Mining noise affects loud call structures and emission patterns of wild black-fronted titi monkeys

Abstract

Anthropogenic noise pollution is increasing and can constrain acoustic communication in animals. Our aim was to investigate if the acoustic parameters of loud calls and their diurnal pattern in the black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons) are affected by noise produced by mining activity in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We installed two passive acoustic monitoring devices to record sound 24 h/day, 7 days every 2 months, for a year; one unit was close to an opencast mine and the other 2.5 km away from it. Both sites presented similar habitat structures and were inhabited by groups of black-fronted titi monkeys. We quantified the noise at both sites by measuring the equivalent continuous sound level every 2 months for 1 year and quantified the emission of loud calls by titi monkeys through visual inspection of the recordings. The close site presented higher ambient noise levels than the far site. The quantitative comparison of loud calls of black-fronted titi monkeys between the two sites showed less calling activity in the site close to the mine than in the site further away. Approximately 20 % of the calls detected at the site close to the mine were masked by noise from truck traffic. Loud calls were longer at the site far from the mine and the diurnal patterns of vocal activity differed in the amount of calling as well as in the timing of peak calling activity between the two sites. Our results indicate that mining noise may constrain titi monkeys' long-distance vocal communication. Loud calls occupy a similar frequency band to mining noise, and an increase in ambient noise may be triggering black-fronted titi monkeys to adjust their long-distance communication patterns to avoid masking of their calls. Given that vocalizations are an important means of social interaction in this species, there are concerns about the impact of mining noise on populations exposed to this human activity.

Response of Bolivian gray titi monkeys (Plecturocebus donacophilus) to an anthropogenic noise gradient: behavioral and hormonal correlates

“…These noise levels stand above the coterminous USA range for natural sounds devoid of human influence (24-40 dB LAeq; Shannon et al, 2016) and approximate those reported at sites close to and far from an open-cast mine in Brazil (Duarte et al, 2015). In fact, the mining noise was loud enough to impact the calling patterns of black-fronted titi monkeys (Duarte et al, 2017). Correlative changes in songbird vocal activity have also been observed along a noise gradient within an urban park (Díaz, Parra & Gallardo, 2011).…”

“…: Rangel-Negrín et al, 2009;Rimbach et al, 2013;Vanlangendonck et al, 2015;howler monkeys, Alouatta spp. : Martínez-Mota et al, 2007;Behie, Pavelka & Chapman, 2010;Rimbach et al, 2013;Vanlangendonck et al, 2015;Cantarelli et al, 2017), Pitheciidae (titi monkeys, Callicebus nigrifrons: Duarte et al, 2017) and Callithrichidae (marmosets, Callithrix penicillata: Duarte et al, 2011;Santos et al, 2017;tamarins, Saguinus leucopus: Soto-Calderón, Álvarez Cardona & García-Montoya, 2016). For example, black-tufted marmosets (C. penicillata) have been shown to avoid noisy areas of an urban park, irrespective of food availability (Duarte et al, 2011).…”

Asian primates in fragments: Understanding causes and consequences of fragmentation, and predicting primate population viability

“…In addition, many of these threats cannot be treated independently; one or more threats may influence or occur in association with another. Moreover, some threats, for example, pathogens and microbes and viral/prioninduced diseases, may increase in severity with fragmentation (Chapman, Gillespie, & Goldberg, 2005;Goldberg et al, 2008;Young, Griffin, Wood, & Nunn, 2013); and others, for example, light pollution (Hölker, Wolter, Perkin, & Tockner, 2010) and noise pollution (Duarte, Kaizer, Young, Rodrigues, & Sousa-Lima, 2018)…”

Vehicular Noise Pollution: Its Environmental Implications and Strategic Control

“…Traffic noise reduced foraging efficiency in most bats [94]. Monkeys also live in noise free areas as exhibited by a study in which continuous noise was supplied in the habitat of the monkeys in Brazil, monkeys moved from that area to noise free area indicating that they also do not like noise [95]. Noise effects on wildlife have also been widely studied and results indicated that they also prefer to live away from noise like bears, wolves, ants, lions and larger animals like elephants and whales [96] ( Table 2).…”