Ecoacoustics is an interdisciplinary science, derived from bioacoustics and ecology, very close to soundscape ecology. Ecoacoustics investigates natural and anthropogenic sounds and their relationship with the environment over a wide range of study scale, as spatial and temporal, at individual, community and population level. Infact, the audible is an integral part of the environment and an important source of ecological informations.

We will compare the current situation of the Castenedolo’s forest with the more mature forest of Bosco Fontana State Nature Reserve, which represents the most preserved and natural plain forest in northern Italy. The Castenedolo’s forest will be divide into habitat gradients corresponding to the forest age of different sectors. The ecoacoustic surveys will be carried out in both of sites in spring and summer.

By comparing their eco-acoustic richness, information will be drawn to assess the state of evolution of the various sectors of Castenedolo. The results will tell which and how many are currently "out of note", i.e. which faunal components, due to allochtony or ecological eclecticism, have taken possession of the area to the detriment of those components that would favour the desired course.

 

A bat-draw between Castenedolo’s Wood and Bosco Fontana Nature Reserve !

Once the general analysis has been completed, it can be said that as far as the number of Bat species is concerned, the ascertained situation is in balance. The species most detected in Castenedolo's Wood was Pipistrellus kuhlii, followed by Tadarida teniotis and Pipistrellus pipistrellus. As regards Bosco Fontana, 6 taxa were recognized, 4 of which were identified at the species level and 2 at the genus level. The most detected species was Pipistrellus pygmaeus followed by Pipistrellus kuhlii...

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11wrz

With nesting birds differences are clear . . .

By comparing the available knowledge on sedentary and nesting avifauna of Castenedolo’s Wood (45 species) with that of Bosco Fontana State Reserve (52 species), differences are evident. The ancient lowland forest of Bosco Fontana is surrounded by large water basins and canals where distinctly marshy species, such as little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), coot (Fulica atra) and greenish marsh warbler (Acrocephalus palustris), stop and reproduce. There are also differences between birds related to...

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12sie

First interesting faunistic comparison between Castenedolo's and Bosco Fontana's Woods

Amount of direct observations, reports from collaborators (including friends of “La Collina dei Castagni” Association) and results of bioacoustic analyzes, allow us to define first faunal situation comparisons between two Lombard plain forests subject of our Project. There were 24 species of terrestrial mammals listed in the Management Plan of Bosco Fontana State Reserve, which -we recall- is a very important and ancient wooded area, testimony of woods once widespread in our plain. On the other...

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04sie

In the midst of the Summer sounds in the Castenedolo’s Wood

Cicada orni and Tettigonia viridissima by day, crickets in the evening. The faunal soundscape still finds invertebrates as the main singers in these torrid summer days. Only in the morning blackbirds, blackcaps, crows. And then some orioles and occasionally great tits, swallows and sparrows. We arrived at the end of field recording, with the withdrawal from the four identified stations of audio-ultrasonic microphones Ultramic 384 by Dodotronic. Friends of the "La Collina dei Castagni"...

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30lip

The Project enters the heart of the scientific analyzes …

Our Project “In search of the off-key note…” enters the heart of the scientific analyzes to verify and evaluate specific richness and relative indices as regards the sound landscape of the Castenedolo’s Wood with the more mature forest of Bosco Fontana State Nature Reserve. Analyzes are carried out by Prof. Gianni Pavan at the Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica e Ricerche Ambientali of Pavia University (Interdisciplinary Center for Bioacoustics and Environmental Research).

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17lip

More and more safe roosts for bats in the Castenedolo’s Wood

Bats are harmless and highly useful animals for their important biological control of insects in all environments and in particular in woodlands. Among mammals, it is the order that has the greatest number of threatened species. For this reason, and for their important role within the ecosystem, it is important to pay greater attention to their protection and, where possible, to intervene in favor of their survival.

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16lip

The rich and varied concert of grasshoppers, crickets and locusts

There are 22 species of Orthoptera detected directly and bioacoustically confirmed in the Castenedolo’s Wood. A number already important for this territory, but which could still rise with the analysis in progress of recorded files in the hot nights of June and July. In fact, it is precisely in summer that all these insects reach maturity and males emit their monotonous and powerful calls, often reaching considerable ultrasonic frequencies.

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14lip

July 4, 2022. The Storm left its mark ... also acoustic

The bad weather that hit Northern Italy between the afternoon and the evening of Monday 4 July 2022, caused numerous damage. The strong wind felled hundreds of trees, from Piedmont, to Lombardy and then to Trentino and Triveneto. Even the Castenedolo’s Wood and the Bosco Fontana Reserve have suffered the fury of the wind. Our microphones were able to record all phases of the Storm's passage.

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12lip

The first off-key note of Bosco Fontana is a new species of little cicada !

