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Bioacoustique : une start-up à l’écoute des sols - WE DEMAIN

Andrew established Baker Consultants in 2009 and is now a Fellow of his professional body (CIEEM). Originally a field botanist, he is now an acknowledged expert in the application of nature conservation law, representing clients at public inquiries and in recent times speaking on the ecological effects of poor air quality on invertebrates. His specialist team at Baker Consultants has developed innovative technologies for the recording of and analysis of the sounds made by wildlife. The team includes Dr Carlos Abrahams, director of bioacoustics and Karthik Ashok, developer as well as an experienced team of ecological consultants.

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Andrew Baker

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Following the award of a Farm Innovation Programme DEFRA grant earlier in the year, Baker Consultants’ Soil Acoustic Monitoring research team has started collecting data from a broad range of farms and habitats to analyse alongside the crop centre trials at the University of Warwick. Some of the first to sign up include farms from the Yeo Valley and First Milk Partnerships, sites belonging to the National Trust and land partners of the Environment Bank.&nbsp; Baker Consultants’ research team will collect thousands of samples over the next six months in order to help develop its ecoacoustic database. This will allow the team to finalise a long-term sampling strategy, as well as being used to train algorithms to explore the relationship between soil sound and soil health. As part of this data collection drive, Baker Consultants has signed up a large number of agricultural and estate partners so that samples can be taken from a wide range of farms, management regimes and soil types.&nbsp; Earthworms are a vital part of the soil fauna that provide a key ecological role in maintaining soil nutrient cycling, aeration and drainage. Many land managers monitor worm populations closely, usually by digging soil pits and counting the worms at each location. While this provides very valuable data on soil health it is time-consuming and expensive. Early work with the University of Warwick has revealed that worms have a very specific acoustic signature and the level and diversity of the sounds that worms generate can be used as a measure of the populations present. Ecoacoustics has the potential to be a completely new way of monitoring earthworms without the need for digging soil pits.&nbsp; In addition to exploring its use for monitoring Biodiversity Net Gain with the Environment Bank at one of their test sites in N. Yorkshire, the team have also been invited to use some of its other land holdings to collect sample soil sounds.&nbsp; “At Environment Bank we are in quite a unique position where we have almost thirty new long-term nature restoration projects in the form of our national habitat bank network. We are required to monitor change in habitat condition using the Defra biodiversity metric but we also want to compare other indicators alongside that, one of which is soil health. Innovative monitoring techniques such as those being tested by Baker Consultants are going to be essential in building up well-rounded indicators of project progress and success.” Rob Wreglesworth, Associate Ecologist, Environment Bank Access has also been granted to a number of National Trust properties in the North West including Lyme Park and Nostell Priory. “A key component of the National Trust’s objectives is to serve as custodians of the landscape in our care and the environment. Being part of this trial will help provide data on the quality of soils on these estates as a benchmark for future work we undertake.” Jess Yorke Land, Outdoors and Nature Project Manager, National Trust West Yorkshire @NT_TheNorth Yeo Valley Organic is one of the first businesses to be involved in this trial. “Decades of industrial farming have taken their toll on our planet and serious questions are being raised about the future of our food production. For us, the solution is in the soil. All life on earth starts with soil and at Yeo Valley Organic everything we do starts with the soil too.”