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Biome Description:

Deserts have very little rain and most are very hot. Earth’s deserts are located near 30 degrees north and south latitudes on six of the seven continents.

Soundscape Description:

Soundscapes of the Chiricahua’s are dominated by wind accentuated by its complex rock formations and valleys. Rain and thunder are common sounds during the monsoon season but these sounds are absent the rest of the year. Dawn choruses are active but vocalizations are “soft” (not very loud) compared to other biomes. Over 40 species of bats (which create sounds humans cannot hear) are located here too, the greatest biodiversity of this group in North America.

Research Questions:

How do soundscapes vary hourly and seasonally across life zones along an elevation gradient?
How do desert soundscapes differ (in composition and across space and time) from soundscapes in other biomes?
Can soundscape information be used to help ecologists and natural resource managers understand how ecosystems recover from wildfire?
How do monsoons affect wildlife behavior and can soundscapes be used to assess connections between monsoons and animal behavior?

Partners:

Chiricahua National Monument (National Park Service) and the United States Forest Service.

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