficial effects on mental restoration, calm and creativity. </p>
<p>Other senses – such as our sense of ourselves in space, our balance and equilibrium and temperature – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02614367.2014.923499">can also contribute to us feeling restored by nature</a>. </p>
<p>Acknowledging the crucial role all these senses play shifts the focus of urban design and planning from visual aesthetics and functional activity to how we <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/68/2/134/4791430"><em>experience</em> natural spaces</a>. This is particularly important in ensuring we create places for people of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2514848619835720">all abilities, mobilities and neurodiversities</a>.</p>
<p>Neuroscientific research also shows an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452216301968?via%3Dihub">“enriched” environment</a> – one with multiple diverse elements of interest – can prompt movement and engagement. This helps keep our brains <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-12046-7">cognitively healthy, and us happier</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reducing-stress-at-work-is-a-walk-in-the-park-57634">Reducing stress at work is a walk in the park</a>
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<p>Beyond brain imaging of experiences in nature, there is growing and compelling evidence that contact with diverse microbiomes in the soil and air has a <a href="https://jphysiolanthropol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40101-016-0101-y">profound effect on depression and anxiety</a>. Increasing our interaction with natural elements through <a href="https://jphysiolanthropol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1880-6805-32-7">touch</a> – literally getting dirt under our nails – is both <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/38/3/e336/2239844">psychologically therapeutic</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rec.12610">neurologically nourishing</a>.</p>
<p>We also have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0920996416304467?via%3Dihub">increasing evidence</a> that air, noise and soil pollution increase risk of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829217303088?via%3Dihub">mental health disorders</a> in cities.</p>
<h2>What does this mean for urban neighbourhoods?</h2>
<p>These converging illustrations suggest biodiverse urban nature is a priority for promoting mental health. Our job as designers and planners is therefore to multiply opportunities to interact with these areas in tangible ways. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1000&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1000&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1000&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1257&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1257&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303336/original/file-20191124-74576-10wkddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1257&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A residential street in Perth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zoe Myers</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The concept of “biophilia” isn’t new. But a focus on incidental and authentic biodiversity helps us apply this very broad, at times unwieldy and non-contextual, concept to the local environment. This grounds efforts in real-time, achievable interventions. </p>
<p>Using novel technologies and interdisciplinary research expands our understanding of the ways <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/9/2/40">our environments affect our mental well-being</a>. This knowledge challenges the standardised planning of nature spaces and monocultured plantings in our cities. Neuroscience can therefore support urban designers and planners in allowing for more flexibility and authenticity of nature in urban areas. </p>
<p>Neuroscientific evidence of our sensory encounters with biodiverse nature points us towards the ultimate win-win (-win) for ecology, mental health and cities. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Dr Zoe Myers is the author of <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-32-9923-8">Wildness and Wellbeing: Nature, Neuroscience, and Urban Design</a>n (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020).</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126760/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zoe Myers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s well-established that green spaces are good for our well-being. Now we can demonstrate that greater biodiversity boosts this benefit, as well as helping to sustain native plants and animals.Zoe Myers, Lecturer, Australian Urban Design Research Centre, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1057942018-12-21T11:43:29Z2018-12-21T11:43:29ZListening to nature: How sound can help us understand environmental change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251792/original/file-20181220-103641-1i3ly70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Imagine this with a sound track -- sunset near Turtle Rock, Joshua Tree National Park.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/28NFzGv">NPS / Hannah Schwalbe</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Our hearing tells us of a car approaching from behind, unseen, or a bird in a distant forest. Everything vibrates, and sound passes through and around us all the time. Sound is a critical environmental signifier. </p>
<p>Increasingly, we are learning that humans and animals are not the only organisms that use sound to communicate. So do <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2012.03.002">plants</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7mfFbMLT7o">forests</a>. Plants detect vibrations in a frequency-selective manner, using this “hearing” sense to find water by sending out acoustic emissions and to communicate threats.</p>
