Characterizing natural soundscapes and understanding human response to human-caused noise in a Hong Kong country park

Abstract

A study was undertaken in a country park of Hong Kong to characterize the natural soundscapes and determine the affective response of visitors to natural and human-caused sounds. Located on the eastern extremity of Hong Kong, the country park is easily accessible and characterized by sandy beaches, rocky shores, rugged slopes, and wooded ravines nested among silent hills and mountains. The country park is exposed to varying levels of transportation noise (motor vehicle, aircraft) and visitor-caused noise. The soundscapes of a variety of natural landscapes were characterized by sound walks and acoustical and psycho-acoustical analysis of 15-min and 24-h sound recordings. Interviews with the country park visitors revealed that they preferred soundscapes with natural and joyful attributes. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in several landscape-soundscape settings with different exposure levels of human-caused noise. The results show that while the visitors were slightly bothered by extraneous noise, the degree of annoyance was significantly determined by the natural setting, the background soundscape, and the type of activities engaged in. The findings provide an empirical basis to formulate management strategies of natural soundscapes and contribute to a growing body of research on the potential impacts of human-caused sound in country parks.