Sonic Behavior Research Articles

Pollination by native bees achieves high fruit quantity and quality of highbush blueberry: a sustainable alternative to managed pollinators

IntroductionBlueberry is one of the most relevant buzz-pollinated crops worldwide, and Chile is the most important global producer of fresh blueberries during wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere. Non-buzzing bees, such as honey bees, may provide suboptimal services compared with bees capable of buzz pollination. The widely held contention that honey bees are inferior pollinators of blueberries drives the industry to place pressure on governments to allow bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) importation for pollination. However, the introduction of B. terrestris generates environmental problems in Chile by competing with and transmitting parasites to local bees. Despite some native Chilean bees being recently recognized as efficient pollen vectors of blueberry crops, no study has evidenced the influence of their visits on fruit yield. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the native Chilean floral visitors' performance to improve the quantity and quality of highbush blueberry in comparison to the performance of managed visitors.MethodsPer-visit pollination performance (fruit set and fruit quality) and visitation frequency were measured, and the performance of buzzing behavior by flower visitors was evaluated in four cultivars grown in five blueberry orchards located in southern Chile.ResultsWe found that fruit set and weight were highly influenced by floral visitor taxon. Some native bee species can greatly improve the fruit set and fruit quality (greater weight) of the highbush blueberry cultivars. For instance, one single visit of C. occidentalis can increase fruit weight by a factor of 1.8 compared to an A. mellifera visit; however, visits of halictids and syrphids resulted in lower fruit sets than those of unvisited flowers. However, we found that the occurrence of sonication behavior alone was not a predictor of higher fruit set and fruit weight of highbush blueberry cultivars. Consequently, the taxonomic recognition of floral visitors, ideally to the species level, is still needed to distinguish the most efficient fruit yield promoters of blueberry.DiscussionThe conservation of the biotic pollinators, especially native pollinators, would improve blueberry fruit quality and is likely to improve overall crop productivity.

Autonomous noise monitoring system based on digital MEMS microphones: development of a smartphone application for remote communication

Noise monitoring is a useful diagnostic tool for making better decisions in noise control projects and understanding the sonic behavior of a place. Traditionally, sound pressure levels are measured using a sound level meter (SLM), usually for a limited time frame. However, recently much interest has arisen in developing wireless sensor networks that work continuously, especially using cost-effective embedded systems. In this sense, digital micro-electrical-mechanical (MEMS) microphones are a great promise in creating such devices due to their low-cost, high-quality, and integrated analog to digital converter. This paper presents a noise monitoring system based upon digital MEMS microphones and an Arduino compatible microcontroller (Teensy). The system connects to a server through an ethernet cable (providing also a power supply), and sound pressure level data is saved both on the server and an SD card (for redundancy). Furthermore, a backup power supply guarantee that the system continues working even in power shortage situations. The device was deployed in an office and successfully measured throughout a week. Ultimately, the system could be applied to indoor noise monitoring (such as in condominiums and buildings) and used to assess the effectiveness of noise control projects, for example.

DNA-mediated assembly of a gold-nanoparticle film with controllable sonic behavior detected by novel electric-induced ultrasound.

Two-dimensional gold-assembled nanomaterials have garnered considerable interest in biomedical applications such as wearable sensors and flexible devices. The assembly can be accomplished via attractive interactions between gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and a standard polymer. It is highly desirable and a great challenge to develop a new assembly method that can provide formed materials with novel properties. In this work, we explored complementary DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (DNA-GNPs) as building blocks to establish multifunctional two-dimensional gold nanomaterials via layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. We found that the DNA-mediated assembly endows GNP films with a superlattice and their sonic behavior could be regulated in a controllable manner through altering the sequence of SH-DNA and linker DNA, which was detected by the electric-induced ultrasound method. Our observation suggested that this DNA-mediated assembly of GNP films with controllable sonic behaviors could greatly promote the biomedical application of two-dimensional assembled-gold nanomaterials.