<p>We also know that clear verbal communication is critical, but is easily degraded by extraneous sounds, otherwise known as “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/nyregion/new-york-today-blocking-out-the-citys-noise.html">noise</a>.” Noise is more than an irritant: It also <a href="http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/e94888.pdf?ua=1">threatens our health</a>. Average city sounds levels of 60 decibels have been shown to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/city-noise-might-be-making-you-sick/553385/">increase blood pressure and heart rate and induce stress</a>, with sustained higher amplitudes causing cumulative hearing loss. If this is true for humans, then it might also be true for animals and even plants.</p>
<p>Conservation research puts a heavy emphasis on sight – think of the inspiring vista, or the rare species caught on film with camera traps – but sound is also a critical element of natural systems. I study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KeNbtNgAAAAJ&hl=en">digital sound and interactive media</a> and co-direct Arizona State University’s <a href="http://acousticecologylab.org">Acoustic Ecology Lab</a>. We use sound to advance environmental awareness and stewardship, and provide critical tools for deeper consideration of sound in nature preserves, urban and industrial design.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/234335998" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Arizona State University professor Garth Paine explains the power of listening as a way to experience the natural world.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Sound as a sign of environmental change</h2>
<p>Sound is a powerful indicator of environmental degradation and an effective tool for developing more sustainable ecosystems. We often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2006.10.008">hear changes in the environment</a>, such as shifts in <a href="https://ecologicablog.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/urbanisation-is-changing-the-way-birds-sing/">bird calls</a>, before we see them. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recently formed a <a href="https://www.acousticbulletin.com/unesco-hosted-the-sound-for-a-new-urbanism-conference">sound charter</a> to promote awareness of sound as a critical signifier in environmental health and urban planning.</p>
<p>I have spent decades making field recordings in which I create a setup before dawn or dusk, then lie on the ground listening for several uninterrupted hours. These projects have taught me how the density of the air changes as the sun rises or sets, how animal behavior shifts as a result, and how all of these things are intricately linked. </p>
<p>For example, sound travels further through denser material, such as cold air, than through warm summer air. Other factors, such as changes in a forest’s foliage density from spring to fall, also change a site’s reverberation characteristics. Exploring these qualities has led me to think about how perceptual measures of sound inform our understanding of environmental health, opening a new angle of inquiry around psychoacoustic properties of environmental sound. </p>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="82" data-image="" data-title="Coyotes in Usery Mountain Regional Park, Arizona." data-size="1307794" data-source="Garth Paine" data-source-url="" data-license="CC BY-ND" data-license-url="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1417/coyotes-usarypark-az.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
Coyotes in Usery Mountain Regional Park, Arizona.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Garth Paine</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a><span class="download"><span>1.25 MB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1417/coyotes-usarypark-az.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<h2>Altering sound environments affects survival</h2>
<p>To engage the public and scientific communities in this research, the Acoustic Ecology Lab embarked in 2014 on a large-scale, crowd-sourced project teaching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz4IbrDP5mk">listening skills</a> and <a href="http://acousticecologylab.org/volunteer-resources/">sound recording techniques</a> to communities adjacent to national parks and national monuments in the southwestern United States. After completing a listening and field recording workshop, community members volunteer to record at fixed locations in the parks every month, building a large collection of <a href="http://www.ecolisten.org/sonic_events.php">sound captures</a> that is both a joy to listen to and a rich source of data for <a href="http://acousticecologylab.org/ecosonic/">scientific analysis</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250350/original/file-20181212-110234-yrahjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Listening workshop at Joshua Tree National Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Garth Paine</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Imagine how climate change could affect environments’ sonic signatures. Reduced plant density will change the balance between <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/kenneth-freeman/how-plants-can-reduce-noi_b_4802876.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer_us=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_cs=CdJOm5HkR4bJqe8BG6hcjQ">absorptive surfaces, such as leaves</a>, and reflective surfaces such as rocks and buildings. This will increase reverberation and make sound environments more harsh. And we can capture it by making repeated sound recordings at research sites.</p>
