Annotated Bibliography Impacts of Noise on Wildlife National

costs of chronic noise exposure for terrestrial organisms. Growth in transportation networks, resource extraction, motorized recreation and urban development is responsible for chronic noise exposure in most terrestrial areas, including remote wilderness sites. Increased noise levels reduce the distance and area over which acoustic signals can be perceived by animals. Here, we review a broad range of findings that indicate the potential severity of this threat to diverse taxa, and recent studies that document substantial changes in foraging and anti-predator behavior, reproductive success, density and community structure in response to noise. Effective management of protected areas must include noise assessment, and research is needed to further quantify the ecological consequences of chronic noise exposure in terrestrial environments. Humans, particularly in cities, are noisy. Researchers are only just beginning to identify the implications of an increase in noise for species that communicate acoustically. In a recent paper, Slabbekoorn and Peet show, for the first time, that some birds can respond to anthropogenically elevated noise levels by altering the frequency structure of their songs. Cities are fruitful grounds for research on the evolution of animal communication systems, with broader implications for conservation in human-altered environments. The discussion of noise effects involves physical, physiological aspects making an evaluation quite difficult. In humans the effects of noise range from discomfort to severe, irreversible damage. In laboratory animals only strong and long lasting noise causes physiological changes that can affect health. These findings are only partly applicable to wild animals. Field studies have to deal carefully