&nbsp; “Quantitative assessment of biodiversity gains as an output of agroecological farming can be a significant challenge without specialised knowledge or training. At Yeo Valley we believe that eco acoustics (both above and below ground) could be an effective low-cost solution for time poor farmers and land managers to measure the biodiversity benefits of their nature friendly farming systems.” Gerard Hayes, Group Technical Director Yeo Valley Farms. https://regenerative.yeovalley.co.uk/collaborate/ Mark Brooking from First Milk the British farmer-owned dairy co-operative was very excited to get involved in the project. He said: “I’ve been interested in using acoustics technology to monitor the bird life on my farm for a while now, and when I heard that I could use similar tech to discover life underground and the health of our soils, we had to be involved. All of our farmers record what they’re doing for biodiversity via our portal and this will give us a new data stream to be able to monitor more accurately what effect our regenerative practices are having on soil health.” https://www.firstmilk.co.uk Images, sound files and video available on request. Contacts / further info / references: For Baker Consultants: Saffron Johnston – 07899 920204 s.johnston@bakerconsultants.co.uk or debbie@destination-digital.co.uk Andrew Baker, Managing Director, Baker Consultants - 07590 122969 Andrew established Baker Consultants in 2009 and is now a Fellow of his professional body (CIEEM). Originally a field botanist, he is now an acknowledged expert in the application of nature conservation law, representing clients at public inquiries and in recent times speaking on the ecological effects of poor air quality on invertebrates. His specialist team at Baker Consultants has developed innovative technologies for the recording of and analysis of the sounds made by wildlife. The team includes Dr Carlos Abrahams, Director of Bioacoustics and Karthik Ashok, developer as well as an experienced team of ecological consultants. For University of Warwick: Annie.slinn@warwick.ac.uk What is Ecoacoustics Ecoacoustics is an interdisciplinary science that investigates natural and man-made sounds and their relationship with the environment. In particular, it uses the sounds of nature to gather data on wildlife and landscapes, using this to assess the condition of habitats and species, and help guide land management. It is a rapidly expanding approach for the collection and analysis of environmental data in a range of settings, which offers potential for valuable contributions to long-term biodiversity monitoring. Ecoacoustics is underpinned by the use of automated recording devices to remotely capture soundscapes over long time periods – days or weeks. This ‘Passive Acoustic Monitoring’ has several advantages over more traditional survey methods – it allows surveys to be conducted in places where regular access is logistically challenging, minimises human disturbance, reduces the need for night-time working and enables the rapid collection of large quantities of data. This reduces the cost of data collection, minimises biases in survey effort and facilitates targeting of hard to detect species. It can also capture all the sounds produced in a particular area, including rain, wind, traffic and other human activity, enabling a wide-ranging assessment of environmental quality – and covering air, water and soils. Website: https://bakerconsultants.co.uk/&nbsp; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakerconsultants Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/baker-consultants-ltd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakerconsultant/ &nbsp;<blockquote>Carlos Abrahams, Director of Bioacoustics at Baker Consultants said: “We have three dedicated members of the team collecting samples in line with our research protocol. Our existing ecology team also fits in sampling alongside existing site visits when geography and time allows. From woodland, heathland and moorland, to arable, pasture and mixed farmland, we need the widest range of samples possible to be able to test our hypothesis that a ‘healthy soil is a noisy soil’.</blockquote>