<p>In settings where sound <a href="https://musitechnic.com/en/reverberation-and-church-acoustics/">reverberates for a long time</a>, such as a <a href="https://www.musicademy.com/2016/01/church-acoustics-reverb-cathedral-sound/">cathedral</a>, it can become tiring to carry on a conversation as echoes interfere. Increasing reverberation could have a similar effect in natural settings. Native species could struggle to hear mating calls. Predators could have difficulty detecting prey. Such impacts could spur populations to relocate, even if an area still offers plentiful food and shelter. In short, the sonic properties of environments are crucial to survival. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251841/original/file-20181220-103657-1dwe8i5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Listening at dusk to the changing soundscape in Joshua Tree National Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Garth Paine</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Listening can also promote stewardship. We use the recordings that our volunteers produce to create musical works, composed using only the sounds of the environment, which are performed in the communities that made the recordings. These events are a wonderful tool for mobilizing people around the issue of climate change impacts.</p>
<h2>Mapping sound and weather characteristics</h2>
<p>I also lead a research project called <a href="http://acousticecologylab.org/ecosonic/">EcoSonic</a>, which asks whether psychoacoustic properties of environmental sound correlate with weather conditions. If they do, we want to know whether we can use models or regular sound recordings to predict long-term impacts of climate change on the acoustic properties of environments.</p>
<p>This work draws on <a href="https://acousticstoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Psychoacoustics-A-Brief-Historical-Overview.pdf">psychoacoustics</a> – the point where sound meets the brain. Psychoacoustics is applied in research on speech perception, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1121/1.428133">hearing loss</a> and <a href="https://www.audiology.org/sites/default/files/journal/JAAA_11_03_03.pdf">tinnitus</a>, or ringing in the ears, and in <a href="https://www.bksv.com/en/Applications/product-noise/sound-quality">industrial design</a>. Until now, however, it has not been applied broadly to environmental sound quality. </p>
<p>We use psychoacoustic analysis to assess qualitative measures of sound, such as loudness, roughness and brightness. By measuring the number of unique signals at a specific location, we can create an Acoustic Diversity Index for that place. Then we use machine learning – training a machine to make predictions based on past data – to model the correlation between local weather data and the Acoustic Diversity Index. </p>
<p>Our initial tests show a positive, statistically significant relationship between acoustic diversity and cloud cover, wind speed and temperature, meaning that as these variables increase, acoustic diversity does too. We also are finding an inverse, statistically significant relationship between acoustic diversity and dewpoint and visibility: As these factors increase, acoustic diversity decreases.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244883/original/file-20181110-35554-14yqs29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">EcoSonic predictions of how acoustic properties of the environment will change with variations in weather, made from recordings done in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The blue line is predictions from our model and the red line is actual data for that day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Garth Paine</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Sounding futures: Art, science and community</h2>
<p>Sound quality is critical to our everyday experience of the world and our well-being. Research at the Acoustic Ecology Lab is driven from the arts and based on sensed experience of being present, listening, feeling the density of the air, hearing clarity of sound and perceiving variations in animal behavior. </p>
<p>Without the arts we would not be asking these perceptual questions. Without science we would not have sophisticated tools to undertake this analysis and build predictive models. And without neighboring communities we would not have data, local observations or historical knowledge of patterns of change. </p>
<p>All humans have the capacity to pause, listen and recognize the diversity and quality of sound in any given space. Through more active listening, each of us can find a different connection to the environments we inhabit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105794/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Garth Paine receives funding for the discussed work from Arizona State University research funding and from two private foundations. </span></em></p>From bird songs to wind patterns, sound is a key but often underappreciated element of natural places. Learning how to listen to nature can alert us to changes in the environment before we see them.Garth Paine, Associate Professor of Digital Sound and Interactive Media, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/856752017-10-31T19:05:46Z2017-10-31T19:05:46ZCan virtual nature and poo transplants solve city dwellers’ health problems?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192156/original/file-20171027-13319-1b9u69v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's now possible to experience virtual walks through nature – like this video, for example – but can that ever match the real thing? </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT9qNHQ9Mek">Video screenshot, sounds from the core/YouTube</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nature is <a href="http://images.slideplayer.com/39/10836217/slides/slide_4.jpg">good for your health</a>. Perhaps predictably, the world of technology is now offering technical solutions that seek to replace the need for authentic nature experiences. But can innovations like poo transplants and virtual nature capture the deeper well-being that a connection to nature can deliver? </p>
