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Lehnardt Y, Barber JR, Berger-Tal O. Effects of wind turbine noise on songbird behavior during nonbreeding season. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14188. [PMID: 37768199 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is one of the fastest growing, globally widespread pollutants, affecting countless species worldwide. Despite accumulating evidence of the negative impacts of wind turbines on wildlife, little is known about how the noise they generate affects ecological systems. Songbirds may be susceptible to noise pollution due to their reliance on vocal communication and thus, in this field study, we examined how songbirds are affected by wind turbine noise. We broadcasted noise produced by one wind turbine in a migratory stopover site during the nonbreeding season. Throughout the study, we repeatedly monitored the acoustic environment and songbird community before, during, and after the noise treatments with passive acoustic monitoring and mist netting. We employed generalized linear mixed effects models to assess the impact of experimental noise treatment on birds behavior and likelihood ratio tests to compare models with variables of interest with null models. The daily number of birds in the presence of wind turbine noise decreased by approximately 30% compared with the before and after phases. This reduction had a significant spatial pattern; the largest decrease was closer to the speaker and on its downwind side, fitting measured sound propagation. Although we found no impact on species diversity, two out of three most common species showed clear avoidance behavior: 45% and 36% decrease in abundance for the lesser whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) and Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala momus), respectively. In the after phase, there were lingering effects on the lesser whitethroat. The age structure of the lesser whitethroat population was affected because only juvenile birds showed avoidance behavior. No difference in avoidance extent was found between migratory and nonmigratory species, but the impacts of displacement on migrants during stopover are especially troubling from a conservation perspective. Our results stress the need to address the impacts of noise pollution on wildlife when planning noise-generating infrastructures, such as wind turbines, to allow for sustainable development without threatening already declining songbird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Lehnardt
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Jesse R Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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2
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Zou J, Jin B, Ao Y, Han Y, Huang B, Jia Y, Yang L, Jia Y, Chen Q, Fu Z. Spectrally non-overlapping background noise disturbs echolocation via acoustic masking in the CF-FM bat, Hipposideros pratti. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad017. [PMID: 37101704 PMCID: PMC10123856 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The environment noise may disturb animal behavior and echolocation via three potential mechanisms: acoustic masking, reduced attention and noise avoidance. Compared with the mechanisms of reduced attention and noise avoidance, acoustic masking is thought to occur only when the signal and background noise overlap spectrally and temporally. In this study, we investigated the effects of spectrally non-overlapping noise on echolocation pulses and electrophysiological responses of a constant frequency-frequency modulation (CF-FM) bat, Hipposideros pratti. We found that H. pratti called at higher intensities while keeping the CFs of their echolocation pulses consistent. Electrophysiological tests indicated that the noise could decrease auditory sensitivity and sharp intensity tuning, suggesting that spectrally non-overlapping noise imparts an acoustic masking effect. Because anthropogenic noises are usually concentrated at low frequencies and are spectrally non-overlapping with the bat's echolocation pulses, our results provide further evidence of negative consequences of anthropogenic noise. On this basis, we sound a warning against noise in the foraging habitats of echolocating bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwen Zou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Baoling Jin
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Yuqin Ao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Yuqing Han
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Baohua Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Yuyang Jia
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Lijian Yang
- College of Physical Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Ya Jia
- College of Physical Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Qicai Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China
| | - Ziying Fu
- Corresponding author: Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, No.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430079, China.
