Sonic Patterns I: The Noise - Soundscape Ecology: Principles, Patterns, Methods and Applications - page 146

Fig. 6.3 Relationship between ambient noise level, gross tonnage of the world fleet, and world
gross domestic product for the period 1950-2007 (Reproduced with permission from Frisk 2012 )

that are more tolerant to noise, thus reshaping many communities and the
relationships between species. For instance, Francis et al. ( 2009 ) have argued that
urban-adapted species show an increase of breeding success facilitated by a
decrease of predation (e.g., the decline of western scrub jay, Aphelocoma

californica ).

6.8 The Effects of Noise on Vocal Animals

Natural noise generally is handled by organisms with avoidance or acoustic
adaptations, but human-generated noise affects animal physiology and behavior
in different ways, producing annoyance, chronic stress, and hearing loss.
Anthropogenic noise creates disturbances in communicating animals, masking
their frequencies.
As outlined by Slabbekoorn and Ripmeester ( 2008 ), ambient noise has many
effects on animal populations: produces direct stress, masks the arrival of predators
or the associated alarm calls, and interferes with the communication mechanisms in
general.
To react to noise animals consume more energy, reduce the time for feeding, or,
when vocal communications are masked, lose mating opportunities. The effect of
noise can pertain indirectly to changes in habitat use, courtship and mating,
reproduction, and parental care. Negative interactions occur also in the relationship
between prey-predator signaling systems, altering the signals necessary to drive
this complex relationship. In many cases the intrusion of noise produces a retreat
from favorable habitat.