Bee Community in Open-Field Tomato Crop and Pollination Effect by Wild Bees on the Fruit Production

Bees are important components of the pollinator community of most ecosystems, contributing to the production of crops. The knowledge on the bees’fauna associated with crops and the pollination effect performed by bees on the fruit production and quality is important to the design, planning, and execution of projects to conserve pollinator populations in agricultural systems. The objectives of this work were to identify bees visiting tomato flowers, verify the climate variable and the day period on bee forage activity, and to evaluate the fruit production with different pollination types. The study was conducted from July 2015 to September 2017 in the Norte de Minas and Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Eleven tomato fields were sampled. Fruit set and fruit quality from different pollination methods was evaluated with the following treatments: single visit (SV), open pollination (OP), mechanical pollination (MP) and control (self-pollination) (C). A total of 1,998 individuals distributed in Andrenidae, Apidae, and Halictidae families were collected, with greater abundance and species richness for Apidae. The tomato fruit mass was higher in the OP than in the SV and MP, which differed from the C. The high abundance of Exomalopsis analis and its occurrence in all fields, allied to its sonication behavior, indicate that this species is an important pollinator of the tomato. The tomato does not depend exclusively on bee pollination, but this improves its yield and quality, especially when performed by individuals of different species.

Effect of broadband chirp signal on the sonic behavior of the /kwa/ fishes inhabiting Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow

Early experiment to study acoustics of Posidonia oceanica seagrasses (USTICA99) transmitted acoustic chirp signals (0.2-16 kHz, 15.8 s) every minute during 3 days over a meadow. Receiving hydrophones recorded vocalizations from unknown fish inhabitants, which sound like /kwa/. Here, we address the impact of our measurements on this fish population. The authors’ ears analyzed the recordings to identify all fish vocalizations and attempt to recognize /kwa/ individuals based on timbre. A comparative analysis of the /kwa/ sound production within time intervals between and during chirp transmission was made to understand if and how the sonic behavior is affected. As in few similar studies for other anthropogenic noise sources on a limited number of species, there was an observable effect. The major part of the vocalization patterns that were identified within the chirp time interval started near the onset of the frequency sweep, which first spans the range of /kwa/ sound production (0.4-2 kHz). The number of single vocalizations per unit time during that period was close to that during the no-chirp time interval while during higher swept frequencies was markedly smaller. This suggests the fish detection range may extend toward ultrasound to avoid dolphin predators. Quantitative results will be presented.

Territorialisation sonore en mouvement. Un reportage sur l’occupation sonore de l’espace public des sans-abri à Grenoble

This research explores the political dimension of sonic environments within public space, with special attention on marginal stakeholders and their sonic behaviour. The aim is to investigate how public policies can relate to issues around the sonic environment and, more generally, how institutions can deal with social conflicts originated by a plurality of sonic perceptions. In order to do so, the paper presents the outcomes of field research developed in Grenoble in 2015, focusing on the “sonic deterritorialisation” of groups of homeless people in the inner city. The case study shows how certain kinds of everyday practices shape and affect sonic and public space and, in particular, the way in which sonic traces reveal social conflict. Homeless people’s occupation of public space often involves a sonic challenge to the status quo, which pits marginal stakeholders, citizens, and city users against one another – reflecting the necessity to establish new forms of coexistence. “Sonic marginality” is thus the consequence of a lack of understanding. It constitutes a ground upon which a new sonic acknowledgment of “otherness” might develop, and points up the necessary role of sonic studies in better implementing political awareness, and to propose innovative resolutions for social conflict.

Bumblebee sonication behavior changes with plant species and environmental conditions

Bumblebees collect pollen from some plants by grasping flowers and vibrating their flight muscles—a behavior termed buzz pollination, or sonication. The extent to which bees can and do alter their sonication has been scarcely documented. We show that bumblebees are capable of changing their vibration frequency. In two field studies, we found that relative humidity, date, and bee size are associated with sonication frequency and/or duration. We found that the frequency and duration of sonications differed on different plants. In a greenhouse study, we found that individual bumblebees change their sonication frequency and duration when collecting pollen from flowers of three different Solanum plants. This suggests that bees may change their sonication behavior to optimize pollen release from different types of flowers.

The neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid, affects Bombus impatiens (bumblebee) sonication behavior when consumed at doses below the LD50.