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3
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Dickerson AL, Hall ML, Jones TM. Effects of variation in natural and artificial light at night on acoustic communication: a review and prospectus. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
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4
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Renda S, Périquet S, le Roux A. Blown away? Wind speed and foraging success in an acoustic predator. MAMMAL RES 2023; 68:215-221. [PMID: 36968152 PMCID: PMC10033565 DOI: 10.1007/s13364-023-00673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
AbstractForaging animals must contend with fluctuating environmental variables that affect foraging success, including conditions like wind noise, which could diminish the usefulness of particular sensory modes. Although the documented impact of anthropogenic noise on animal behavior has become clear, there is limited research on natural noise and its potential influence on mammalian behavior. We investigated foraging behavior in the myrmecophagous bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), a species known to rely predominantly on hearing for prey detection. For a year, we monitored the foraging behavior of 18 bat-eared foxes from a habituated population in South Africa, amidst varying wind speeds (0–15.5 km/h). In contrast to expectations, foraging rates did not generally decline with increasing wind speed, except for foraging rate outside termite patches in fall. Furthermore, wind speed had little correlation with time spent in patches. In winter, however, we observed an increase in foraging rate with increasing wind speed both within and outside patches. At the observed wind speeds, these acoustically driven insectivores continue to forage effectively despite potentially distracting or masking noises. With anthropogenic noise producing sound across a broader frequency range, it is important to examine the responses of these canids to artificial sources of acoustic disturbance as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Renda
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba, Free State Province 9866 South Africa
| | - Stéphanie Périquet
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba, Free State Province 9866 South Africa
- Ongava Research Centre, Private Bag 12041, Suite No. 10 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Aliza le Roux
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba, Free State Province 9866 South Africa
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5
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Thévenet J, Papet L, Campos Z, Greenfield M, Boyer N, Grimault N, Mathevon N. Spatial release from masking in crocodilians. Commun Biol 2022; 5:869. [PMID: 36008592 PMCID: PMC9411511 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03799-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ambient noise is a major constraint on acoustic communication in both animals and humans. One mechanism to overcome this problem is Spatial Release from Masking (SRM), the ability to distinguish a target sound signal from masking noise when both sources are spatially separated. SRM is well described in humans but has been poorly explored in animals. Although laboratory tests with trained individuals have suggested that SRM may be a widespread ability in vertebrates, it may play a limited role in natural environments. Here we combine field experiments with investigations in captivity to test whether crocodilians experience SRM. We show that 2 species of crocodilians are able to use SRM in their natural habitat and that it quickly becomes effective for small angles between the target signal source and the noise source, becoming maximal when the angle exceeds 15∘. Crocodiles can therefore take advantage of SRM to improve sound scene analysis and the detection of biologically relevant signals. The ability to separate target sound signals from masking noise is identified in wild and captive crocodilian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Thévenet
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France. .,Equipe Cognition Auditive et Psychoacoustique / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University Lyon 1, Bron, France.
| | - Léo Papet
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France. .,Equipe Cognition Auditive et Psychoacoustique / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University Lyon 1, Bron, France.
| | - Zilca Campos
- Wildlife Laboratory, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation EMBRAPA, Corumbá, Brazil
| | - Michael Greenfield
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Nicolas Boyer
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Nicolas Grimault
- Equipe Cognition Auditive et Psychoacoustique / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES / CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
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6
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MacLeod KJ, Naugle L, Brittingham MC, Avery JD. Gas compressor noise does not influence tree swallow nestling condition or immune response. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. J. MacLeod
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor Gwynedd UK
| | - L. Naugle
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - M. C. Brittingham
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - J. D. Avery
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
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7
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Wang W, Gao H, Li C, Deng Y, Zhou D, Li Y, Zhou W, Luo B, Liang H, Liu W, Wu P, Jing W, Feng J. Airport noise disturbs foraging behavior of Japanese pipistrelle bats. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8976. [PMID: 35784026 PMCID: PMC9189338 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of anthropogenic noise poses an emerging threat to the survival and reproductive success of various organisms. Previous investigations have focused on the detrimental effects of anthropogenic noise on the foraging behavior in some terrestrial and aquatic animals. Nevertheless, the role of airport noise in impairing foraging activities of most wild animals has been neglected. Here, we aimed to assess whether foraging behavior in free‐living Japanese pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus abramus) can be disturbed by airport noise. We used audio recording to monitor foraging activities of bats at 11 sites around the runway of a municipal airport. We quantified noise level and spectra, aircraft activity, habitat type, nightly temperature, wind speed, and moon phase for each site. The analysis revealed that noise level and aircraft activity were significant negative predictors for the number of bat passes and feeding buzzes around the runway, even after controlling for the effects of other environmental factors. There was no marked spectral overlap between bat echolocation pulses and airport noise in the presence and absence of low‐flying aircraft. The spectro‐temporal parameters of echolocation vocalizations emitted by bats were dependent on noise level, aircraft activity, and habitat type. These results provide correlative evidence that airport noise can reduce foraging activities of wild pipistrelle bats. Our findings add to the current knowledge of adverse impacts of airport noise on foraging bats in artificial ecosystems and provide a basis for further research on the mechanisms behind noise pollution near airports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Huimin Gao
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Chengrong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Yingchun Deng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Daying Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Yaqi Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Wenyu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Bo Luo