Soil health worm-listening farm trial sites agreed with Yeo Valley, First Milk, National Trust and Environment Bank 

UK Research project to inform future of world soil health in farming, viticulture, re-wilding and conservation projects.&nbsp; Baker Consultants is working alongside soil scientists from University of Warwick on a 2-year ecoacoustic research project following the award of a £250k grant from DEFRA’s Farming Innovation Programme being delivered by Innovate UK. This project is the first of its kind focusing on the commercial application of academic research into the use of ecoacoustics to change food production techniques.&nbsp; Soil health is fundamental to crop production and the maintenance of soils is vital to global food security. Earthworms are critically important for maintaining soil health across all outdoor cropping systems, helping maintain sustainable crop production. They are also important as a food resource for many species within the food chain. At present, farmers assess the numbers and diversity of earthworms by digging sample pits and then extracting the worms from within. However, this is labour-intensive and costs time and money.&nbsp;The aim of the project is to develop a system for monitoring the activity of earthworms, soil fauna in agricultural settings and other soils using bioacoustics. The study will analyse recordings of natural soil sounds at 'big data' scales, with the aim of developing ways to process it rapidly to distinguish species or functional groups of animals. Earthworms make rasping sounds and rhythmic scrunching as they move through the soil which we can use to detect them. Pilot studies have shown that it is possible to record the acoustic signatures of organisms within the soil, which could then be used for biodiversity monitoring, including earthworm abundance and activity.&nbsp;This technique will have substantial benefits for soil monitoring, as acoustic measurements can generate results in minutes, rather than the current manual methods. Farmers would place microphones within the soil and record the sound output; this would then be analysed by algorithms that compare the output to a sound library to identify the abundance, diversity and activity levels of soil fauna present. Baker Consultants has developed a Soil Acoustic Meter (patent pending) and ecoacoustic databases, which data collected in the field can be compared and benchmarked against. The ecoacoustics team will also be using advanced AI to deliver rapid sample analysis and reporting. Baker Consultants is the lead organisation on the project and will be working in partnership with the University of Warwick Crop Centre as the academic partner. The Baker Consultants team is led by Dr. Carlos Abrahams, an authority in ecoacoustics. Carlos will work closely with Dr. Jacqueline Stroud from University of Warwick, who has undertaken considerable research in soil security and the use of earthworms as bioindicators.&nbsp; --ENDS--Images, sound files and video available on request.Contacts / further info / references:For Baker Consultants:&nbsp;Saffron Johnston – 07899 920204&nbsp;<a href="mailto:s.johnston@bakerconsultants.co.uk">s.johnston@bakerconsultants.co.uk</a> or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:debbie@destination-digital.co.uk">debbie@destination-digital.co.uk</a>Andrew Baker, Managing Director, Baker Consultants - 07590 122969Andrew established Baker Consultants in 2009 and is now a Fellow of his professional body (CIEEM). Originally a field botanist, he is now an acknowledged expert in the application of nature conservation law, representing clients at public inquiries and in recent times speaking on the ecological effects of poor air quality on invertebrates. His specialist team at Baker Consultants has developed innovative technologies for the recording of and analysis of the sounds made by wildlife. The team includes Dr Carlos Abrahams, Director of Bioacoustics and Karthik Ashok, developer as well as an experienced team of ecological consultants.For University of Warwick:&nbsp;Annie.slinn@warwick.ac.ukFor Innovate UK:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:press@ukri.org">press@ukri.org</a> or 01793 234 136Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is creating a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. We provide targeted sectors with expertise, facilities and funding to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth. Join our network and communities of innovators to realise the potential of your ideas and accelerate business growth. Innovate UK: inspiring business innovation.EU legislation on soil healthAccording to the Directorate-General of the Environment from the EU, soils host more than 25% of the world’s biodiversity and they are the largest terrestrial carbon pool on the planet, playing a key role in adaptation to climate change. In 2022 the EU consulted on a new soil health law alongside it’s Soil Strategy for 2030.&nbsp;<a href="https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/soil-and-land/soil-health_en">https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/soil-and-land/soil-health_en</a>What is Ecoacoustics Ecoacoustics is an interdisciplinary science that investigates natural and man-made sounds and their relationship with the environment. In particular, it uses the sounds of nature to gather data on wildlife and landscapes, using this to assess the condition of habitats and species, and help guide land management. It is a rapidly expanding approach for the collection and analysis of environmental data in a range of settings, which offers potential for valuable contributions to long-term biodiversity monitoring.Ecoacoustics is underpinned by the use of automated recording devices to remotely capture soundscapes over long time periods – days or weeks. This ‘Passive Acoustic Monitoring’ has several advantages over more traditional survey methods – it allows surveys to be conducted in places where regular access is logistically challenging, minimises human disturbance, reduces the need for night-time working and enables the rapid collection of large quantities of data. This reduces the cost of data collection, minimises biases in survey effort and facilitates targeting of hard to detect species. It can also capture all the sounds produced in a particular area, including rain, wind, traffic and other human activity, enabling a wide-ranging assessment of environmental quality – and covering air, water and soils.<blockquote>Andrew Baker, Founder and Managing Director of Baker Consultants, said ‘The data we have collected so far supports our basic hypothesis that a noisy soil is a healthy soil. This grant will allow us to deepen the scientific evidence behind our approach and to develop a cutting-edge soil monitoring service that promises to be a major disrupter in the soil testing market.’</blockquote>

