A synthesis of two decades of research documenting the effects of noise on wildlife

Abstract

Global increases in environmental noise levels - arising from expansion of human populations, transportation networks, and resource extraction - have catalysed a recent surge of research into the effects of noise on wildlife. Synthesising a coherent understanding of the biological consequences of noise from this literature is challenging. Taxonomic groups vary in auditory capabilities. A wide range of noise sources and exposure levels occur, and many kinds of biological responses have been observed, ranging from individual behaviours to changes in ecological communities. Also, noise is one of several environmental effects generated by human activities, so researchers must contend with potentially confounding explanations for biological responses. Nonetheless, it is clear that noise presents diverse threats to species and ecosystems and salient patterns are emerging to help inform future natural resource-management decisions. We conducted a systematic and standardised review of the scientific literature published from 1990 to 2013 on the effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife, including both terrestrial and aquatic studies. Research to date has concentrated predominantly on European and North American species that rely on vocal communication, with approximately two-thirds of the data set focussing on songbirds and marine mammals. The majority of studies documented effects from noise, including altered vocal behaviour to mitigate masking, reduced abundance in noisy habitats, changes in vigilance and foraging behaviour, and impacts on individual fitness and the structure of ecological communities. This literature survey shows that terrestrial wildlife responses begin at noise levels of approximately 40 dBA, and 20% of papers documented impacts below 50 dBA. Our analysis highlights the utility of existing scientific information concerning the effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife for predicting potential outcomes of noise exposure and implementing meaningful mitigation measures. Future research directions that would support more comprehensive predictions regarding the magnitude and severity of noise impacts include: broadening taxonomic and geographical scope, exploring interacting stressors, conducting larger-scale studies, testing mitigation approaches, standardising reporting of acoustic metrics, and assessing the biological response to noise-source removal or mitigation. The broad volume of existing information concerning the effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife offers a valuable resource to assist scientists, industry, and natural-resource managers in predicting potential outcomes of noise exposure.

The effect of motorboat sound on Australian snapper Pagrus auratus inside and outside a marine reserve

“…International legislation, such as the US National Environmental Policy Act and the European Commission Marine Strategy Framework Directive, recognizes the need to assess and manage the biological impacts of human‐generated noise (Slabbekoorn et al., 2010). Recent studies have demonstrated that human‐generated sound can detrimentally affect animal hearing, communication, movements, and foraging (Shannon et al., 2015; Slabbekoorn et al., 2010). However, it is difficult to translate these effects into meaningful predictions about individual fitness and population‐level consequences, (Morley, Jones, & Radford, 2014) because animals could possibly move away from sound sources, the disturbance may be transient and the animals could compensate to prevent long‐term impacts (Bejder et al., 2006).…”

Broadly engaging with tranquillity in protected landscapes: A matter of perspective identified in GIS

“…A wealth of literature exists on the benefits of tranquillity, amongst which qualities of particularly sound, have gained increasing political attention and subsequently academic interest in the US since the 1980s (Miller, 2008;Shannon et al, 2015) and in Europe, especially since 2000 (e.g., Gidlöf-Gunnarsson &Öhrström, 2007;Watts & Pheasant, 2015). Much of this research has taken the traditional, directional questioning approach in consulting with the public on landscape qualities and particularly so on noise factors.…”

Widespread spatial and temporal extent of anthropogenic noise across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf ecosystem

“…At present, available data are insufficient to accurately assess the long-term impacts of marine organisms exposed to chronically elevated noise levels (Parsons et al 2009, Kight & Swaddle 2011, Ellison et al 2012, Hawkins et al 2015, Shannon et al 2015, de Soto 2016. In addition, the recognition of anthropogenic noise as a stressor for marine mammals (Southall et al 2007, Hildebrand 2009, Ellison et al 2012) and the concerns for synergistic cumulative impacts from multiple stressors on the Gulf of Mexico marine ecosystem warrant continued noise monitoring and impact assessments.…”