The first phase of our research, with field audio recordings, is also coming to an end in Bosco Fontana, the Plain Wood of reference for the Project in Castenedolo. The presence of an important species of cicada emerged from the summary analyzes of the audio tracks recorded with Ultramic ultrasonic audio microphones and from preliminary recordings made with a parabolic microphone by Dr. Marco Bardiani, researcher at the Bosco Fontana Carabinieri Forestali Station. It is Cicadetta brevipennis,...

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29cze

First conservation activities of Castenedolo Wood’s Bats

Trees of the new plain forest of “Collina di Santa Giustina” in Castenedolo are still too young to provide adequate shelter for forest bats. And for now, in fact, among reported species with our bioacoustic monitoring project there are only or small anthropophilic species (which find refuge in homes and other artifacts), such as Pipistrellus kuhlii, pipistrellus pipistrellus and Hypsugo savii, or skilled flying species. (which reach here starting from shelters located in suitable places several...

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24cze

But how many species of bats are there in the Castenedolo Wood ?

After the fantastic evening of June 4, 2022, when many adults and children enthusiastically participated in the First Spring BAT NIGHT of Castenedolo, it is imperative to try to give an answer on how many species of bats frequent the Castenedolo Wood. The process of verification and analysis of bioacoustic material recorded during these first months of the project is leading to the first interesting results. Up to now about 400 Gigabytes of files have been processed, allowing us to confirm the...

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23cze

The First BAT NIGHT of Castenedolo, a real success

Every year our Centro Studi Naturalistici Arcadia identifies a Brescia locality that is little or at all not known from the point of view of the distribution of bat fauna to organize an awareness event aimed at the knowledge and protection of bats. The First Bat Night in Castenedolo took place on Saturday 4 June 2022. During this type of events we try to make the bats known using equipment and methodologies capable of capturing ultrasounds emitted by them while searching for prey or to move.

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23cze

BioAcustiamo & Bioblitz first results

May 22, 2022 will be remembered as a further milestone for the Castenedolo Wood in the activity of renaturation and knowledge of its biodiversity. For the first time, a group of Castenedolo citizens experienced firsthand (better to say with their mobile phones !) the already rich fauna of this area, now fully framed in a PLIS (Local Park of supra-municipal interest).

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28Maj

BioAcustiamo & Bioblitz of the Castenedolo Hill 2022

Sunday 22 May, on the International Day of Biodiversity, we will carry out the first event foreseen by our Project. Everyone is invited to participate, free of charge, at the BioAcustiamo & Bioblitz of the Castenedolo Hill. An opportunity to become entomologists, herpetologists, ornithologists, botanists or bioacoustics for a day, carrying out in collaboration with expert naturalists the monitoring of the fauna and flora present in the Castenedolo Woods, with the aid of your mobile phone,...

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14Maj

Sounds and ultrasounds ... it's time for bats!

After two days of personal training, in the Castenedolo's Forest to the volunteers of the "La Collina dei Castagni" Association and in Bosco Fontana State Reserve to the referring members of Carabinieri Biodiversity Command of Verona, the four monitoring stations were identified in both locations and Thursday, April 7, the “In search of the off-key Note” Project entered its actual development phase. The four Ultramic 384K audio-ultrasonic sensors, suitably protected, have begun their long and...

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22kwi

One month after the start of "In search of the off-key note" Project, our Team introduces itself

Christiana Soccini Teacher, she carries out studies and research in the field of naturalistic environment and on the relationship between man and environment. Parallel to the scientific activities, of popularization and environmental education, she leads activities of conservation of small fauna, of its natural habitats and of the restoration of the altered ones. For contacts: Centro Studi Naturalistici Arcadia, csnarcadia@gmail.com Marco Pesente Since the late 1970s he has been delighted in...

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01kwi

The presentation of the Project to Carabinieri Biodiversity Department of Verona has been completed

On the morning of March 24, prof. Gianni Pavan presented to the commander, Lieutenant Colonel Vincenzo Andriani, and to his colleagues of the "Bosco Fontana" National Carabinieri Biodiversity Center (CNCB) the activities that will shortly be carried within the ancient Forest of Bosco Fontana, which -we remember- is the natural area for eco-acoustic comparison to evaluate the situation and potential evolution of the Castenedolo’s Bosco della Collina di Santa Giustina. Our Team has received the...

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31mar

FIRST CALLS OF BIODIVERSITY

We are almost at the beginning of spring and finally the fauna awakens. The reproductive season of the amphibians has begun. And our bioacoustic research is starting up. The first environments to be investigated are precisely ponds and pools, where the faint calls of red frogs will soon resound.

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05mar

Step 1. Preparation of the acoustic sensors and training of employees

After the inspection carried out on 11 February together with all the other participants and the Italcementi coordinators, the acoustic and ultrasonic sensors for our Project were prepared and the interested members of the "La Collina dei Castagni" Association of Castenedolo were activated for the first training of monitoring collaborators.

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01mar