Chapter 22 Quiz: Birdsong Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance

Instructions: Choose the best answer for multiple choice questions. For short-answer questions, write 2–4 sentences unless otherwise specified.

1. Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) is distinguished from active acoustic methods (like sonar) primarily because:

a) It uses digital rather than analog recording technology b) It records sound without transmitting any acoustic signal — it only listens c) It requires human observers to be present during recording d) It targets only vocalizations above the threshold of human hearing

2. The AudioMoth is significant in the history of environmental acoustic monitoring because:

a) It was the first device capable of recording ultrasonic bat calls b) It made PAM units inexpensive enough (~$50) to be deployed in very large numbers c) It introduced real-time AI analysis of bird vocalizations in the field d) It was developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology specifically for the eBird platform

3. BirdNET processes audio recordings by first converting them to:

a) Compressed MP3 files for efficient transmission b) Spectrograms — visual representations of frequency over time c) Numeric frequency lists averaged across the recording duration d) Amplitude waveforms compared against a library of known calls

4. The chapter describes eBird as structurally similar to a surveillance network. Which of the following features does eBird share with surveillance systems?

a) Coercive power over the subjects being monitored b) A private corporation controlling access to the data c) Systematic observation, spatially and temporally explicit records, central aggregation for pattern analysis d) Mandatory reporting requirements for all registered participants

5. The "acoustic niche hypothesis," associated with soundscape ecology, proposes that:

a) Endangered species can be identified by the unique acoustic signature of their habitat loss b) In biodiverse ecosystems, different species occupy different acoustic frequencies and times of day c) Human noise pollution uniformly eliminates all animal vocalizations within 500 meters d) The acoustic complexity of a habitat is inversely correlated with its biodiversity

6. ShotSpotter uses which technical approach to determine the location of a detected gunshot sound?

a) Frequency analysis to determine the caliber and therefore range of the weapon b) A network of fixed cameras triggered by the acoustic alert to provide visual confirmation c) Time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) analysis using multiple sensors at known positions d) Signal strength comparison between adjacent sensors to estimate distance

7. The MacArthur Justice Center's 2021 analysis of ShotSpotter in Chicago found that what percentage of ShotSpotter alerts resulted in no evidence of a gunshot?

a) 34% b) 56% c) 89% d) 97%

8. Which of the following most accurately describes the geographic distribution of ShotSpotter deployments in U.S. cities?

a) Deployed equally across all neighborhoods, with higher sensitivity in areas with recent violent crime b) Deployed primarily in the downtown business districts of participating cities c) Deployed almost exclusively in neighborhoods that are predominantly Black or Latino d) Deployed in areas with the lowest current police patrol presence to compensate for coverage gaps

9. The chapter's discussion of camera traps notes that they are structurally identical to which human surveillance technology?

a) Facial recognition databases b) CCTV cameras c) GPS tracking devices d) Social media monitoring platforms

10. What is the primary privacy risk created by PAM systems deployed in areas of regular human presence, even when they are designed only for wildlife monitoring?

a) Researchers may deliberately record and analyze human conversations b) The raw audio archive captures all ambient sound, including human conversation, regardless of the monitoring system's biological focus c) The machine learning algorithms may misidentify human vocalizations as bird calls, generating false species records d) Cellular data transmission of audio files creates security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by third parties

11. The Rainforest Connection Guardian Project uses acoustic monitoring primarily to:

a) Track the migratory patterns of endangered bird species in South America b) Detect sounds of illegal logging activity (chainsaws, vehicles) in real time to trigger ranger response c) Monitor the recovery of bird populations following wildfire events d) Provide long-term baseline data for climate change impact assessment on tropical biodiversity

12. The chapter describes the 2021 Motherboard investigation into ShotSpotter as significant because it documented:

a) A major data breach that exposed the audio archives of multiple cities b) Cases in which ShotSpotter analysts retroactively altered sound classifications to support prosecutions c) Evidence that ShotSpotter employees had been recording and transcribing human conversations near sensors d) A lawsuit alleging that ShotSpotter's training data was racially biased

13. The chapter's "privacy-by-design" recommendations for PAM systems include which approach to reduce the capture of human voices?

a) Requiring that all PAM devices be located at least 500 meters from any public footpath b) Processing audio on-device and uploading only species identification data rather than raw audio c) Requiring participants to sign waivers acknowledging that ambient sound may be captured d) Using directional microphones pointed at the forest canopy rather than omnidirectional devices

14. The chapter argues that the step from environmental acoustic surveillance to human acoustic surveillance is:

a) A fundamental technological discontinuity requiring entirely new hardware and software b) A minor technical modification that affects only the algorithm's training data, not its architecture c) Primarily a policy boundary rather than a technical one, and policy boundaries are changeable d) Prevented by existing international environmental protection law

15. The chapter discusses indigenous knowledge of environmental sound as:

a) An obstacle to the adoption of standardized PAM monitoring protocols b) Irrelevant to the scientific study of acoustic ecology, which requires quantifiable data c) Potentially validated or marginalized by PAM technology, depending on how the two knowledge systems are integrated d) The original form of passive acoustic monitoring, now superseded by digital technology

16. Short Answer: The chapter argues that eBird's methodological toolkit is "directly transferable to human surveillance." Explain this claim in your own words. What would actually need to change — and what would not need to change — for eBird's approach to be used as a tool for monitoring a human population?

17. Essay (300 words): Jordan discovers that the campus passive acoustic monitoring network records all ambient sound, including human conversation, as a byproduct of bird monitoring. Using this scenario as a starting point, write an essay that addresses: (1) whether this constitutes surveillance of Jordan and other campus community members, even though it is unintentional; (2) what governance obligations Hartwell University has regarding the raw audio data; and (3) what broader principle about the relationship between intent and surveillance effect this scenario illustrates.

Answer Key available in Appendix B — Answers to Selected Exercises.