Differences in soundscapes of silvopastoral systems and traditional paddocks of the piedmont plain, Meta, Colombia

Abstract

We recorded the soundscape at four cattle ranches at the foothills of the Meta department, Colombia. We used eight acoustic recorders, four in silvopastoral systems and four in traditional cattle systems. Each recorder operated for 1 minute every 10 minutes, for an average of 4 days, in November 2019. We obtained 4743 one-minute recordings, 57.3% for traditional cattle systems and 42.7% for silvopastoral systems. Differences were found in the acoustic activity and use of the acoustic space, which are related to the distance to the streams. The variables distance to roads and streams explain the variation in richness of bird and anuran, which was lower in silvopastoral systems than traditional cattle systems. This may be related to the design of the silvopatoral system (Mimosa trianae monoculture). Future silvopastoral initiatives should include more diverse designs in order to contrast the type of metrics evaluated in this study.