<p>Nature comprehensively enhances the urban environments most of us live in. Its benefits include improving air quality, reducing nuisance noise and creating shady spots to escape hot weather. </p>
<p>Green spaces also encourage walking and outdoor activities, and provide useful places for people to socialise. Spending time in nature is a great way to simply rest and relax, providing some respite from our busy and crowded cities.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/green-for-wellbeing-science-tells-us-how-to-design-urban-spaces-that-heal-us-82437">Green for wellbeing – science tells us how to design urban spaces that heal us</a></em></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191254/original/file-20171021-13948-10os1wf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Urban nature areas are inviting places for people to socialise and relax.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anne Cleary</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Boosting our immune system</h2>
<p>Recent research shows that being outdoors in nature <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.1630/abstract">boosts our immune systems</a>. Exposure to good bacteria in nature encourages diverse and healthy communities of bacteria in our guts. Some experts argue this is the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01093/full">main way</a> that nature enhances our health and well-being. </p>
<p>But do we really need nature for healthy immune systems? Isn’t there a pill for that? </p>
<p>Well, yes actually. <a href="https://theconversation.com/poo-transplants-beyond-the-yuck-factor-what-works-what-doesnt-and-what-we-still-dont-know-82265">Poo transplants</a>, or faecal microbiota transplantations, have emerged as a promising medical solution for enhancing the human microbiome. By swallowing a capsule of someone else’s poo, beneficial bacteria can be safely delivered to the recipient’s gut. No nature needed.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/poo-transplants-beyond-the-yuck-factor-what-works-what-doesnt-and-what-we-still-dont-know-82265">Poo transplants beyond the yuck factor: what works, what doesn’t and what we still don’t know</a></em></p>
<hr>
<h2>Restoring our mental health</h2>
<p>Living in cities is draining. Nature can combat mental ill-health by reducing stress and <a href="http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr01/greengood.aspx">restoring our ability to concentrate</a>. The rhythms, patterns and sounds of nature effortlessly captivate and fascinate us. This allows our brain to escape the everyday distractions that demand and exhaust our “attention”.</p>
<p>But finding easily accessible nature, and the time to spend in it, can be a challenge. Today’s busy, urban lifestyles leave little time for much else. </p>
<p>The increasing sophistication and reducing costs of virtual reality technology may offer a solution. Ten minutes exploring a virtual forest <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/cyber.2009.0308">reduces stress and increases happiness</a>. As virtual reality systems become more widespread these may provide a convenient way of getting our daily “nature fix”.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0H9lbH1khDE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A virtual nature walk through an Australian forest.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/virtual-reality-brings-new-dimension-to-conservation-57291">Virtual reality brings new dimension to conservation</a></em></p>
<hr>
<h2>Is this really the nature we need?</h2>
<p>Given the growing health woes associated with urban living, technological approaches could be an important part of the arsenal of solutions we need to reconnect people to nature and its health benefits. </p>
<p>In nature-deprived areas, virtual nature may be the only nature accessible to people. High-security prison inmates who <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.1518/abstract">watch nature videos</a> report feeling less irritable and committed 26% fewer violent infractions. Poo pills may be similarly useful for astronauts and submariners. </p>
<p>However, these solutions are based on a narrow medical model: diagnosing and treating illness. This neglects the important role that nature plays in illness prevention, health promotion and greater well-being. Nature experiences are critical to the social, cultural, emotional and spiritual health of many communities and societies. </p>
<p>People who feel connected to nature tend to have <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204616302237">greater psychological wellbeing</a>. This can help foster thriving communities by underpinning a sense of achievement, personal growth and life purpose. Our connectedness to nature may be an important part of living a happy and meaningful life.</p>
<p>And urban nature is multifunctional. It provides many other benefits that can contribute more holistically to good health. Green space can help cool cities, slow peak stormwater flows and reduce air pollution. This can contribute enormously to reducing chronic and acute health burdens. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191255/original/file-20171021-13940-1vpxsyu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Urban nature provides a calming respite from our busy and crowded cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anne Cleary</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Specific kinds of nature, such as community and residential gardens, can provide fresh food and are a great source of physical activity for millions if not billions of people. Sports fields and linear green spaces (such as creek corridors) promote active recreation. </p>
