Using Soundscapes to Study the Coupled Human and Natural System in Arkhangai, Mongolia

Rangeland ecosystems are a critical resource of interest for humans, wildlife, and livestock. These grazing lands support livestock as well as human needs and help to feed a growing world as well as providing ecosystem services on which humans rely. With increasing concern over the condition of rangelands globally, novel ways to implement rangeland research are of vital importance. Here we investigate soundscapes as a method to study rangeland ecosystems. We examine both sociocultural and ecological dimensions of rangelands using sound as a novel variable. We conducted a multi-year study in the forests steppe of Mongolia to study rangeland condition and the role of sound in the Coupled Human and Natural System of Arkhangai Province. This study used passive acoustic sensors for ecosystem analysis as well as interviews and surveys on sound for the analysis of socio-cultural dimensions of the system. Our results have implications for well-being of the land itself, as well as the humans which call this land home.