If you’ve ever recreated in the stunning forests of the pacific northwest, you’ve probably taken in a peaceful moment listening to the wind rush through the trees, the pattering of the rain, the buzz of insects, and the chattering of birds. What you may not have considered, is that these sounds could be indicators of forest health. Second year masters student in Fisheries and Wildlife, Anna Bloch Kohlberg, is assessing the health of Pacific Northwest forests with bioacoustics. Bioacoustics uses sound to study an ecosystem or species. From animal communication and behavior to coral reef health, the study of bioacoustics has broad applications.

Anna is specifically investigating forests covered by the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). The NWFP is a series of federal policies and guidelines governing land use on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. It was established to protect threatened and endangered species while also contributing to the social and economic sustainability of the region. In her research with Damon Lesmeister and Taal Levi, she analyzes bioacoustics data collected from 4000 recorders across the Northwest for acoustic signatures of indicator species. The processing and analysis of these massive datasets is aided by AI tools developed by the lab. From the analysis of these datasets they are able to get key information on the health of forests across the Northwest, which inform policy and conservation efforts.
Tune in at 7pm on November 10th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about the sounds and silence of our forests and what that tells us about them!

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!