<p>Green spaces are also places where people walk their dogs and meet other people. Beyond health, urban nature is habitat for many kinds of plants and animals, and is increasingly recognised for its <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.12404/abstract">role in biodiversity conservation</a>. </p>
<p>Interest in the health benefits of nature is growing rapidly. As we seek to harness the health-promoting potential of nature, we must be careful not to be tempted to focus only on “quick fixes”. Doing this neglects the importance of our human connection to nature – and the many different benefits that urban nature provides.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85675/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dave Kendal receives funding from Australian Research Council, the City of Melbourne, the SA Heart Foundation, Melbourne Water and the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Cleary does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Faecal transplants and virtual nature are technological solutions to ‘nature deficit disorder’ from urban living. Such ‘quick fixes’ offer some benefits, but are no substitute for the real thing.Anne Cleary, Nature and Health PhD Candidate, School of Medicine, Griffith UniversityDave Kendal, Research Fellow, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences and the Clean Air and Urban Landscape hub of the National Environmental Science Program, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/60962012-04-12T20:22:22Z2012-04-12T20:22:22ZForest sonata: listening to the music of the trees<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9537/original/6cfq29zy-1334218625.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Orchestra of nature: artist Bartholomäus Traubeck has converted pieces of trees into music.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Eric C Bryan</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>What is the music of trees? German artist Bartholomäus Traubeck spun slices of logs on turntables that translate their textures and annual rings into music. Traubeck calls the result Years, and I played it to my Composition Seminar to see how students responded.</p>
<p>The first year contingent were mightily impressed that one could play old growth trees to create music, but the later year students were singularly unimpressed, quoting examples of <a href="http://www.wgbh.org/articles/Bachs-Code-858">musical coding from Bach</a> to <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/john-cage/about-the-composer/471/">John Cage and his chance procedures</a> and much in between.</p>
<p>Years is an artwork/musical composition that consists of a “record player” that plays slices of wood from old trees using a tone arm that is equipped with a light scanning device in place of the traditional stylus. The circular slices from the tree are lacquered, and then rotated on a traditional turntable. The year ring data is then, as the accompanying notes tell us, “translated into music” by mapping the output data to a scale using a computer music program. In the example we hear, the scale chosen is an easily digestible minor chord related array of notes which, in tandem with the vision of the modified turntable spinning the shiny tree trunk “record”, provides a pleasant audio-visual experience. A taste of it awaits near the end of this article.</p>
<p>The discussion in the Composition Seminar whirled around how much control is exerted by the creator of a piece when mapping data to the musical parameters via software and hardware, with opinions covering all parts of the spectrum. The final agreement was that ultimately the ear must be the final arbiter for the music, and the eye for the visual, and that it was entirely subjective as to how one rated the piece artistically.</p>
<p>In my time as a composer and more recently as a teacher I have seen all kinds of natural phenomena and scientific data transformed into musical works for conventions and conferences, but very few of these have stood the test of time.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9429/original/wc8mrmh7-1334026953.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Groovy: a sliced of log spinning in Bartholomäus Traubeck’s musical artwork, Years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bartholomäus Traubeck</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The two questions that immediately come to mind are firstly, is this a true sonic representation of the visual data of the tree rings and secondly, is this a new way of constructing musical compositions?</p>
<p>The answer to both is no, but this need not be seen as pejorative. The artist makes it clear in the notes that “the foundation of the music is certainly found in the defined rule set of programming and hardware setup, but the data acquired from every tree interprets this rule set very differently”. I would have preferred to have heard more examples using other slices to see/hear the differences generated by the patterns seen on the “records”.</p>
<p>On first encountering this piece my mind leapt back to my student days and the release of a recording of an early electronic composition by the American composer <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/charles-dodge-q7245/biography">Charles Dodge</a> entitled “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5MHsnc67yw">The Earth’s Magnetic Field</a>” subtitled “Realizations in computed electronic sound”(Nonesuch H71250-1970).</p>
