Determining whether anthropogenic noise is distracting
is particularly important for those populations where
evidence suggests that there may not be energetic costs
to living with noise or other potential distractors. For
instance,found that white-eyed vireos
(Vireo griseus) suffered no significant energy cost resulting
from the presence of anthropogenic disturbance (including
noise) and, that activities such as parental care continued
uninterrupted. However, it is conceivable that while the
birds continued to perform these tasks, their proficiency
decreased due to distraction and thus they suffered a fitness
cost. For instance, distraction does not eliminate, but
rather reduces blue jays ‘(C. cristata) ability to detect predators
in their periphery Thus, lack
of evidence of energetic costs does not necessarily mean
that there are no fitness costs to potentially distracting
stimuli.
To properly conserve biodiversity and to manage
wildlife populations, we should consider anthropogenic
noise as not only amechanism for masking communication,
but also one that may distract animals.Wehave shown that
such attentional capabilities are taxonomically widespread
and, importantly, that the distraction can come from stimuli
in any modality The majority of the examples we have outlined
examine mostly the visual attentional capacity of
these taxa, but with respect to risk assessment, predator
detection likely involves more than visual cues. Chemosensory
cues are also used in risk assessment by certain prey to
avoid predation For example, certain
species of skinks (Carlia rostralis and C. storri) use odors to
detect predators and assess the level of risk depending on
the predator species Therefore, anthropogenic
noises may also distract animals from detecting
predator sensory cues as well. The opposite theoretically
works as well; anthropogenic stimuli of other modalities
could distract animals from auditory cues necessary for
biologically important tasks.
We speculate that noise could be strategically used to
distract, and thus disrupt ‘overabundant’ animals. If, by
doing so, we are able to reduce their reproductive success
or survival, we have a potentially effective management
tool. Noise has already been shown to deter some problem
species away from a particular space. For example, ongoing
research conducted by Dr. Richard Holstetter shows that
altering the noise made by bark pine beetles (Dendroctonus
ponderosae) and playing it back to them can effectively disrupt
their mating and tunneling behaviour Additionally, ultrasonic noise has been found as a deterrent
for certain nuisance animals Animals may, however, habituate to such chronic sound
exposure If, despite habituation,
the noise still distracts animals, the intended effect
may persist. More research into how animals habituate to
such sounds is needed.