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Shi Z, Yao F, Liu Z, Zhang J. Microplastics predominantly affect gut microbiota by altering community structure rather than richness and diversity: A meta-analysis of aquatic animals. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 360:124639. [PMID: 39095000 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The impacts of microplastics on the gut microbiota, a crucial component of the health of aquatic animals, remain inadequately understood. This phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis aims to identify general patterns of microplastic effects on the alpha diversity (richness and Shannon index), beta diversity, and community structure of gut microbiota in aquatic animals. Data from 63 peer-reviewed articles on the Web of Science were synthesized, encompassing 424 observations across 31 aquatic species. The analysis showed that microplastics significantly altered the community structure of gut microbiota, with between-group distances being 87.75% higher than within-group distances. This effect was significant even at environmentally relevant concentrations (≤1 mg L-1). However, their effects on richness, Shannon index, and beta diversity (community variation) were found to be insignificant. The study also indicated that the effects of microplastics were primarily dependent on their concentration and size, while the phylogeny of tested species explained limited heterogeneity. Furthermore, variations in gut microbiota alpha diversity, beta diversity, and community structure were correlated with changes in antioxidant enzyme activities from the liver and hepatopancreas. This implies that gut microbiota attributes of aquatic animals may provide insights into host antioxidant levels. In summary, this study illuminates the impacts of microplastics on the gut microbiota of aquatic animals and examines the implications of these effects for host health. It emphasizes that microplastics mainly alter the community structure of gut microbiota rather than significantly affecting richness and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoji Shi
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-Agriculture and Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Fucheng Yao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-Agriculture and Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Ziqiang Liu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-Agriculture and Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jiaen Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-Agriculture and Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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2
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Broad HR, Dibnah AJ, Smith AE, Thornton A. Anthropogenic disturbance affects calling and collective behaviour in corvid roosts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230185. [PMID: 38768208 PMCID: PMC11391286 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication plays an important role in coordinating group dynamics and collective movements across a range of taxa. However, anthropogenic disturbance can inhibit the production or reception of acoustic signals. Here, we investigate the effects of noise and light pollution on the calling and collective behaviour of wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula), a highly social corvid species that uses vocalizations to coordinate collective movements at winter roosting sites. Using audio and video monitoring of roosts in areas with differing degrees of urbanization, we evaluate the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on vocalizations and collective movements. We found that when levels of background noise were higher, jackdaws took longer to settle following arrival at the roost in the evening and also called more during the night, suggesting that human disturbance may cause sleep disruption. High levels of overnight calling were, in turn, linked to disruption of vocal consensus decision-making and less cohesive group departures in the morning. These results raise the possibility that, by affecting cognitive and perceptual processes, human activities may interfere with animals' ability to coordinate collective behaviour. Understanding links between anthropogenic disturbance, communication, cognition and collective behaviour must be an important research priority in our increasingly urbanized world. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R Broad
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Alex J Dibnah
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, 2052 NSW, Australia
| | - Anna E Smith
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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3
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Díaz MP, Kunc HP, Houghton JDR. Anthropogenic noise predicts sea turtle behavioural responses. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115907. [PMID: 38061147 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a pollutant of global concern. While the effects of underwater noise pollution have been frequently studied in fish and mammals, our understanding of how this anthropogenic stressor affects marine reptiles is scant. Using a multichannel data logger equipped with a camera and hydrophone, we quantified behavioural responses of a free-ranging green turtle (Chelonia mydas) to vessel noise in the Galapagos Archipelago, an important nesting site in the eastern Pacific. We found that while travelling the turtle increased its vigilance with increasing vessel noise. However, when on the seabed the turtle did not increase its vigilance with increasing noise levels. Our findings illustrate that noise pollution has the potential to alter overall time budgets of animals. Identifying real-time responses of wild animals illustrate how in situ approaches allow to assess the effects of human activities on marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Parra Díaz
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador; School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Co. Antrim BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Hansjoerg P Kunc
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Co. Antrim BT9 5DL, UK.