We investigated changes in sonication (or buzz-pollination) behavior of Bombus impatiens bumblebees, after consumption of the neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid. We measured sonication frequency, sonication length, and flight (wing beat) frequency of marked bees collecting pollen from Solanum lycopsersicum (tomato), and then randomly assigned bees to consume 0, 0.0515, 0.515, or 5.15ng of imidacloprid. We recorded the number of bees in each treatment group that resumed sonication behavior after consuming imidacloprid, and re-measured sonication and flight behavior for these bees. We did not find evidence that consuming 0.0515ng imidacloprid affected the sonication length, sonication frequency, or flight frequency for bees that sonicated after consuming imidacloprid; we were unable to test changes in these variables for bees that consumed 0.515 or 5.15ng because we did not observe enough of these bees sonicating after treatment. We performed Cox proportional hazard regression to determine whether consuming imidacloprid affected the probability of engaging in further sonication behavior on S. lycopersicum and found that bumblebees who consumed 0.515 or 5.15ng of imidacloprid were significantly less likely to sonicate after treatment than bees who consumed no imidacloprid. At the end of the experiment, we classified bees as dead or alive; our data suggest a trend of increasing mortality with higher doses of imidacloprid. Our results show that even modest doses of imidacloprid can significantly affect the likelihood of bumblebees engaging in sonication, a behavior critical for the pollination of a variety of crops and other plants.

Shakers and head bangers: differences in sonication behavior between Australian Amegilla murrayensis (blue-banded bees) and North American Bombus impatiens (bumblebees)

Many bees collect pollen by grasping the anthers of a flower and vibrating their flight muscles at high frequencies—a behavior termed sonication, or buzz-pollination. Here we compare buzz-pollination on Solanum lycopersicum (cherry tomatoes) by two bees that fill similar niches on different continents—in Australia, Amegilla murrayensis (blue-banded bee), and in North America, Bombus impatiens (bumblebee). We collected audio recordings of buzz-pollination and quantified the frequency and length of buzzes, as well as the total time spent per flower. We found that A. murrayensis buzzes at significantly higher frequencies (~350 Hz) than B. impatiens (~240 Hz) and flaps its wings at higher frequencies during flight. There was no difference in the length of a single buzz, but A. murrayensis spent less time on each flower, as B. impatiens buzzed the flower several times before departing, whereas A. murrayensis typically buzzed the flower only once. High-speed videos of A. murrayensis during buzz-pollination revealed that its physical interaction with the flower differs markedly from the mechanism described for Bombus and other bees previously examined. Rather than grasping the anther cone with its mandibles and shaking, A. murrayensis taps the anther cone with its head at the high buzzing frequencies generated by its flight muscles. This unique behavior, combined with its higher buzzing frequency and reduced flower visit duration, suggests that A. murrayensis may be able to extract pollen more quickly than B. impatiens, and points to the need for further studies directly comparing the pollination effectiveness of these species.

Sound production of spawning lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) in the Lake Winnebago watershed, Wisconsin, USA

Summary The primary goal of this study was to obtain accurate data of previously undocumented lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) spawning sounds, generated during wild sturgeon reproduction. Biologists have long known that lake sturgeon produce low-frequency sounds during spawning bouts; energy from these sounds can break the surface of the water occasionally and propagate harmonics in the terrestrial atmosphere, creating a faint drumming popularly known as ‘sturgeon thunder’. Understanding the contribution of this sonic behavior in context is essential for gaining a more comprehensive scientific appreciation of the process of sturgeon spawning, and accurate acoustic data should prove useful for fisheries managers seeking to monitor or enhance sturgeon stocks for reproductive activity. Recordings were made at several locations on the Wolf and Embarrass rivers during the 2011–2013 spawning seasons. Drumming sounds ranging from 5 to 8 Hz fundamental frequency were evident. Other characteristic noises associated with spawning lake sturgeon, including low-frequency rumbles and hydrodynamic sounds, were identified. Other high frequency sounds were also discovered. All of these sounds coalesce into a distinctive acoustic signature of lake sturgeon spawning activity. Knowledge of this sonic signature can be used to accurately document reproductive activity at multiple locations over extended periods using remote recording tools and techniques.

Expressing, Communicating, Sharing and Representing Grief and Sorrow with Organised Sound (Musings in Eight Short Segments)