£250k DEFRA research grant for soil health measurement recording worms

As part of Tom Massey’s Royal Entomological Society Garden, supported by Project Giving Back at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this month, the Royal Entomological Society (RES)’s innovative outdoor insect science laboratory will include a ‘soil listening station’ by Baker Consultants, specialists in ecoacoustics - the science of recording and analysing the noise made by wildlife. Baker Consultants, is a world leader in the application of technology to survey species using ecoacoustic and bioacoustics technologies. This is the first public installation of its kind exploring how soil health can be measured by the level of noise generated. This provides sound science for use by farmers, landowners, regenerative agriculture systems, vineyards and conservation organisations.&nbsp; Gardeners and horticulturists are increasingly using more sustainable and insect-friendly methods, and consumers are demanding more organic and sustainably farmed foods. The application of eco-acoustics now gives the food, farming and wine-producing industries a cost-effective and robust method for ensuring measuring and monitoring soil health.&nbsp; By replacing existing costly, time &amp; energy-consuming soil tests with ecoacoustic methods of analysis (using a microphone probe in the ground), landowners can measure the health of their soils by listening to the sounds of the invertebrates and other soil fauna within them. This data can then be analysed and compared with a database of soil sound, to quantify soil health and see how changes in soil management could improve soil condition. An easy way to think of it, is that “a healthy soil is a noisy soil”. Simon Ward, Chief Executive Officer of the RES said: “Partnering with Baker Consultants’ on the garden brings leading-edge soil analysis technology to our insect lab and gives visitors an opportunity to experience not only the habitats of insects they are familiar with, but also an insight into the below ground and water-borne animals we rarely see.&nbsp; Research into pollination, food security and vector-borne diseases is widely accepted as critical to our survival in a changing world, but despite their crucial role in ecosystems across the planet, insect conservation and study is often undervalued when compared with mammal and bird science.” https://www.royensoc.co.uk/chelsea/&nbsp; You can also find out more about Baker Consultants’ research in the field of soil acoustics here: https://bakerconsultants.co.uk/news/soil-ecoacoustics-the-sound-of-restored-soil/&nbsp; -- ENDS – &nbsp;<blockquote>Andrew Baker, Managing Director of Baker Consultants said: “This collaboration with the RES gives us an opportunity to show how the use of technology can transform not only how we see and hear the natural world, but also how the application of ecoacoustics can promote the uptake of more sustainable farming practices worldwide based on sound science.”</blockquote>

Soil listening station to assess soil health at RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Royal Entomological Garden

A team of leading researchers has published guidelines for the use of long-term ecoacoustic monitoring in collaboration with Baker Consultants Ltd and Manchester Metropolitan University, funded by the UK Acoustics Network Plus. This guidance will enable a crossover between academia and the practical use of bioacoustics in areas such as agri-environment monitoring, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), habitat creation, rewilding and species conservation. The guidelines will enable ecologists, land managers, farmers, rewilders and conservation practitioners to use the latest developments in acoustic monitoring to survey the biodiversity on their land and monitor changes in an easily repeatable and inexpensive way. Ecoacoustics&nbsp;is the science of investigating natural and anthropogenic sounds and their relationship with the environment. It is a rapidly expanding approach for the collection and analysis of environmental data which can be used for long-term biodiversity monitoring and subsequent management.<blockquote>This guidance is timely given the recent announcements about grants for farmers to manage their land for wildlife, the requirements to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain and the increasing popularity of rewilding solutions.”</blockquote>

Acoustic monitoring to combat wastage in agriculture  & make farms more efficient at caring for their environment

Andrew established Baker Consultants in 2009 and is now a Fellow of his professional body (CIEEM). Originally a field botanist, he is now an acknowledged expert in the application of nature conservation law, representing clients at public inquiries and in recent times speaking on the ecological effects of poor air quality on invertebrates. His specialist team at Baker Consultants has developed innovative technologies for the recording of and analysis of the sounds made by wildlife. The team…

Founder & MD

Soil Acoustics Ltd

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