<p>In this work Dodge took data from geophysical monitoring of the magnetic activity surrounding the Earth (the <a href="http://www-app3.gfz-potsdam.de/kp_index/description.html">Kp index</a>). These indices were displayed graphically and were popularly known to the researchers involved as Bartels’ musical diagrams, named after their inventor the German geophysicist <a href="http://www.egu.eu/egs/bartels.htm">Julius Bartels</a>. Because of their resemblance to musical notation Dodge was inspired to create the piece. Dodge uses a much larger array of pitches to construct his rendering of the data: as the liner notes say, a “diatonic collection over four octaves and he "compresses the 2,920 readings for the year into eight minutes of musical time”.</p>
<p>Because of the musical aesthetic of the era that Dodge inhabited and the then-experimental nature of computer music, the results are far more dissonant, yet the rhythmic elements of both of these pieces share the same fate. They are erratic and do not appear to contain many aurally satisfying pulses that anchor the listener, possibly a reason for “Years” to stay in safe tonal territory. This is not too far removed from Arnold Schoenberg’s decision in his first strict twelve tone method composition, the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGLTeRQ-Nf0">Suite for Piano</a>, to utilise the dissonant pitch construction but to hold it firm for his audience by placing it in a strict dance-suite form.</p>
<p>Schoenberg also coded his name into many compositions, but this too has a history going back to Bach and others. The simplest form of alphabetic musical coding is to use the letters as used in the scale, ABCDEFG adding S which signifies Eflat in German nomenclature and H which signifies Bnatural, the German system using B to mean Bflat.</p>
<p>Thus BACH is easily translated as Bflat A C Bnatural, SCH(O)E(N)BE(R)G becomes SCHEBEG or Eflat C Bnatural EBflat E G and many composers of all eras and persuasions have used this method and others to place coded information into their work, not all that different from using external data to drive a musical work. It is however only a starting point and for a piece to work convincingly then the editing/creative process must be brought into play to shape the various elements that make a composition speak to an audience.</p>
<p>Here is a taste of Years:</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/30501143" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/30501143">YEARS</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/traubeck">Bartholomäus Traubeck</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>Whilst being an interesting aural experiment, as a work of music Years - to my ears - falls slightly short of the mark.</p>
<p>Anyone for a DNA-spiral Tango?</p>
<p><em>Comments welcome below.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/6096/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jim Cotter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What is the music of trees? German artist Bartholomäus Traubeck spun slices of logs on turntables that translate their textures and annual rings into music. Traubeck calls the result Years, and I played…Jim Cotter, Head of Composition, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/62922012-04-12T04:24:51Z2012-04-12T04:24:51ZHeard it on the grapevine: the mysterious chatter of plants<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9474/original/26mzc5sy-1334115983.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">"If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" Research shows that plants spread news of trouble.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/Peter Nijenhuls</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sound and its use in communication have shaped the ecology, evolution, behaviour, and ultimately the success of many animal species. But are animals the only lifeforms to communicate with sound? Do plants also use sound to pass information, and if so, what might this mean in a plant’s life? </p>
<p>The idea of plants being capable of producing, detecting, and using acoustic signals is certainly not new. The study of plant bioacoustics, however, has suffered from the methodological and technological problems of early investigations in the 1940s, and this historical baggage, in conjunction with folkloric reports of the phenomenon, have severely hindered prospects of investigating this aspect of plant ecology. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1200&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1200&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1200&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1508&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9465/original/jcnp5wt8-1334112236.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1508&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bad vibe: Mimosa pudica rolls its leaves away.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/Fayez Closed Account</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But we know that plants have evolved to detect and respond to sound waves or vibrations in their environment. A well-known example of this ability is displayed by the rapid leaf-folding action of the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica. By reducing the leaf area presented to herbivores, while simultaneously making its defensive thorns more visible, this response is widely believed to have evolved to prevent or reduce predation risk.</p>
