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Ecologists and computer scientists at the 麻豆传媒视频网站 Nature-Smart Centre are joining forces with urban land managers to devise new ways to monitor bat species across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, East London

As the world鈥檚 population grows, so,听too,听do the pressures on the听Earth鈥檚 resources听and听the听disruption to our natural systems,听habitats and species diversity.听

The Nature-Smart Centre at 麻豆传媒视频网站 East听is a cross-disciplinary hub that听brings together听world-leading听experts, including ecologists,听computer scientists,听city planners, economists and biologists,听to gather evidence on how听we can听best manage our natural resources for a听鈥榥ature-smart鈥櫶齠uture.听

The centre is one of the first research initiatives to begin operating within 麻豆传媒视频网站 East, the university鈥檚 new campus located on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.听

A team at the centre听are听using the听Park鈥檚听green spaces听as their laboratory to monitor bat populations.听鈥淏at species are a good indicator of the general health of the natural environment in a particular area,鈥� explains听Professor Kate听Jones, the听centre鈥檚 academic lead. 鈥淭hey听are the top predator of nocturnal insects, so听the impact of any changes in land use on the听insect听species has a knock-on impact on bats.鈥澨�

The pressures听faced by bats,听such as agricultural intensification, and habitat fragmentation,听are also relevant to many other wildlife species.听

鈥�鈥淏at species are a good indicator of the general health of the natural environment in a particular area.鈥澨�

The team听has听devised听a novel bat monitor 鈥� the Echo Box听鈥撎齮hat听records the听surrounding听soundscape听using an听ultrasonic microphone. This听captures high听frequency sounds听such as bat听calls听and听converts the听sounds听into an image called a spectrogram.听Computer algorithms听then听scan the images for possible bat calls.听听

Fifteen Echo Box sensors听are now听monitoring听across the听park.听Each Echo Box听has a microchip allowing it to听process its own data听using a mechanism called 鈥榚dge processing鈥�,听which drastically听reduces听the costs of the technology.听

鈥淭his technology is making biodiversity听monitoring much quicker and easier.听We听are using听the听data to estimate the biodiversity of bat听communities听in these urban areas. This will help us understand more about听the effectiveness of听different types of green infrastructure,听such as green roofs,听in maintaining biodiversity,鈥� explains Dr Fairbrass听(麻豆传媒视频网站 CBER), who leads the Urban Bat Life project.听

鈥淪oundscape monitoring,听which includes听ultrasonics听and听human audible sound,听may provide a future opportunity for monitoring听other听urban ecological communities at large听scales.鈥澨�听