EVS Report Writung Activity : B.

Tech – AI – Sem – II
Name of the Student : Roll No :
1)Vishesh Dokania I019
2)Eshan Gahlot I022

Topic : Biodiversity damage due to noise pollution

Name of the News Paper / Research Paper : Effect of Noise Pollution on Plants and Animals by Dr.
Emily Greenfield
Date with year of Publication : 9th August, 2022

Summary of the Report :

In the past century, human activities have significantly increased on both local and
global scales, leading to a rise in anthropogenic noise levels. This increase in noise
has adverse effects on animals, impacting their communication and survival.
Anthropogenic noise can lead to stress, disruption of acoustic signaling, and
masking of essential cues for finding prey and avoiding predators.
Animal communication, which is crucial for survival and reproduction, is
particularly affected by noise pollution.
Many species use acoustic signals to mate, avoid predators, and communicate.
When noise masks these signals, effective communication is disrupted, inpacting
breeding biology and the viability of populations. Although some species have been
found to be less abundant near noise
sources, the full implications of increasing noise pollution for animal populations
are still being understood.
It's essential to investigate how anthropogenic noise reduces the distance over
which animals can recognize acoustic signals in their natural habitat.
Future studies linking noise pollution with reproductive success are urgently
needed to develop effective action plans for noise reduction and protect animal
populations.
Keywords: Anthropogenic noise, Animal communication, Biodiversity, Conservation,
Population decline, Trafic noise, Urbanisation
Introduction:
Human-induced disturbances have been a major cause of biodiversity decline
worldwide, impacting both individual animals and overall welfare.
Anthropogenic noise pollution is a growing concern, resulting from the urbanization
of the planet and the increase in local and global traffic. Noise, even at low levels,
can have severe effects on animals, leading to behaviors like escape responses and
increased stress levels. High noise levels can even cause hearing damage in birds
and mammals.
This article focuses on the often-underestimated impact of noise on communication,
which is fundamental to many aspects of animal behavior, particularly in
reproduction and survival.
As noise levels rise, animals find it increasinglly challenging to detect and recognize
acoustic signals, ultimately leading to communication breakdown.
Understanding how noise reduces the range over which animals can detect these
signals in their natural habitat is essential for developing effective management
policies. Impairment of Signal Transmission:
Communication forms the foundation of
social relationships in animals, with species using acoustic signals for finding mates,
synchronizing courtship, competing for resources, and more.
Insects, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals all use sound to exchange vital
information, and the masking of these signals by noise can impact individual fitness
and potentially whole populations.
The following are some examples of how different taxa are affected:
1. Insects: Insects rely on acoustic signals for communication, and some studies V
have shown that environmental noise can disrupt their reproductive behavior.
Noise pollution may lead to decreased responses to courtship signals and impair
mate choice.
2. Fish: Underwater noise pollution, primarily from shipping, can cause
physiological stress in fish, affecting growth, immune functions, and reproduction. It
can also impair their communication abilities.
3. Amphibians: Frogs and toads, which rely heavily on vocal signals, may experience
impaired communication and reduced breeding success due to noise pollution.
Male tree frogs exposed to traffic noise decreased their calling behavior, and traffic
noise increased stress hormone levels, affecting mate attraction.
4. Birds: Many bird species exposed to high levels of traffic noise may alter their
songs to compensate. However, the effectiveness of such adjustments varies, and
noise pollution can still affect mate choice and pairing success. Birds attending to
alarm calls for predator detection can also be disrupted by moderate traffic noise,
potentially leading to higher predation risk.
5. Mammals: Marine mammals are vulnerable to the long-term effects of
anthropogenic noise, particularly in their communication. Shipping noise can
interfere with their ability to
communicate, affecting their behavior and breeding biology. In terrestrial mammals,
noise pollution can impair anti-predator communication and increase predation
risk. Impairment of Cue Recognition:
Animals also rely on acoustic cues to gather information about their environment,
such as finding food and avoiding predators. Noise pollution can disrupt these cues
in various ways, impacting predator-prey interactions:
1. Finding Food: Many animals find their prey by listening to the sounds they
produce, and noise pollution can mask these cues, reducing foraging success. This
has been demonstrated in bats that
rely on passive listening to locate arthropod prey.
2. Avoiding Predators: Animals may use acoustic cues to detect the presense of
predators. Noise pollution can raise an animal's perceptual threshold for predator
cues, increasing predation risk.
Some species may compensate with increased vigilance, but this comes at a cost,
affecting food intake.
Animals Avoid Noisy Areas:
Numerous studies have found correlations between noise levels and changes in
species composition or abundance. For example, bird density may be lower near
noisy areas like motorways, and this has been linked to noise pollution. Some
species may be more vulnerable to noise due to their acoustic signals or other
factors like visual disturbance.
In summary, anthropogenic noise pollution has far reaching effects on animal
populations, impacting communication, foraging, predator-prey interactions, and
even leading to animals avoiding noisy areas. Understanding these effects is crucial
for species conservation and developing effective action plans for noise abatement.

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