Sonification Mappings for Sensing Tree Stress: A DIY Approach

Tree stress data is commonly obtainable through costly hardware devices, often requiring interpretation by scien- tists with existing background knowledge. However, such data can benefit laypeople’s tree management practices and raise climate change awareness. This work aims to discover suitable tree and climate data mappings to sound, for mean- ingful interpretation by non-specialists, using a low-cost, Do- it-Yourself (DIY) approach. A budget-friendly custom tree- talker prototype was created, streaming dendrometer, soil moisture, temperature, and humidity data to a web-based backend. A frontend web application explores differing com- plexities of sonified data mappings to users through the Web Audio API. We propose that distinct mappings will be re- quired for clear data parameter interpretation, and inclu- sivity for users of diverse backgrounds. This initial explo- ration suggests that sonification presents a promising solu- tion, with future work required to identify the most suitable environmental-to-sound mappings.