Experimental anthropogenic noise impacts avian parental behaviour, nestling growth and nestling oxidative stress

While networked sensors are becoming a ubiquitous part of many human lives, their applications to the study of wild animals have been largely limited to off-the-shelf and stand-alone technologies such as web cameras. However, purpose-designed systems, applying features found in Internet-of-Things devices, enable more efficient gathering, managing, and disseminating of a diverse array of data needed to study the life histories of wild animals. We illustrate these claims based on our development of a system of networked nest boxes that we created to study nesting birds in urban environments. This system uses general-purpose processors within nest boxes to perform edge computing to control data acquisition, processing, and management from multiple sensors. A central data-management system permits easy access to all data, once downloaded, which has facilitated our uses to date of this system for formal university-and school-level education, and informal science education.

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“…, Injaian et al. ) pollution, and biodiversity including predator community structure (Sandström et al. , Chamberlain et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have also designed and developed a scale to weigh nest contents and an infrared thermometer for contactless measurement of temperature of the clutch and nesting material (Šálek and Zárybnická ), as well as the external speaker connected to the computer unit in order to conduct acoustic experiments (Injaian et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing network‐connected systems for ecological research and education

et al. 2019

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“…Higher feather CORT levels in urban nestlings could also be a result of environmental perturbations, such as noise and light pollution. Noise pollution could indirectly affect nestlings by disrupting aspects of parental care such as incubation commitment or brood provisioning (Injaian, Taff, & Patricelli, ; Meillère, Brischoux, & Angelier, ; Schroeder, Nakagawa, Cleasby, & Burke, ). Noise pollution could also directly disturb the nestlings, and as a result, increase nestling CORT secretion as previously shown in a few bird species (Kleist et al, ; Davies, Beck, & Sewall, ; but see Angelier, Meillère, Grace, Trouvé, & Brischoux, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Noise pollution could also directly disturb the nestlings, and as a result, increase nestling CORT secretion as previously shown in a few bird species (Kleist et al, ; Davies, Beck, & Sewall, ; but see Angelier, Meillère, Grace, Trouvé, & Brischoux, ). Previous studies have demonstrated that urban noise is associated with changes in nestlings growth, metabolism, and stress response, and with a reduced probability of survival in several bird species (e.g., tree swallows in Leonard & Horn, ; Injaian et al, ; white‐crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia leucophrys orienta ) in Crino, Johnson, Blickley, Patricelli, & Breuner, ; house sparrows in Meillère, Brischoux, Ribout, & Angelier, ; Brischoux, Meillère, Dupoué, Lourdais, & Angelier, ; western bluebirds ( Sialia mexicana ) in Kleist et al, ). Light pollution may also result in an increase in feather CORT because it artificially increases the amount of time nestlings are active.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does urbanization cause stress in wild birds during development? Insights from feather corticosterone levels in juvenile house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

Beaugeard

Brischoux

Henry

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Urban landscapes are associated with abiotic and biotic environmental changes that may result in potential stressors for wild vertebrates. Urban exploiters have physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations to live in cities. However, there is increasing evidence that urban exploiters themselves can suffer from urban conditions, especially during specific life‐history stages. We looked for a link between the degree of urbanization and the level of developmental stress in an urban exploiter (the house sparrow, Passer domesticus), which has recently been declining in multiple European cities (e.g., London, UK). Specifically, we conducted a large‐scale study and sampled juvenile sparrows in 11 urban and rural sites to evaluate their feather corticosterone (CORT) levels. We found that juvenile feather CORT levels were positively correlated with the degree of urbanization, supporting the idea that developing house sparrows may suffer from urban environmental conditions. However, we did not find any correlation between juvenile feather CORT levels and body size, mass, or body condition. This suggests either that the growth and condition of urban sparrows are not impacted by elevated developmental CORT levels, or that urban sparrows may compensate for developmental constraints once they have left the nest. Although feather CORT levels were not correlated with baseline CORT levels, we found that feather CORT levels were slightly and positively correlated with the CORT stress response in juveniles. This suggests that urban developmental conditions may potentially have long‐lasting effects on stress physiology and stress sensitivity in this urban exploiter.

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“…I anticipated that fewer species would be highly vulnerable to noise in recreational and buffer areas, in comparison to species occupying protected areas, because highly vulnerable species would tend to leave the noisy areas (M. I. Herrera-Montes & Aide, 2011;Joo et al, 2011). Likewise, staying in noisy areas would reduce their reproductive success (Halfwerk, Holleman, Lessells, & Slabbekoorn, 2011;Injaian, Taff, & Patricelli, 2018), leading to their eventual disappearance from noisy areas. However, I found more species highly vulnerable to noise, birds in particular, in the buffer and recreational areas compared with the protected areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protected Area Zoning as a Strategy to Preserve Natural Soundscapes, Reduce Anthropogenic Noise Intrusion, and Conserve Biodiversity

Herrera-Montes

2018

Tropical Conservation Science

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Protected area zoning is a management strategy used to define and delimit land units for specific purposes, such as critical areas for conservation and areas for recreation activities. Nevertheless, human activities in and around protected areas produce anthropogenic noise that is difficult to mitigate and control. To assess the efficacy of protected area zoning in preserving natural soundscapes, controlling anthropogenic noise intrusion, and conserving biodiversity in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, I simultaneously sampled three management zones (protected, recreational, and buffer) with passive acoustic monitoring and conducted a soundscape analysis. There was no difference in the overall acoustic space used among the three management areas, but compositional differences among the soundscapes were detected. Such variation was related to differences in species composition along the elevation gradient, habitat transformation, and anthropogenic noise. Anthropogenic noise was more conspicuous in the buffer and recreational areas, where many bird species are classified as highly vulnerable to noise. Although the management zones in El Yunque National Forest were not created for the purpose of noise control, management is shown to be useful for minimizing noise intrusion in the strictly protected zone. In recreational and buffer areas, complementary strategies such as traffic limitations, limiting access to specific areas, and noise reduction educational programs should be implemented to maintain the natural soundscape while conserving biodiversity. Finally, the noise vulnerability classification proposed in this study could be a useful tool for assisting managers and researchers in defining priority strategies for sensitive species that require special attention and protection.

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Experimental anthropogenic noise impacts avian parental behaviour, nestling growth and nestling oxidative stress

Cited by 54 publications

References 72 publications

Designing network‐connected systems for ecological research and education

Designing network‐connected systems for ecological research and education

Does urbanization cause stress in wild birds during development? Insights from feather corticosterone levels in juvenile house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

Protected Area Zoning as a Strategy to Preserve Natural Soundscapes, Reduce Anthropogenic Noise Intrusion, and Conserve Biodiversity

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