Acoustic monitoring data of avian species inside and outside the evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident

Abstract

Large-scale land abandonment and reconstruction activity has altered the ecosystem structure in the evacuation area for the Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident in 2011. Despite social concerns about changes in the avian assemblages that occurred after the accident, publicly accessible data are quite limited. We engaged in acoustic monitoring of birds using digital voice recorders from 2014 in and around the Fukushima evacuation zone. All monitoring sites were located within schoolyards (including those that had been converted to community centers) to examine the bird assemblages in the urban and rural landscapes that were heavily altered by land abandonment due to the nuclear plant accident. A digital voice recorder was installed at each monitoring site during May-July, and we recorded 20 min a day using timer-recording mode. We divided the audio data into 1-min segments and identified species occurred in sampled segments by experts. These data represent the presence-absence records from 52 sites monitored in 2014. In 2014, we identified the species for 7138 segments in total and 68 species occurred. We are continuing to monitor and intend to update the dataset with new observations hereafter. Our dataset will help people to recognize the status and dynamics of avian assemblage inside the evacuation zone, and will contribute to promote open science in avian ecological studies.

Acoustic monitoring data of anuran species inside and outside the evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident

“…The study area and sampling sites are the same as those examined by Yoshioka et al (2015) and Fukasawa et al (2017). The area is located in the eastern part of Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan and is enclosed within the following four sets of coordinates: (37.80137°N, 140.53747°E), (37.80136°N, 141.00048°E), (36.99588°N, 141.00048°E) and (36.99588°N, 140.53747°E).…”

“…A digital voice recorder (DS-850; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) was installed at each monitoring site during the period from May to July each year to record the songs of birds and the calls of frogs (see Fukasawa et al (2017) for further details). In 2014, the recorders were set up at the sites until May 21 and collected after July 8.…”

“…In 2014, we began an acoustic survey of frogs in and around the evacuation zone as part of a terrestrial biodiversity monitoring project in the Fukushima disaster area (Fukasawa et al, 2016; Fukasawa, Mishima, Yoshioka, Kumada, & Totsu, 2017; Yoshioka, Mishima, & Fukasawa, 2015). This ongoing monitoring project is being conducted at multiple sites to compare the dynamics of the frog assemblages among sites that have experienced different land‐use and evacuation histories.…”

Toward more data publication of long‐term ecological observations

“…Other papers report data relevant to the evacuation zone of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, which received high levels of radioactive contamination. Mammalian and avian species assemblages are being monitored inside and outside the evacuation zone, and these observational data were also reported as data papers (Fukasawa et al, 2017;Keita et al, 2016). Many of the data papers published in Ecological Research refer to sites in East Asia, with more than 80% being in Japan.…”

“…Importantly, researchers can publish their ecological observations both as a data paper and in such databases simultaneously. For example, the data of some data papers published in Ecological Research are released both within the Ecological Research Data Paper Archives and the GBIF database (e.g., Fukasawa, Mishima, Yoshioka, Kumada, & Totsu, 2017; Osawa, 2013; Voraphab, Hanboonsong, Kobori, Ikeda, & Osawa, 2015). Likewise, researchers can publish their data and original articles simultaneously, as encouraged by Osawa (2019).…”