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Haiying Liang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Wenqin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Pan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - Wang Jing
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- College of Life Science Jilin Agricultural University Changchun China
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8
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Jung J, Guo M, Crovella ME, McDaniel JG, Warkentin KM. Frog embryos use multiple levels of temporal pattern in risk assessment for vibration-cued escape hatching. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1527-1544. [PMID: 35668245 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01634-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Stereotyped signals can be a fast, effective means of communicating danger, but animals assessing predation risk must often use more variable incidental cues. Red eyed-treefrog, Agalychnis callidryas, embryos hatch prematurely to escape from egg predators, cued by vibrations in attacks, but benign rain generates vibrations with overlapping properties. Facing high false-alarm costs, embryos use multiple vibration properties to inform hatching, including temporal pattern elements such as pulse durations and inter-pulse intervals. However, measures of snake and rain vibration as simple pulse-interval patterns are a poor match to embryo behavior. We used vibration playbacks to assess if embryos use a second level of temporal pattern, long gaps within a rhythmic pattern, as indicators of risks. Long vibration-free periods are common during snake attacks but absent from hard rain. Long gaps after a few initial vibrations increase the hatching response to a subsequent vibration series. Moreover, vibration patterns as short as three pulses, separated by long periods of silence, can induce as much hatching as rhythmic pulse series with five times more vibration. Embryos can retain information that increases hatching over at least 45 s of silence. This work highlights that embryo behavior is contextually modulated in complex ways. Identical vibration pulses, pulse groups, and periods of silence can be treated as risk cues in some contexts and not in others. Embryos employ a multi-faceted decision-making process to effectively distinguish between risk cues and benign stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Jung
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mark E Crovella
- Department of Computer Science, 111 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - J Gregory McDaniel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, 110 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Karen M Warkentin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Panama, Republic of Panama
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9
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Reed VA, Toth CA, Wardle RN, Gomes DG, Barber JR, Francis CD. Experimentally broadcast ocean surf and river noise alters birdsong. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13297. [PMID: 35602893 PMCID: PMC9121869 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise and its effects on acoustic communication have received considerable attention in recent decades. Yet, the natural acoustic environment's influence on communication and its role in shaping acoustic signals remains unclear. We used large-scale playbacks of ocean surf in coastal areas and whitewater river noise in riparian areas to investigate how natural sounds influences song structure in six songbird species. We recorded individuals defending territories in a variety of acoustic conditions across 19 study sites in California and 18 sites in Idaho. Acoustic characteristics across the sites included naturally quiet 'control' sites, 'positive control' sites that were adjacent to the ocean or a whitewater river and thus were naturally noisy, 'phantom' playback sites that were exposed to continuous broadcast of low-frequency ocean surf or whitewater noise, and 'shifted' playback sites with continuous broadcast of ocean surf or whitewater noise shifted up in frequency. We predicted that spectral and temporal song structure would generally correlate with background sound amplitude and that signal features would differ across site types based on the spectral profile of the acoustic environment. We found that the ways in which song structure varied with background acoustics were quite variable from species to species. For instance, in Idaho both the frequency bandwidth and duration of lazuli bunting (Passerina amoena) and song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) songs decreased with elevated background noise, but these song features were unrelated to background noise in the warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus), which tended to increase both the minimum and maximum frequency of songs with background noise amplitude. In California, the bandwidth of the trill of white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) song decreased with background noise amplitude, matching results of previous studies involving both natural and anthropogenic noise. In contrast, wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) song bandwidth was positively related to the amplitude of background noise. Although responses were quite heterogeneous, song features of all six species varied with amplitude and/or frequency of background noise. Collectively, these results provide strong evidence that natural soundscapes have long influenced vocal behavior. More broadly, the evolved behavioral responses to the long-standing challenges presented by natural sources of noise likely explain the many responses observed for species communicating in difficult signal conditions presented by human-made noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica A. Reed
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA, United States of America
| | - Cory A. Toth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States of America
| | - Ryan N. Wardle
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA, United States of America
| | - Dylan G.E. Gomes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States of America,Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States of America
| | - Jesse R. Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States of America
| | - Clinton D. Francis
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA, United States of America
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10
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van Geel NCF, Risch D, Wittich A. A brief overview of current approaches for underwater sound analysis and reporting. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 178:113610. [PMID: 35468578 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Soundscapes have substantially changed since the industrial revolution and in response to biodiversity loss and climate change. Human activities such as shipping, resource exploration and offshore construction alter natural ecosystems through sound, which can impact marine species in complex ways. The study of underwater sound is multi-disciplinary, spanning the fields of acoustics, physics, animal physiology and behaviour to marine ecology and conservation. These different backgrounds have led to the use of various disparate terms, metrics, and summary statistics, which can hamper comparisons between studies. Different types of equipment, analytical pathways, and reporting can lead to different results for the same sound source, with implications for impact assessments. For meaningful comparisons and derivation of appropriate thresholds, mitigation, and management approaches, it is necessary to develop common standards. This paper presents a brief overview of acoustic metrics, analysis approaches and reporting standards used in the context of long-term monitoring of soundscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke C F van Geel
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, Scotland, United Kingdom.
