2024 Soundscape Trail Visitor Study - Coyhaique National Reserve, Aysén Chile

Published: 24 September 2026| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/249ts68x9m.1
Contributors:
,
,

Description

This dataset contains survey data collected from 470 visitors to the Reserva Nacional Coyhaique (RNC), Aysén Region, Chilean Patagonia, as part of a quasi-experimental study examining the effects of a soundscape interpretive trail on listening experience, soundscape perception, and conservation behavioral intentions. Data were collected between October 2023 and April 2024 at an intercept point approximately 3,600 metres from the reserve entrance, reached on foot by all participants under normal conditions. Participants were assigned to one of three study groups based on their visit choice on the day of data collection: Group 1 (non-trail, n=154), who had hiked to the intercept area without encountering the trail; Group 2 (self-guided trail, n=155), who completed the ¡Naturaleza con-ciencia y con-sentir! soundscape interpretive trail independently using bilingual interpretive panels; and Group 3 (researcher-guided trail, n=161), who completed the same trail with a trained researcher guide who facilitated structured listening exercises at each station. The dataset includes 470 participant records across 78 variables. Variables cover: demographic descriptors (country of origin, gender, age, visit group type, prior visits, party size); sound-related visit motivations (two items from the Recreation Experience Preference scales; Manfredo et al., 1996); soundscape perception (appeal, appropriateness, and naturalness on rescaled 1–5 bipolar scales); overall listening experience (how well expectations were met, rated 1–5); behavioral intentions (soundscape-driven revisit intention, citizen-science soundscape monitoring intention, willingness to pay for listening-based guidance, mindful listening continuation intention); open-text responses about sounds hoped to hear, sounds heard most frequently, sounds most and least appreciated, and reasons why the listening experience did or did not meet expectations; qualitative theme codes derived from the open-text expectation responses (five binary theme variables with English translations); and LLM-assisted acoustic classifications of open-text sound responses into biophonic, geophonic, and anthrophonic categories following Pijanowski et al. (2011). The instrument was developed and validated with visitors to this same reserve in prior studies (Ednie et al., 2020; Gale et al., 2020). IRB approval was obtained from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (exempt protocol IRB-FY2024-2025-64). Research access to the reserve was authorized by the Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF), Aysén Region. The study was funded by ANID PATSER-R20F0002 and the Gobierno Regional de Aysén. A full codebook is included in the Codebook sheet of this file. The dataset accompanies the article: Gale, T., Ednie, A., and Adiego, A. Same Soundscape, Deeper Commitment: The Social Domain as a Modulator of a Guided Listening Trail in Chilean Patagonia. Frontiers in Built Environment (under review).

Files

Categories

Tourism, Protected Area, Protected Area Visitor Impact Management, Soundscapes, Conservation Ecology

Funders

Licence