| | - Jonathan D R Houghton
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Co. Antrim BT9 5DL, UK; Queen's University Belfast Marine Laboratory, 12-13 The Strand, Portaferry, Co. Down BT22 1PF, UK
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4
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Ålund M, Cenzer M, Bierne N, Boughman JW, Cerca J, Comerford MS, Culicchi A, Langerhans B, McFarlane SE, Möst MH, North H, Qvarnström A, Ravinet M, Svanbäck R, Taylor SA. Anthropogenic Change and the Process of Speciation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2023; 15:a041455. [PMID: 37788888 PMCID: PMC10691492 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic impacts on the environment alter speciation processes by affecting both geographical contexts and selection patterns on a worldwide scale. Here we review evidence of these effects. We find that human activities often generate spatial isolation between populations and thereby promote genetic divergence but also frequently cause sudden secondary contact and hybridization between diverging lineages. Human-caused environmental changes produce new ecological niches, altering selection in diverse ways that can drive diversification; but changes also often remove niches and cause extirpations. Human impacts that alter selection regimes are widespread and strong in magnitude, ranging from local changes in biotic and abiotic conditions to direct harvesting to global climate change. Altered selection, and evolutionary responses to it, impacts early-stage divergence of lineages, but does not necessarily lead toward speciation and persistence of separate species. Altogether, humans both promote and hinder speciation, although new species would form very slowly relative to anthropogenic hybridization, which can be nearly instantaneous. Speculating about the future of speciation, we highlight two key conclusions: (1) Humans will have a large influence on extinction and "despeciation" dynamics in the short term and on early-stage lineage divergence, and thus potentially speciation in the longer term, and (2) long-term monitoring combined with easily dated anthropogenic changes will improve our understanding of the processes of speciation. We can use this knowledge to preserve and restore ecosystems in ways that promote (re-)diversification, increasing future opportunities of speciation and enhancing biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murielle Ålund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden
| | - Meredith Cenzer
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Nicolas Bierne
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - Janette W Boughman
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - José Cerca
- CEES - Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0316, Norway
| | | | - Alessandro Culicchi
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden
| | - Brian Langerhans
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - S Eryn McFarlane
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Markus H Möst
- Research Department for Limnology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Henry North
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden
| | - Mark Ravinet
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Svanbäck
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden
| | - Scott A Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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5
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Blackburn G, Ashton BJ, Thornton A, Woodiss-Field S, Ridley AR. Cognition mediates response to anthropogenic noise in wild Western Australian magpies (Gmynorhina tibicen dorsalis). GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6912-6930. [PMID: 37846601 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a pollutant of growing concern, with wide-ranging effects on taxa across ecosystems. Until recently, studies investigating the effects of anthropogenic noise on animals focused primarily on population-level consequences, rather than individual-level impacts. Individual variation in response to anthropogenic noise may result from extrinsic or intrinsic factors. One such intrinsic factor, cognitive performance, varies between individuals and is hypothesised to aid behavioural response to novel stressors. Here, we combine cognitive testing, behavioural focals and playback experiments to investigate how anthropogenic noise affects the behaviour and anti-predator response of Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis), and to determine whether this response is linked to cognitive performance. We found a significant population-level effect of anthropogenic noise on the foraging effort, foraging efficiency, vigilance, vocalisation rate and anti-predator response of magpies, with birds decreasing their foraging, vocalisation behaviours and anti-predator response, and increasing vigilance when loud anthropogenic noise was present. We also found that individuals varied in their response to playbacks depending on their cognitive performance, with individuals that performed better in an associative learning task maintaining their anti-predator response when an alarm call was played in anthropogenic noise. Our results add to the growing body of literature documenting the adverse effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife and provide the first evidence for an association between individual cognitive performance and behavioural responses to anthropogenic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Blackburn
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Ashton
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Sarah Woodiss-Field
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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6
