This archive report was first published on 20 November 2019.
Published on November 20, 2019, a study by scientists at Queen's University Belfast has shed light on the effects of human noise on the environment.
According to the study, which was published in the Royal Society's Biology Letters, human noise affects many species of amphibians, arthropods, birds, fish, mammals, molluscs, and reptiles.
From vehicles and industry in urban centres to planes flying overhead and ocean-going vessels, human noise pervades the environment, disrupting the natural habits of animals.
Reviewing a series of individual studies, Hansjoerg Kunc and Rouven Schmidt found that the issue should be seen as the majority of species responding to noise rather than a few species being particularly sensitive to noise.
"The interesting finding is that the species included range from little insects to large marine mammals such as whales," Kunc told AFP.
While some species may benefit from human noise, such as bats being unable to locate their insect prey, the overall impact is still one of serious disruption across the natural environment.
"Noise must be considered as a serious form of environmental change and pollution as it affects both aquatic and terrestrial species," the authors said.
