Anthropogenic noise reduces approach of Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) to Tufted Titmouse mobbing calls

AbstractWhen anthropogenic noise occurs simultaneously with an acoustic signal or cue, it can be difficult for an animal to interpret the information encoded within vocalizations. However, limited research has focused on how anthropogenic noise affects the identification of acoustic communication signals. In songbirds, research has also shown that black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) will shift the pitch and change the frequency at which they sing in the presence of anthropogenic, and experimental noise. Black-capped chickadees produce several vocalizations; their fee-bee song is used for mate attraction and territorial defence, and contains information about dominance hierarchy and native geographic location. Previously, we demonstrated that black-capped chickadees can discriminate between individual female chickadees via their fee-bee songs. Here we used an operant discrimination go/no-go paradigm to discern whether the ability to discriminate between individual female chickadees by their song would be impacted by differing levels of anthropogenic noise. Following discrimination training, two levels of anthropogenic noise (low: 40 dB SPL; high: 75 dB SPL) were played with stimuli to determine how anthropogenic noise would impact discrimination. Results showed that even with low-level noise (40 dB SPL) performance decreased and high-level (75 dB SPL) noise was increasingly detrimental to discrimination. We learned that perception of fee-bee songs does change in the presence of anthropogenic noise such that birds take significantly longer to learn to discriminate between females, but birds were able to generalize responding after learning the discrimination. These results add to the growing literature underscoring the impact of human-made noise on avian wildlife, specifically the impact on perception of auditory signals.

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Toward a broader characterization of anthropogenic noise and its effects on wildlife

Behavioral Ecology ◽

10.1093/beheco/aru219 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 328-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

S. A. Gill ◽

J. R. Job ◽

K. Myers ◽

K. Naghshineh ◽

M. J. Vonhof

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Noise

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Boat Noise and Black Drum Vocalizations in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon (Argentina)

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse9010044 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 44

Author(s):

Maria Ceraulo ◽

María Paz Sal Moyano ◽

Fernando Jose Hidalgo ◽

María Cielo Bazterrica ◽

Salvatore Mazzola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Coastal Lagoon ◽

Acoustic Method ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Reproductive Period ◽

Anthropogenic Noise ◽

Marine Biota ◽

Call Rate ◽

Noise Frequency ◽

Passive Acoustic

Human-generated underwater noise and its effect on marine biota is recognized as an important issue. Boat noise can affect the communication success of fish species that use sounds for spawning purposes. During the reproductive period, males of the black drum Pogonias spp. produce calls ranging from 90 Hz to 300 Hz. In the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Pogonias courbina is one of the primary fishing species. Although no regulation is directly applied to protect it, a ban protects the reproductive period of other fish species during weekdays. Here, we investigated the potential effect of boat noise on P. courbina vocalizations through a passive acoustic method. Acoustic data were collected, and P. courbina calls were identified and counted. The files with boat noise passages were categorized into classes according to their noise frequency range (A = below 700 Hz, B = over 700 Hz, and C = below and above 700 Hz). The fish call rate was lower in files where boat noise overlapped the fish call frequency (Classes A and C). Only boat noise from Class C was significantly reduced during days with the active fishing ban. These results suggest that anthropogenic noise may affect the P. courbina call rate and underline the importance of including the evaluation of anthropogenic noise in the current management of the area.

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The First Very Broadband Mediterranean Network: 30 Yr of Data and Seismological Research

Seismological Research Letters ◽

10.1785/0220190195 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 91 (2A) ◽

pp. 787-802

Author(s):

Silvia Pondrelli ◽

Francesca Di Luccio ◽

Laura Scognamiglio ◽

Irene Molinari ◽

Simone Salimbeni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seismic Source ◽

Global Scale ◽

Anthropogenic Noise ◽

Earth Structure ◽

Backbone Network ◽

Early Adoption ◽

Stable Conditions ◽

Remote Sites ◽

The Mediterranean

Abstract Starting in 1988, with the installation of the first broadband (BB) instrument in Italy, the Mediterranean Very Broadband Seismographic Network (MedNet) program established a backbone network of BB stations of the highest quality in the Mediterranean Sea countries. The Mediterranean region is characterized by relevant and frequent seismicity related to its complex tectonics, due to the convergence of two major plates, Africa and Eurasia, and the involvement of other minor plates, as the Adriatic plate. Therefore, the MedNet project became a scientific research infrastructure of excellence, able to fill the gap of regional coverage when the availability of seismic BB instruments was still scarce. The main characteristics of the MedNet network are the highest quality of the seismographic instrumentation at remote sites and very low level of anthropogenic noise with stable conditions of pressure and temperature. After 30 yr of recordings, the MedNet program has proven that the early adoption of very BB instruments in selected sites have been the best choice. A large number of studies benefited from MedNet data, as seismic source computation and Earth structure reconstruction, at local and global scale. We present a concise overview of the contribution given by MedNet data in the last three decades to motivate and financially support the existence of this valuable infrastructure, and to further maintain this project.

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