| | - Denise Risch
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Anja Wittich
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, Scotland, United Kingdom
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11
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Foskolos I, Pedersen MB, Beedholm K, Uebel AS, Macaulay J, Stidsholt L, Brinkløv S, Madsen PT. Echolocating Daubenton's bats are resilient to broadband, ultrasonic masking noise during active target approaches. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274313. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Echolocating bats hunt prey on the wing under conditions of poor lighting by emission of loud calls and subsequent auditory processing of weak returning echoes. To do so, they need adequate echo-to-noise ratios (ENRs) to detect and distinguish target echoes from masking noise. Early obstacle avoidance experiments report high resilience to masking in free-flying bats, but whether this is due to spectral or spatiotemporal release from masking, advanced auditory signal detection or an increase in call amplitude (Lombard effect) remains unresolved. We hypothesized that bats with no spectral, spatial or temporal release from masking noise, defend a certain ENR via a Lombard effect. We trained four bats (Myotis daubentonii) to approach and land on a target that broadcasted broadband noise at four different levels. An array of seven microphones enabled acoustic localization of the bats and source level estimation of their approach calls. Call duration and peak frequency did not change, but average call source levels (SLRMS, at 0.1 m as dB re. 20 µPa, root-mean-square) increased, from 112 dB in the no-noise treatment, to 118 dB (maximum 129 dB) at the maximum noise level of 94 dB. The magnitude of the Lombard effect was small (0.13 dB SLRMS/dB of noise), resulting in mean broadband and narrowband ENRs of -11 and 8 dB respectively at the highest noise level. Despite these poor ENRs, the bats still performed echo-guided landings, making us conclude that they are very resilient to masking even when they cannot avoid it spectrally, spatially or temporally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Foskolos
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Kristian Beedholm
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Jamie Macaulay
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Laura Stidsholt
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Signe Brinkløv
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Ecoscience - Wildlife Ecology, Aarhus University, 8410 Rønde, Denmark
| | - Peter Teglberg Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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12
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Farina A, Mullet TC, Bazarbayeva TA, Tazhibayeva T, Bulatova D, Li P. Perspectives on the Ecological Role of Geophysical Sounds. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.748398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans categorize unwanted sounds in the environment as noise. Consequently, noise is associated with negative human and ecological values, especially when it is derived from an anthropogenic source. Although evidence confirms that many machine-generated anthropogenic sounds have negative impacts on animal behavior and communication, natural sources of non-biological sound, such as wind, rain, running water, and sea waves (geophonies) have also been categorized as noise and are frequently dismissed or mischaracterized in acoustic studies as an outside factor of acoustic habitats rather than an integrated sonic component of ecological processes and species adaptations. While the proliferation of machine-generated sound in the Biosphere has become an intrusive phenomenon in recent history, geophony has shaped the Earth’s sonic landscapes for billions of years. Therefore, geophonies have very important sonic implications to the evolution and adaptation of soniferous species, forming essential ecological and semiotical relationships. This creates a need to distinguish geophonies from machine-generated sounds and how species respond to each accordingly, especially given their acoustic similarities in the frequency spectrum. Here, we introduce concepts and terminology that address these differences in the context of ecoacoustics. We also discuss how Acoustic Complexity Indices (ACIs) can offer new possibilities to quantifiably evaluate geophony in relation to their sonic contest.
