Biologists from Boise State University have been making noise in the forests of the western American state of Idaho. They are doing this to study the value of quiet in nature. They want to know how humans and animals react to noise pollution.
The researchers placed outdoor speakers on the side of a half-kilometer-long part of a road in the Boise National Forest. For two years, they played the sounds of passing cars through the speakers. Professor Jesse Barber of Boise State University says they found the sounds caused migratory birds(候鸟) to flee. The birds also failed to gain weight.
Recently, researchers played sounds of machines that are used to remove natural gas from the ground. That sound is heard in natural gas fields throughout the American West. Professor Barber says these experiments are designed to help researchers learn the effects of noise pollution on birds, insects, bats, plants and humans. “We are testing the idea that these things are combined. As the noise gets louder, wildlife suffers. But that also feeds back on to how much people get out of that experience, how much they value it, and thus how much they are willing to protect that same place,” said Professor Barber.
The research team also studied a group of volunteers who watch birds for fun. Mitch Levenhagen is a graduate student in the research team. He measured how much the artificial noise lessened the ability of the birdwatchers to identify recorded bird songs. He recorded eight songs in the noise condition and eight songs in the quiet. He then repeated the experiment without the artificial noise. The birdwatchers were happy when the noise machine was shut off. The birdwatchers said the artificial noise affected their ability to identify bird sounds more than they thought it would. Birdwatcher Jim Lyons said the experiment caused him to value quiet more.
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