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Ritz-Radlinská A, Barták V, Hodačová L, Maidlová K, Zasadil P. The singing activity of the Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) under traffic noise around highways. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1020982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Steadily increasing human population is changing the environment in many ways. One of the most disturbing impacts is the development of anthropogenic noise pollution connected to ever-growing traffic intensity. The road network can have both positive and negative effects on biodiversity and populations. Many bird species use acoustic communication to establish and maintain their territories and for intra-pair and adult–young communication. Noise pollution can impact negatively on breeding success and biorhythm if this communication is masked by noise and the individuals must adjust their singing activity. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is a common bird species of agricultural landscapes whose population is declining due to agricultural intensification. It is found also in habitats near highways with forest steppe-like characteristics, where it is affected by the high levels of anthropogenic noise pollution. This study aimed to determine how this species adapts to noise from highway traffic by adjusting its singing activity. The influence of locality type, immediate and long-term impact of traffic noise on the average and total length of song sequences in the birdsong, and influence on the total number of recorded song sequences during the second hour after sunrise were evaluated in this study. Our results showed that Yellowhammer’s singing activity changed in localities close to highways compared to agricultural landscape. With increasing long-term traffic intensity on highways, song duration of the Yellowhammer song was decreasing. The present traffic intensity led to later onset of dawn chorus and decreasing strophe length with increasing number of passing vehicles. Furthermore, in the agricultural landscape, Yellowhammer’s song duration increased with increasing distance from the nearest road.
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7
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Cerini F, Childs DZ, Clements CF. A predictive timeline of wildlife population collapse. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:320-331. [PMID: 36702859 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01985-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary rates of biodiversity decline emphasize the need for reliable ecological forecasting, but current methods vary in their ability to predict the declines of real-world populations. Acknowledging that stressor effects start at the individual level, and that it is the sum of these individual-level effects that drives populations to collapse, shifts the focus of predictive ecology away from using predominantly abundance data. Doing so opens new opportunities to develop predictive frameworks that utilize increasingly available multi-dimensional data, which have previously been overlooked for ecological forecasting. Here, we propose that stressed populations will exhibit a predictable sequence of observable changes through time: changes in individuals' behaviour will occur as the first sign of increasing stress, followed by changes in fitness-related morphological traits, shifts in the dynamics (for example, birth rates) of populations and finally abundance declines. We discuss how monitoring the sequential appearance of these signals may allow us to discern whether a population is increasingly at risk of collapse, or is adapting in the face of environmental change, providing a conceptual framework to develop new forecasting methods that combine multi-dimensional (for example, behaviour, morphology, life history and abundance) data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cerini
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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8
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Lee N, Vélez A, Bee M. Behind the mask(ing): how frogs cope with noise. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:47-66. [PMID: 36310303 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01586-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Albert Feng was a pioneer in the field of auditory neuroethology who used frogs to investigate the neural basis of spectral and temporal processing and directional hearing. Among his many contributions was connecting neural mechanisms for sound pattern recognition and localization to the problems of auditory masking that frogs encounter when communicating in noisy, real-world environments. Feng's neurophysiological studies of auditory processing foreshadowed and inspired subsequent behavioral investigations of auditory masking in frogs. For frogs, vocal communication frequently occurs in breeding choruses, where males form dense aggregations and produce loud species-specific advertisement calls to attract potential mates and repel competitive rivals. In this review, we aim to highlight how Feng's research advanced our understanding of how frogs cope with noise. We structure our narrative around three themes woven throughout Feng's research-spectral, temporal, and directional processing-to illustrate how frogs can mitigate problems of auditory masking by exploiting frequency separation between signals and noise, temporal fluctuations in noise amplitude, and spatial separation between signals and noise. We conclude by proposing future research that would build on Feng's considerable legacy to advance our understanding of hearing and sound communication in frogs and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Lee
- Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Ave, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA.
| | - Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Mark Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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9
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Anthropogenic noise may impair the mating behaviour of the Shore Crab Carcinus Maenas. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276889. [PMID: 36301985 PMCID: PMC9612583 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a recent addition to the list of human-made threats to the environment, with potential and established negative impacts on a wide range of animals. Despite their economic and ecological significance, few studies have considered the impact of anthropogenic noise on crustaceans, though past studies have shown that it can cause significant effects to crustacean physiology, anatomy, and behaviour. Mating behaviour in crustaceans could potentially be severely affected by anthropogenic noise, given that noise has been demonstrated to impact some crustacean’s ability to detect and respond to chemical, visual, and acoustic cues, all of which are vital in courtship rituals. To explore if noise has an impact on crustacean mating, we tested the responses of male green shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) from the southwest UK coast by exposing them to ship noise recordings while simultaneously presenting them with a dummy-female soaked in the female-sex pheromone uridine diphosphate (UDP) in an experimental tank setup (recording treatment: n = 15, control treatment: n = 15). We found a significant, negative effect of noise on the occurrence of mating behaviour compared to no noise conditions, though no significant effect of noise on the time it took for a crab to respond to the pheromone. Such effects suggest reproductive impairment due to anthropogenic noise, which could potentially contribute to decreased crustacean populations and subsequent ecological and economic repercussions. Given the findings of our preliminary study, more research should be undertaken that includes larger sample sizes, double blind setups, and controlled laboratory trials in order to more fully extrapolate the potential impact of noise on mating in the natural environment.
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10
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Zhu B, Zhang H, Chen Q, He Q, Zhao X, Sun X, Wang T, Wang J, Cui J. Noise affects mate choice based on visual information via cross-sensory interference. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119680. [PMID: 35787421 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Animal communication is often hampered by noise interference. Noise masking has primarily been studied in terms of its unimodal effect on sound information provision and use, while little is known about its cross-modal effect and how animals weigh unimodal and multimodal courtship cues in noisy environments. Here, we examined the cross-modal effects of background noise on female visual perception of mate choice and female preference for multimodal displays (sound + vocal sac) in a species of treefrog. We tested female mate choices using audio/video playbacks in the presence and absence of noise (white noise band-filtered to match or mismatch female sensitive hearing range, heterospecific chorus). Surprisingly, multimodal displays do not improve receiver performance in noise. The heterospecific chorus and white noise band-filtered to match female sensitive hearing ranges, significantly reduced female responses to the attractive visual stimuli in addition to directly impairing auditory information use. Meanwhile, the cross-modal impacts of background noise are influenced to some extent by whether the noise band matches female sensitive hearing range and the difficulty of distinguishing tasks. Our results add to the evidence for cross-modal effects of noise and are the first to demonstrate that background noise can disrupt female responses to visual information related to mate choice, which may reduce the communication efficiency of audiovisual signals in noisy environments and impose fitness consequences. This study has key ecological and evolutionary implications because it illustrates how noise influences mate choice in wildlife via cross-sensory interference, which is crucial in revealing the function and evolution of multimodal signals in noisy environments as well as informing evidence-based conservation strategies for forecasting and mitigating the multimodal impacts of noise interference on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Haodi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiaoling He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaomeng Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoqian Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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11
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Kunc HP, Morrison K, Schmidt R. A meta-analysis on the evolution of the Lombard effect reveals that amplitude adjustments are a widespread vertebrate mechanism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2117809119. [PMID: 35858414 PMCID: PMC9335264 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117809119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal communication is central to many animal societies, and effective signal transmission is crucial for individuals to survive and reproduce successfully. One environmental factor that exerts selection pressure on acoustic signals is ambient noise. To maintain signal efficiency, species can adjust signals through phenotypic plasticity or microevolutionary response to natural selection. One of these signal adjustments is the increase in signal amplitude, called the Lombard effect, which has been frequently found in birds and mammals. However, the evolutionary origin of the Lombard effect is largely unresolved. Using a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis, we show that the Lombard effect is also present in fish and amphibians, and contradictory results in the literature can be explained by differences in signal-to-noise ratios among studies. Our analysis also demonstrates that subcortical processes are sufficient to elicit the Lombard effect and that amplitude adjustments do not require vocal learning. We conclude that the Lombard effect is a widespread mechanism based on phenotypic plasticity in vertebrates for coping with changes in ambient noise levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansjoerg P. Kunc
