Noise disrupts interdependencies in the web of life
A blog by Ocean Conservation Research: Science and Technology Serving the Sea
While it is easier to evaluate specific impacts of a stimulus on specific animals, we know that nature is not just a catalog of individual species; rather it is a fabric of interdependent organisms living in interconnected physical habitats.
This point is punctuated in a recent paper on the Proceedings of the Royal Society that evaluates the noise impacts of gas well fields on the pollination and dispersal of piñon pine seedlings in New Mexico.
Aerial view of roads and pipes of a fracking field operation
Gas wells use compressors which can be really noisy. The paper examines how the noise of a compressor field impacts hummingbirds that pollinate the piñons, and blue jays that disperse the piñon seeds. They found that the number of piñon seedlings were one quarter the density in the noisy compressor area than in quiet areas. This would indicate that the hummingbirds are not bothered by the noise, but the jays are.
This negative seed dispersal condition is further amplified by the fact that mice that eat the seeds are also not bothered by the noise, so that while there is no negative impact on pollination, the seeds that are produced are eaten by mice rather than distributed by jays.
Pazflor Field Layout for sea-floor processing
This is an example of how noise disrupts a simple set of relationships between three species of vertebrates, and how the disruption impacts one species of tree.
We know quite a bit about terrestrial interdependencies because we spend most of our time “on the ground.” But we can be sure that the ocean is full of equally important interdependencies which we have yet to discover.
2 Responses to Noise disrupts interdependencies in the web of life
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Wahinengaruma says:
I used to live in New Mexico for a year as an exchange student. Spent 10 days @ 4 corners w Navajo, Hopi, Zuni & host family. Also met my 1st piñon tree & whānau. Aue what are we doing to our mother & her children? Do we really need to sacrifice pure harmonic energy for destructive implosive explosive choking fossil-fuel derived energy? Father sun brother wind can we harness wat u freely and generously share w us humble humans? Help us apologise for & heal the hurt we bestow on each other & our mother earth.
I’ll just started to follow your journey. Met a young man on a plane to San Francisco who happened to be the brother of the communications person for Pacific Voyagers (karen?). He spoke so highly of his sister and entertained me with a few wonderful stories about his youth in France. What extremely important good work you and the team are doing!!! Hopefully with enough awareness, persistance and passion for the health of our world, we will turn back the clock of destruction! I will keep an eye on your ventures! God Speed!