<p>The ability to respond to vibrations is not unique to M. pudica and many plant species have evolved a range of adaptive strategies to exploit sound. For example, a number of flower families, including that of tomatoes and blueberries, use “buzz” pollination where the pollen is released from flowers only when they are vibrated at the correct ultrasonic frequency, a feat achieved by bees that have co-evolved to vibrate their flight muscles appropriately. Despite the ecological and evolutionary significance of sound in plant-animal interactions, no quantitative information on the mechanisms through which plants detect and respond to sound, and modify their growth accordingly, was available until very recently.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138512000544">recent article</a> published in Trends in Plant Science, my colleagues and I show that roots of young corn plants emit loud and frequent “clicking” sounds. Remarkably, these roots also react to specific sounds by exhibiting frequency-selective sensitivity that causes them to bend towards the sound source.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9468/original/7zf9kqpk-1334112736.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Field talk: young corn makes sounds and bends toward sounds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/chesbayprogram</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This provides the first rigorous, experimental evidence of a plant’s ability to produce, detect and respond to acoustic vibrations. It does, however, leave open the next obvious question of why plants should do so.</p>
<h2>Why should plants emit and receive sound, and do they mean anything?</h2>
<p>From an evolutionary perspective, the reception and processing of energy embedded in acoustic waves is advantageous, as it provides information about the environment, whether close by or distant. Given the ease with which it transmits through the environment, especially in dense substrates like soil, sound offers a particularly effective transmission channel for short range signalling. However, it may be useful for long range signalling too; acoustic signals could mediate interactions, such as competition between plants for the resources available within the substrate.</p>
<p>In trying to understand how and why plants sense sound in their environments, the key questions clearly reside in the nature of the sounds and the information it carries. The answer to these questions is important to better understand the processes underlying species interactions and co-evolution. Yet, the potential application of this knowledge to real world problems could be just as remarkable. For example, take the devastating effects that droughts bring on the environment, particularly through vegetation loss, and to the economy of affected communities. Drought cannot be prevented but its effects can be mitigated through effective management strategies and a better understanding of the processes underlying plants’ responses to drought.</p>
<p>Recent research in this context has demonstrated that unstressed plants are able to <a href="http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/03/08/aob.mcs045.abstract">respond to stress cues</a> emitted by their drought-stressed neighbours, and relay this “drought alarm” signal to unstressed plants further away. Could the “talkative” nature of plants help us to cope better with drought? Aspects of plant acoustic emissions have already been used as a crude indicator of drought-related stress and tolerance in different species. By determining the ecological role of sound in plant communication, we could significantly advance our knowledge of plant ecology, and thus contribute towards a better understanding of the processes underlying plant responses to stressful environmental conditions.</p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>We are increasingly discovering that plants are highly sensitive organisms that actively process and evaluate information about their neighbours as well as about the resources available in their surroundings, and modify their behaviour accordingly. Our new findings confirm that the prevailing Aristotelian view of plants as automata-like passive and insensitive creatures is evidently obsolete and inappropriate.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1158&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1158&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9475/original/hj338ww6-1334116263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1158&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The plants are talking, it appears, but is anybody listening?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/BudCat14/Ross</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A shift in our perception of plants is not only important for advancing our scientific knowledge into the world of plants in its full complexity. Knowledge of plant autonomy also has critical ecological consequences as it opens up a new debate on the perception and action of people towards plants. </p>
<p>Indeed, such a debate is important and urgent as it concerns our current ecologically inappropriate behaviour towards plant life, where plants are treated as mere resource objects and materials. This attitude has paved the way to the relentless alteration and destruction of natural habitats, which are predominantly plants. At a time of environmental crisis, promoting a new perception of plants as “living beings in their own right” means creating the conditions for the well-being of those who truly make life on Earth possible: plants. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/6292/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Monica Gagliano does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Sound and its use in communication have shaped the ecology, evolution, behaviour, and ultimately the success of many animal species. But are animals the only lifeforms to communicate with sound? Do plants…Monica Gagliano, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Evolutionary Biology, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.