Costa Rican Forests “Sing” Again After Decades

Scientists from ETH Zurich monitored soundscapes across hundreds of hectares of forest in Costa Rica, recording nearly one million minutes of audio. The research provides new evidence that forests regenerating under the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program are recovering biodiversity. Researchers spent weeks installing microphones throughout the Nicoya Peninsula, carefully filtering out noise to analyze the presence of animal activity.

The data overwhelmingly showed that restored forests sound more similar to old-growth forests than to pastures or plantations. While uncertainties remain regarding the speed of recovery and species repopulation, the study confirms that wildlife is returning with current conservation solutions.

This evidence supports the PES program, which compensates landowners for forest conservation, and justifies continued public investment. However, demand for the program currently outstrips available resources, and payments to landowners are sometimes insufficient to cover costs. Experts emphasize that conservation must also address the economic needs of local communities.