Abstract
Humans categorize unwanted sounds in the environment as noise. Consequently, noise is associated with negative human and ecological values, especially when it is derived from an anthropogenic source. Although evidence confirms that many machine-generated anthropogenic sounds have negative impacts on animal behavior and communication, natural sources of non-biological sound, such as wind, rain, running water, and sea waves (geophonies) have also been categorized as noise and are frequently dismissed or mischaracterized in acoustic studies as an outside factor of acoustic habitats rather than an integrated sonic component of ecological processes and species adaptations. While the proliferation of machine-generated sound in the Biosphere has become an intrusive phenomenon in recent history, geophony has shaped the Earth’s sonic landscapes for billions of years. Therefore, geophonies have very important sonic implications to the evolution and adaptation of soniferous species, forming essential ecological and semiotical relationships. This creates a need to distinguish geophonies from machine-generated sounds and how species respond to each accordingly, especially given their acoustic similarities in the frequency spectrum. Here, we introduce concepts and terminology that address these differences in the context of ecoacoustics. We also discuss how Acoustic Complexity Indices (ACIs) can offer new possibilities to quantifiably evaluate geophony in relation to their sonic contest.
Highlights
Environmental sounds represent an important phenomenon that is integral to the functioning of ecological systems (Gage and Farina, 2017)
We propose that the term natural quiet explicitly refer to the interpretation of a soundscape’s acoustic qualities based on human perception and cultural definitions of “natural” and should not be applied to ecoacoustics studies intended to explain ecological processes where human perception is not the focus
The geophonies of Earth have been an evolutionary driver of animal physiology and communication across a diverse array of extant and extinct species
Summary
Environmental sounds represent an important phenomenon that is integral to the functioning of ecological systems (Gage and Farina, 2017). We recognize that intense geophonic sources (e.g., waterfalls, torrents, sea waves) may be considered unwanted sounds from a human perspective, especially when assessing the acoustic qualities of an area for listening to biophonies This highlights an important distinction to make when using the term noise to describe geophonies and technophonies. It is reasonable to hypothesize that the scale of ecological factors contributing to geophony are naturally integrated into the evolution and adaptation of animals and the dynamic complexities of Earth system processes These relationships impact the manner in which sound-dependent species instinctually and cognitively select and occupy habitats. The attributes of geophonies at fine and coarse scales are likely changing temporally and spatially in a way that can alter the natural selection process they have on animal communities and species distributions This underlines the importance of including geophony as a key subject in ecoacoustics studies. We recognize that other scientists are addressing the issues of geophony in acoustic analysis (Bedoya et al, 2017; Sánchez-Giraldo et al, 2020), there appears to be open opportunities to explore ACI beyond biophonies to measure and quantitatively interpret geophonies within sonic environments
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
