Unseen to most, these unnatural sounds have a powerful—often devastating—impact on wildlife, especially birds, bats, and pollinators. Kevin Munroe, Executive Director of the East Africa-based Wildlife Conservation Society Peter Tyshler/Audubon These sounds may interfere with essential activities such as feeding, nesting and mating, he stresses. So while this disruption is bad enough for animal populations as it stands, the repercussions for agriculture and ecosystems at large run even deeper.
Birds, for example, are active around sunrise (typically 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after) and countable from dawn – 9 a.m. This time period is critical for their communication, as it mostly occurs during their social interactions and courtship in the spring and summer. With this in mind, Munroe recommends that neighborhoods reduce their impact by moving loud outdoor activities, like lawn maintenance, to mid-day hours.
“You can play music and have fun, but try not to make any loud noises,” – Kevin Munroe
And like birds, bats use sound to navigate and communicate. Munroe adds that unnatural sounds can disorient these nighttime animals, potentially causing changes to their natural behavior. Insects, long ignored in conversations about noise pollution, suffer from the impacts of elevated ambient noise. These beings are integral to pollination services as well as pest control, both necessary for the health of our agricultural productivity and thus, our very lives.
The Nature Conservancy is pushing for reforms in industrial practices to reduce the impacts of noise pollution on wildlife. Additionally, they urge planners to take into account sensitive areas that are habitats to wildlife in developing station and other noise producing facilities. In addition, the group urges the inclusion of noise mitigation measures like walls and vegetative screens to reduce impacts.
As a scientist and passionate birder, Munroe focuses on birds as critical indicators of healthy ecosystems and environments. He describes how birds help officials try to figure out how to provide a rich environment that delivers essential ecological services, agricultural benefits, economic stimulus, pollinators, and pest control.
“Quite a few animals communicate primarily through song, and their songs are how they find each other,” – Kevin Munroe
This powerful analogy reminds us of what a vital role sound plays in the lives of all species too. Munroe compares these animal songs to GPS technology.
“Imagine these songs are the birds’ roadmaps to each other, and imagine you’re using your GPS to get somewhere and all of a sudden it turns off,” – Kevin Munroe
The startling impact of noise pollution can disorient animals in their own homes.
To better help the occurrence of these species, Munroe urges citizens to begin the conversation with their respective cities and towns about enforcing noise ordinances. By advocating for the creation of sound sanctuaries in neighborhoods, communities can help safeguard the habitats of vulnerable species like wood thrushes and katydids.
The problem of noise pollution goes beyond just personal behavior. This is a fight that communities and industries must join together to win. As urbanization extends its reach farther across the country, the need to reconcile human use of lands with the protection of ecosystems grows ever more critical.