Section I. Marcus Cato and MeIn Ancient Rome Marcus Cato (234-149 BC), commonly surnamed the Censor, or the Wise, would often speak up in the Senate and, whatever the topic under discussion, he would unfailingly start with words such as 'the City of Carthage must be destroyed' ('Carthago delenda est'). He was obsessed with the idea that Carthage, the great power competing with Rome for dominance in the Mediterranean, should be annihilated. At some point, the Phoenician city was indeed destroyed by the Romans.It is impossible for me to feel strongly about power struggles that took place in antiquity, but I carry an obsession myself, somewhat like Marcus Cato did, and I know what it feels like having one; however, the one I have is, luckily, harmless. Whatever musical topic is put on the table, I cannot help taking it as an opportunity to observe and check whether it offers any good reasons to review, refine or possibly correct our general idea of what 'music' is. That is probably because, already at the beginning of my professional life, I had to completely revise my own concept of music.1 There was a lot of revising to do because my early training took place at the Milan conservatory, the atmosphere of which could not have been more exclusively rooted in the Western tradition, to the exclusion of all others.2 Moreover, in Milan I was indoctrinated to believe in that cluster of Romantic leftovers that still lingers in most conservatories: 'great art is immortal', 'its import is intrinsic to the work itself', 'produced by a genius', 'result of a single creative mind', and so on; they are all residual Romantic attitudes that later, during my doctoral training in sociology and ethnomusicology, I completely rejected. Now I am constantly on guard, ready for clues that may lead me to change my mind once again on concepts and ideas we may uncritically take for granted.3 After all, our understanding of reality is at best incomplete and, therefore, always provisional.The subject of 'laments'-chosen for the ICTM Colloquium that was held at The Australian National University in Canberra in 2011, for which this article was prepared-immediately appeared to me as a wonderful opportunity to cultivate my 'obsession', and venture a few considerations that go a bit beyond the subject itself.Section II. Laments and their Archaic FeaturesThe experience of sorrow is certainly universal. Forms of behaviour meant to express, communicate and share loss and bereavement-with or through organised sound-exist across most cultures, just like other practices where organised sound relates to the life cycle: lullabies, nursery rhymes, love songs, marriage songs, carols, and so on. Early twentieth-century German ethnologists of the Kulturkreislehre School believed forms of sonic behaviour expressing grief and sorrow, along with yodel, healing songs and cattle calls, represent an archaic surviving layer of European (and possibly universal) folklore.4 Kulturkreis theories-never adopted in France, Britain and North America- are today abandoned, given the more culture-specific and historically shorterrange interests of work done today.5 And yet no-one has proved the Kulturkreis approach to be wrong so far. Indeed, laments, yodel, healing songs and cattle calls frequently exhibit a characteristic 'tumbling strain profile' (a gradually descending melodic contour and a 'decrescendo', as the singer runs out of breath) that Curt Sachs, Marius Schneider and Walter Wiora-all of them influenced by the Kulturkreis approach-described as an archaic feature.6 Laments, yodel, healing songs and cattle calls are also usually-at least in the Mediterranean area-made up of few tones (less than five), and their frequent non-strophic character also seems to point to their antiquity. Whether we look at them from a diffusionist (that is, monogenetic) or, on the contrary, a polygenetic outlook, it does not ultimately make any substantial difference, as both would lead us to believe that such widespread cultural traits go back to a past, prior to recorded history. …

Multiple image artifacts with linear sonic transducers

The multielement arrays used nowadays for diagnostic purposes can, by means of digital signal processing, produce exact images with no problem. When physical limits were reached however, geometric image artifacts also became more evident, thereby making diagnosis more difficult or uncertain. Multiple images became especially evident during tests in the early stages of pregnancy, making it harder to differentiate between single and multiple pregnancies , particularly as dynamic processes such as the heart beat can be shown double at a certain phase in the pregnancy. Artifacts were also observed in the form of multiple echos during control checks on the position of intrauterine contraceptive devices and when investigating gynaecological tumors. These artifacts are ascribed to sonic behaviour at interfaces and are representable as a function of the sonic angle of incidence primarily in one plane--the cross section. They appear virtually symmetrical and can be wiped out by moving the sonic transducer. Although there is no problem in recognising the double phenomena as being artifacts in checks on the position of IUD's, all multiple structures should be clarified by suitable examination techniques especially during the early stages of pregnancy and with tumours.

Ultrasonic Degradation of Waxy Rice Starch

Sonication behavior of waxy rice starch in water has been investigated in terms of number average molecular weight and molecular weight distribution evaluated by gel permeation chromatography. Observed results on decreases in number average molecular weight indicated the ultrasonic degradation of waxy rice starch. The rate of degradation was accelerated at or above the temperature where gelatinization started. High sonopower also accelerated the degradation rate. After long sonication, the value of number average molecular weight tended to an limiting constant value, and the molecular weight distribution tended to be fairly narrow. Observing degradation curves of other water soluble α-glucans, dextran, and pullulan, in addition, it was found that branched α-glucans have larger limiting molecular size than the unbranched one has, and an universal degradation curve can be obtained by plotting the ratio of the molecular size of the degraded α-glucan to the correspondent limiting one against time.

