Mapping spatio-temporal patterns of soundscapes in a mountain landscape

Abstract

Our understanding of the relationships between soundscapes and human well-being is continuously increasing, emphasizing the need for soundscape management. To effectively improve soundscape quality, knowledge on spatio-temporal patterns of soundscape characteristics is required. This study comprehensively assessed and mapped spatio-temporal patterns of soundscape characteristics in a complex mountain landscape in the Bavarian Alps (Germany), integrating quantitative analyses of audio recordings (n = 41) along gradients of elevation and human activity with human perception on soundscape quality gathered through a participatory mapping survey (pleasant: n = 47, unpleasant: n = 44). Based on an aural inventory to identify major sound sources, our results indicate that soundscapes at the sampling sites were composed by multiple sound sources, though dominated by air traffic, road traffic, birds, and insects, following diurnal cycles of activity. Spatial patterns of sound sources, acoustic indices, and perceived soundscape quality were significantly influenced by human infrastructure (e.g. roads, cable cars), human activity (e.g., agriculture, tourism), topography, and land cover. While anthrophony, biophony, and geophony did not show clear spatial patterns, the forest-based regression model, explaining up to 62 % of the variance, predicted a concentration of technophony on the valley bottom and adjacent hillslopes, emphasizing the impact of technophony on soundscape perceptions. Our findings provide insights into the relationships between landscape and soundscape characteristics supporting soundscape management.