JERUSALEM | Xinhua | A new study found that road traffic noise affects wildlife across vast non-urban areas, reaching much farther from roads than previously thought, according to a statement from Israel’s Ben Gurion University.
The study found that noise pollution penetrates deep into natural areas, including protected zones, and that dense vegetation can sometimes carry noise farther than open spaces, depending on traffic.
Road noise is a widespread pollutant that disrupts animals in many ways, from communication to breeding. While its effects have long been studied, measuring how far the noise spreads and the scale of its impact has been difficult.
To address this, researchers combined data from multiple studies and used soundscapes to illustrate how sound travels across landscapes. Focusing on bird breeding behavior as a key indicator, they analyzed traffic and habitat types to create a large-scale map showing noise’s impact on wildlife.
The researchers said their findings highlight the need to include animal behavior in environmental planning to guide conservation and reduce the impact of human noise on wildlife. ■
