DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The impact of novel sound on native acoustic communities

世界各地的自然环境正在经历越来越多的非自然噪音。 许多动物依靠声音来交流。 不自然的噪音会干扰交流，从而导致生存和繁殖的减少。 增加的噪音对动物的生态影响的研究通常集中在人类活动的噪音，如交通。 非本土动物也可能是噪音的来源，因为一些入侵物种会发出响亮的声音来吸引配偶和保卫领土。 这些声音可能会出现在特定的声音频率或时间，使本地动物难以交流。因此，本地和非本地动物可能会竞争发送和接收信号的能力，就像它们竞争食物和住所一样，但人们对此知之甚少。 这项拟议中的研究将利用古巴树蛙在佛罗里达的入侵来了解嘈杂的入侵者如何影响当地青蛙的交流。 通过表征来自入侵和未入侵地点的本地青蛙的叫声，以及它们对广播的古巴树蛙声音的反应，这项研究将测试入侵物种产生的噪音是否会影响本地青蛙的短期和长期叫声行为。 这个项目将提高我们对非自然噪音的生态影响的理解，并确定声学竞争对构建动物群落的重要性。入侵物种是全球生物多样性丧失的主要原因之一，仅在美国每年就造成数十亿美元的损失。 古巴树蛙破坏电力设备，侵入房屋，并引起人类皮肤过敏。 它们也可能通过与当地青蛙争夺可用资源来影响当地青蛙。 本地青蛙在生态系统中发挥着重要作用，吃破坏农作物的害虫，并被人类用作食物，诱饵和宠物。 确定古巴树蛙对本地青蛙的影响将有助于优先考虑保护这些重要动物的管理工作。 这项研究的结果将通过演示和互动展示与佛罗里达居民和宾夕法尼亚州中部的学龄儿童分享。此外，宾夕法尼亚州立大学的本科生来自科学代表性差的群体，将参与拟议工作的研究和推广部分。

Natural environments throughout the world are experiencing increasing levels of unnatural noise. Many animals rely on sound to communicate. Unnatural noise can interfere with communication and therefore lead to reduced survival and reproduction. Studies of ecological impacts of increased noise on animals typically focus on noise from human activities, such as from transportation. Non-native animals may also be a source of noise as some invasive species produce loud sounds to attract mates and defend territories. These sounds may occur at certain sound frequencies or times, making it difficult for native animals to communicate. As a result, native and non-native animals may compete for the ability to send and receive signals, just as they compete for food and shelter, but this is poorly understood. The proposed research will use the invasion of Cuban treefrogs in Florida to understand how noisy invaders can impact native frog communication. By characterizing the calls of native frogs from invaded and uninvaded locations, and their responses to broadcasted Cuban treefrog sounds, this research will test whether noise produced by invasive species impacts the calling behavior of native frogs in the short- and long-term. This project will enhance our understanding of the ecological impact of unnatural noise, and identify the importance of acoustic competition for structuring animal communities.Invasive species are one of the leading causes of global biodiversity loss and cost billions of dollars each year in the United States alone. Cuban treefrogs destroy electrical equipment, invade homes, and cause skin irritations in humans. They are also likely to affect native frogs by competing with them for available resources. Native frogs play an important role in the ecosystem, eat pest insects that damage crops, and are used by humans for food, bait, and pets. Identifying the impact of Cuban treefrogs on native frogs will help prioritize management efforts to protect these important animals. The findings of this research will be shared with Florida residents, and school-aged children in central Pennsylvania, through presentations and interactive displays. Additionally, Penn State University undergraduate students from groups poorly represented in science will be involved in the research and outreach components of the proposed work.