Skip to content
Clark University
  • Media Relations
Suggest a Story
ClarkNow logo
  • Topics
  • All Stories
  • In the News
  • Expert Sources
  • Podcasts
      • Info For

        • Media Relations
Suggest a Story

Professor Florencia Sangermano and the Soundscapes of Central Massachusetts

October 14, 2022

Clark geography Professor Florencia Sangermano has spent the last few years strapping audio recorders onto trees in forests across Central Massachusetts, recording everything from chirping birds to traffic to rainfall. She’s monitoring the soundscapes of these areas to gauge the health of the ecosystem and determine the impact that humans and climate change are having on it. On this episode of Challenge. Change., Sangermano explains this research, which was recently published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.

“I found that forest areas with higher connectivity and high vegetation productivity have more sounds from animals and also more frequencies that come from animal sources. In this case, the majority of sounds are from birds,” Sangermano says. “On the other hand, the areas with more lights or traffic, or more human edges — for example, near backyards or agriculture —presented lower sounds from animals. The main takeaway is that, through the sounds, we can evaluate the impact of humans on biodiversity.” 

Challenge. Change. is produced by Melissa Hanson and Andrew Hart for Clark University. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

  • Apply Undergrad
  • Apply Grad
  • Give
  • Contact Us
Helpful Links
  • Report a Concern
  • Offices
  • Campus Safety
  • Employment
  • Healthy Clark Dashboard
  • Website Feedback
Follow Us
  • See more of us on Facebook
  • See more of us on Twitter
  • See more of us on Instagram
  • See more of us on TikTok
  • See more of us on YouTube
  • See more of us on LinkedIn
Clark University footer logo Return to Clark University Homepage
Challenge Convention.
Change Our World.
508-793-7711
950 Main Street Worcester, MA 01610
Copyright © 2023 Clark University Public Information | Privacy Policy | Website Accessibility | Nondiscrimination Policy