Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Forest Park Soundscapes Based on Deep Learning: A Case Study of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

As a perceptual representation of ecosystem structure and function, the soundscape has become an important indicator for evaluating ecological health and assessing the impacts of human disturbances. Understanding the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of soundscapes is essential for revealing ecological processes and human impacts in protected areas. This study investigates such heterogeneity in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park using deep learning approaches. To this end, we constructed a dataset comprising eight representative sound source categories by integrating field recordings with online audio (BBC Sound Effects Archive and Freesound), and trained a classification model to accurately identify biophony, geophony, and anthrophony, which enabled the subsequent analysis of spatiotemporal distribution patterns. Our results indicate that temporal variations in the soundscape are closely associated with circadian rhythms and tourist activities, while spatial patterns are strongly shaped by topography, vegetation, and human interference. Biophony is primarily concentrated in areas with minimal ecological disturbance, geophony is regulated by landforms and microclimatic conditions, and anthrophony tends to mask natural sound sources. Overall, the study highlights how deep learning-based soundscape classification can reveal the mechanisms by which natural and anthropogenic factors structure acoustic environments, offering methodological references and practical insights for ecological management and soundscape conservation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Forests
Published
2025-09-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/f16091416
Primary Topic
Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Forest Park Soundscapes Based on Deep Learning: A Case Study of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zihao He, Wenhai Xie, De-Bing Zhuo, Changxiang Yan et al.
Forests
Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
article

Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Forest Park Soundscapes Based on Deep Learning: A Case Study of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zihao He, Wenhai Xie, De-Bing Zhuo, Changxiang Yan, Zhongyu Hu
article en

Abstract

As a perceptual representation of ecosystem structure and function, the soundscape has become an important indicator for evaluating ecological health and assessing the impacts of human disturbances. Understanding the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of soundscapes is essential for revealing ecological processes and human impacts in protected areas. This study investigates such heterogeneity in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park using deep learning approaches. To this end, we constructed a dataset comprising eight representative sound source categories by integrating field recordings with online audio (BBC Sound Effects Archive and Freesound), and trained a classification model to accurately identify biophony, geophony, and anthrophony, which enabled the subsequent analysis of spatiotemporal distribution patterns. Our results indicate that temporal variations in the soundscape are closely associated with circadian rhythms and tourist activities, while spatial patterns are strongly shaped by topography, vegetation, and human interference. Biophony is primarily concentrated in areas with minimal ecological disturbance, geophony is regulated by landforms and microclimatic conditions, and anthrophony tends to mask natural sound sources. Overall, the study highlights how deep learning-based soundscape classification can reveal the mechanisms by which natural and anthropogenic factors structure acoustic environments, offering methodological references and practical insights for ecological management and soundscape conservation.

ForestsVol. 16(9)
Jishou University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Jishou University
Openalex Percentile: Top 78%
Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
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