The Effect of Noise Pollution on Threatened and Endangered Species
Each plant and animal species has an important role in maintaining the environment in which they live. For this reason, it is important that threatened and endangered species are documented and observed so that methods can be implemented in order to aid in their survival and replenishment. Noise pollution can have potentially harmful affects on threatened and endangered species. Several case studies were examined to find commonalities among observation methods, noise pollution study variables, and behavioral responses between animal classes. The case studies were broken into 3 study groups: birds, with studies performed on the Mexican spotted owl, the northern spotted owl, and the bald eagle; reptiles containing the desert tortoise; and mammals consisting of the lesser long-nosed bat. The noise measurement variables and observation methods were compared across groups in order to determine which, if any, were common and perhaps more useful in the study of noise pollution on threatened and endangered species. The responses to the noise stimuli were both behavioral and physiological, and reactions differed by species. The most common reactions were fleeing and alertness. Few tests have been performed in which physiological factors were monitored. After examination of each of the case studies, it was shown that there are several noise variables that can be applied to the study of noise pollution on threatened and endangered species; these include, but are not limited to, sound pressure level, auditory threshold, the frequency spectrum, and the duration of the noise event.
School:
Clark Atlanta University
Department:
Civil Engineering
Research Advisor:
David Delaney
Department of Research Advisor:
USACERL
Year of Publication:
2003