Courtship communication and hearing in an African electric fish

Among sound‐producing fishes, Pollimyrus isidori is of particular interest because of its unusually large repertoire of sounds (5), and because its ears (sacculi) are specialized for sound pressure detection. Males use temporally patterned sounds for courting females, and the male's sonic behavior is elicited by electric signals from the female. The courtship sounds are composed of trains of clicks, and inter‐click interval (ICI) distinguishes the different sounds. The processing of these temporal features is being explored in the brain (mesencephalon) with single unit electrophysiology. The P. isidori auditory system is most sensitive to sounds in the region where amplitude spectrum for the communication sounds peaks (235 Hz), and at a distance of a meter from a sound‐producing male (i.e., about 20 body lengths) many neurons would be at least 20–30 dB above threshold. Most neurons are broadly tuned (Q10dB⩽2), and precisely represent temporal periodicities in their phase‐locked activity. A subpopulation of neurons shows an increased probability of response when the ICI is close to that of one of the courtship sounds. These neurons probably play an important role in the brain's analysis of temporal features of communication sounds. [Work supported by NIH NRSA DC00020‐02 and CDR P50 DC00293‐06.]

Sex Recognition by Electric Cues in a Sound-Producing Mormyrid Fish, <i>Pollimyrus isidori</i> (Part 2 of 2)

This paper evaluates the role of electric cues in the sex recognition behavior of an African electric fish, <i>Pollimyrus isidori, </i>during courtship behavior observed in the laboratory. I examined the importance of the electric organ discharge (EOD: waveform of the stereotyped electric organ discharge) and the sequence of pulse intervals (SPI: temporal pattern formed by sequences inter-EOD intervals) experimentally by presenting caged fishes, and electric playbacks (models) to male residents. In this species males court females with sounds, and I used this sonic behavior to measure sex recognition. Resident males produced many more grunt sounds when females were introduced onto their territories, compared with caged males, revealing that residents discriminated the sex of the caged fish. Response rates were correlated with characteristic patterns in the SPI of the introduced fish, suggesting that discrimination was based on electric cues. Moreover, I noted several significant sex differences in the SPIs of caged fishes. Residents also discriminated between electric signals from female and male fishes, played to them through electrodes, indicating that electric cues alone were sufficient for sex recognition. An ANOVA was used to ascertain the role of the SPI and the EOD, by analyzing responses to natural female and male models, as well as responses to male EODs combined with female SPIs, and to female EODs combined with male SPIs (hybrid models). I found that discriminating residents used SPI cues alone, with no dependence on the EOD. Taken together with new data showing that females generate a highly regular SPI during natural courtship encounters with singing males, these results show that SPIs are important in sex recognition in <i>P. isidori.</i>

Sex Recognition by Electric Cues in a Sound-Producing Mormyrid Fish, &lt;i&gt;Pollimyrus isidori&lt;/i&gt; (Part 1 of 2)

This paper evaluates the role of electric cues in the sex recognition behavior of an African electric fish, Polimyrus isidori, during courtship behavior observed in the laboratory. I examined the importance of the electric organ discharge (EOD: waveform of the stereotyped electric organ discharge) and the sequence of pulse intervals (SPI: temporal pattern formed by sequences inter-EOD intervals) experimentally by presenting caged fishes, and electric playbacks (models) to male residents. In this species males court females with sounds, and I used this sonic behavior to measure sex recognition. Resident males produced many more grunt sounds when females were introduced onto their territories, compared with caged males, revealing that residents discriminated the sex of the caged fish. Response rates were correlated with characteristic patterns in the SPI of the introduced fish, suggesting that discrimination was based on electric cues. Moreover, I noted several significant sex differences in the SPIs of caged fishes. Residents also discriminated between electric signals from female and male fishes, played to them through electrodes, indicating that electric cues alone were sufficient for sex recognition. An ANOVA was used to ascertain the role of the SPI and the EOD, by analyzing responses to natural female and male models, as well as responses to male EODs combined with female SPIs, and to female EODs combined with male SPIs (hybrid models). I found that discriminating residents used SPI cues alone, with no dependence on the EOD. Taken together with new data showing that females generate a highly regular SPI during natural courtship encounters with singing males, these result show that SPIs are important in sex recognition in P. isidori.