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13
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Sweet KA, Sweet BP, Gomes DGE, Francis CD, Barber JR. Natural and anthropogenic noise increase vigilance and decrease foraging behaviors in song sparrows. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animals glean information about risk from their habitat. The acoustic environment is one such source of information, and is an important, yet understudied ecological axis. Although anthropogenic noise has become recently ubiquitous, risk mitigation behaviors have likely been shaped by natural noise over millennia. Listening animals have been shown to increase vigilance and decrease foraging in both natural and anthropogenic noise. However, direct comparisons could be informative to conservation and understanding evolutionary drivers of behavior in noise. Here, we used 27 song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and 148 laboratory behavioral trials to assess foraging and vigilance behavior in both anthropogenic and natural noise sources. Using five acoustic environments (playbacks of roadway traffic, a whitewater river, a whitewater river shifted upwards in frequency, a river with the amplitude modulation of roadway traffic, and an ambient control), we attempt to parse out the acoustic characteristics that make a foraging habitat risky. We found that sparrows increased vigilance or decreased foraging in 4 of 6 behaviors when foraging in higher sound levels regardless of the noise source or variation in frequency and amplitude modulation. These responses may help explain previously reported declines in abundance of song sparrows exposed to playback of intense river noise. Our results imply that natural soundscapes have likely shaped behavior long before anthropogenic noise, and that high sound levels negatively affect the foraging-vigilance trade-off in most intense acoustic environments. Given the ever-increasing footprint of noise pollution, these results imply potential negative consequences for bird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Sweet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - B P Sweet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - D G E Gomes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - C D Francis
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - J R Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
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14
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Sedlock JL, Gomes DGE, Rubin JJ, Woody S, Hadi BAR, Barber JR. A phantom ultrasonic insect chorus repels low‐flying bats, but most are undeterred. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan G. E. Gomes
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies Hatfield Marine Science CenterOregon State University Newport OR USA
| | - Juliette J. Rubin
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID USA
| | - Sarah Woody
- Biology Department Lawrence University Appleton WI USA
| | - Buyung A. R. Hadi
- Sustainable Impact Platform International Rice Research Institute Los Baños Philippines
| | - Jesse R. Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID USA
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15
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Page RA, ter Hofstede HM. Sensory and Cognitive Ecology of Bats. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012921-052635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We see stunning morphological diversity across the animal world. Less conspicuous but equally fascinating are the sensory and cognitive adaptations that determine animals’ interactions with their environments and each other. We discuss the development of the fields of sensory and cognitive ecology and the importance of integrating these fields to understand the evolution of adaptive behaviors. Bats, with their extraordinarily high ecological diversity, are ideal animals for this purpose. An explosion in recent research allows for better understanding of the molecular, genetic, neural, and behavioral bases for sensory ecology and cognition in bats. We give examples of studies that illuminate connections between sensory and cognitive features of information filtering, evolutionary trade-offs in sensory and cognitive processing, and multimodal sensing and integration. By investigating the selective pressures underlying information acquisition, processing, and use in bats, we aim to illuminate patterns and processes driving sensory and cognitive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843–03092, Balboa, Ancón, República de Panamá
| | - Hannah M. ter Hofstede
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843–03092, Balboa, Ancón, República de Panamá
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
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16
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Classen-Rodríguez L, Tinghitella R, Fowler-Finn K. Anthropogenic noise affects insect and arachnid behavior, thus changing interactions within and between species. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 47:142-153. [PMID: 34252592 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization and the by-product pollutants of anthropogenic activity pose unique threats to arthropods by altering their sensory environments. Sounds generated by human activities, like construction and road traffic, can oversaturate or interfere with biotic acoustic cues that regulate important ecological processes, such as trophic interactions and the coordination of mating. Here, we review recent work exploring how anthropogenic noise impacts inter-intra-specific interactions in insects and arachnids. We outline empirical frameworks for future research that integrate three mechanisms by which anthropogenic noise alters behavior through interference with acoustic cues: masking, distraction, and misleading. Additionally, we emphasize the need for experimental designs that more accurately replicate natural soundscapes. We encourage future investigations on the effects of developmental exposure to noise pollution and the impacts of multiple interacting sensory pollutants on insect and arachnid behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Classen-Rodríguez
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA.
| | - Robin Tinghitella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Olin Hall, 2190 E Iliff Avenue, Denver, CO 80210, USA
| | - Kasey Fowler-Finn
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA; Living Earth Collaborative, Saint Louis, MO, USA
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