Noise pollution alters matrix permeability for dispersing anurans: Differential effects among land covers

Abstract

Successful dispersal or movement between patches in fragmented landscapes is key for the survival and population persistence of wildlife. Despite the growing interest in the impacts of anthropogenic noise, how noise alters the permeability of different types of land cover to animal movement in fragmented landscapes is underappreciated. Here, we experimentally quantified the movement distances of a frog species in three types of land cover common to fragmented landscapes (lawns with or without canopy cover and artificial bare land) under two acoustic manipulations (traffic noise vs. a silent control). The results showed that the effects of noise on frog movements varied among land covers: with movement being impeded on bare land and unaffected on lawns with and without a closed canopy. These results suggest that anthropogenic noise and land cover types can interactively affect the functional connectivity of these anurans and increase our understanding of the complex ecological consequences of urbanization. Our finding emphasizes that the impacts of noise on animal movement in fragmented landscapes should be evaluated with consideration of land cover types.