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Kyle Morrison
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Rouven Schmidt
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
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12
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Wang W, Gao H, Li C, Deng Y, Zhou D, Li Y, Zhou W, Luo B, Liang H, Liu W, Wu P, Jing W, Feng J. Airport noise disturbs foraging behavior of Japanese pipistrelle bats. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8976. [PMID: 35784026 PMCID: PMC9189338 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of anthropogenic noise poses an emerging threat to the survival and reproductive success of various organisms. Previous investigations have focused on the detrimental effects of anthropogenic noise on the foraging behavior in some terrestrial and aquatic animals. Nevertheless, the role of airport noise in impairing foraging activities of most wild animals has been neglected. Here, we aimed to assess whether foraging behavior in free-living Japanese pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus abramus) can be disturbed by airport noise. We used audio recording to monitor foraging activities of bats at 11 sites around the runway of a municipal airport. We quantified noise level and spectra, aircraft activity, habitat type, nightly temperature, wind speed, and moon phase for each site. The analysis revealed that noise level and aircraft activity were significant negative predictors for the number of bat passes and feeding buzzes around the runway, even after controlling for the effects of other environmental factors. There was no marked spectral overlap between bat echolocation pulses and airport noise in the presence and absence of low-flying aircraft. The spectro-temporal parameters of echolocation vocalizations emitted by bats were dependent on noise level, aircraft activity, and habitat type. These results provide correlative evidence that airport noise can reduce foraging activities of wild pipistrelle bats. Our findings add to the current knowledge of adverse impacts of airport noise on foraging bats in artificial ecosystems and provide a basis for further research on the mechanisms behind noise pollution near airports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Huimin Gao
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Chengrong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Yingchun Deng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Daying Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Yaqi Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Wenyu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Bo Luo
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Haiying Liang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Wenqin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Pan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of EducationChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Wang Jing
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
- College of Life ScienceJilin Agricultural UniversityChangchunChina
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Gomes L, Solé M, Sousa-Lima RS, Baumgarten JE. Influence of Anthropogenic Sounds on Insect, Anuran and Bird Acoustic Signals: A Meta-Analysis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.827440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication is a way of information exchange between individuals, and it is used by several animal species. Therefore, the detection, recognition and correct understanding of acoustic signals are key factors in effective communication. The priority of acoustic communication is effectiveness rather than perfection, being effective avoids affecting the sound-based communication system of the species. One of the factors that can affect effective communication is the overlap in time and frequency during signal transmission, known as signal masking. One type of sound that can cause masking is anthropogenic noise, which is currently increasing due to urban growth and consequently motorized transportation and machinery. When exposed to anthropogenic noise, animals can use compensatory mechanisms to deal with sound masking, such as the modification of acoustic parameters of their acoustic signal. Here, we performed a meta-analysis investigating whether different taxa have a general tendency for changes in acoustic parameters due to anthropogenic noise, we used taxa and acoustic parameters available in the literature that met the minimum criteria to perform a meta-analysis. We hypothesized that animals exposed to anthropogenic noise use compensation mechanisms, such as changes in dominant, maximum or minimum frequencies, call duration, note duration and call rate to deal with masking. We performed a meta-analysis, which synthesized information from 73 studies comprising 82 species of three taxa: insects, anurans and birds. Our results showed that in the presence of anthropogenic noise, insects did not change the acoustic parameters, while anurans increased call amplitude and birds increased dominant frequency, minimum and maximum frequencies, note duration and amplitude of their songs. The different responses of the groups to anthropogenic noise may be related to their particularities in the production and reception of sound or to the differences in the acoustic parameters considered between the taxa and also the lack of studies in some taxa.
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14
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Zhan X, Liang D, Lin X, Li L, Wei C, Dingle C, Liu Y. Background noise but not urbanization level impacted song frequencies in an urban songbird in the Pearl River Delta, Southern China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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