Effects of Ambient Noise on Nestling Birds.

对于利用声音寻找资源、躲避捕食者和交流的动物来说，环境或背景噪音是一个普遍的挑战。动物有适应能力，可以减少风和雨等自然噪音的干扰。然而，他们越来越多地暴露在道路、机械和城市扩张产生的人为噪音中，这些适应可能是无效的。人类产生的噪音正在全球范围内传播和加剧，其对许多动物物种的潜在影响已被确定为紧迫的保护优先事项。*越来越多的文献表明，噪音会分散听众的注意力，掩盖或掩盖相关声音，并增加压力水平，所有这些都可能对繁殖成功和生存产生影响。大多数关于这一主题的研究都集中在成年动物身上，但幼年动物也可能受到噪音的影响。例如，许多物种的幼崽特别依赖声音来评估它们的环境，因为它们被限制在洞穴和巢中，那里的视力受到限制。此外，与成年动物相比，幼年动物适应噪音的能力往往不发达。尽管如此，关于噪音对幼年自由生活动物的影响的深入研究很少。我研究项目的长期目标一直是了解影响鸟类亲子沟通的社会和环境因素。近年来，噪声对该通信系统的影响成为研究的重点。然而，越来越多的证据表明，噪音的影响可能远远超出交流，并对生命早期阶段的许多方面产生影响。因此，我的短期目标是检验这一假设，即长期升高的噪音会降低养育环境的质量，并对学习、压力生理和捕食风险产生影响。*在这个研究项目中，我和我的学生将测试a)噪音是否影响雏鸟学习如何对来自父母的关键信号和暗示做出反应，b)噪音是否会提高应激激素，以及c)雏鸟呼唤噪音的方式是否会增加捕食风险。除了这些主要问题外，我们还将通过测试d)噪音是否通过掩盖相关声音或是否以其他方式影响沟通(例如，通过分心)来完成关于噪音对父母-后代沟通影响的早期工作。*这项研究将首次考察噪音对自由生活动物早期发育的更广泛影响，因为它们可能特别容易受到噪音的影响。这项工作还将有助于我们理解饲养环境是否会自适应地塑造行为和生理，从而使动物能够更好地应对多变的环境。

Ambient or background noise is a universal challenge for animals that use sound to find resources, avoid predators, and communicate. Animals have adaptations to reduce interference from natural noise such as wind and rain. They are, however, increasingly exposed to human-generated noise from roadways, machinery and urban sprawl, where these adaptations may be ineffective. Human-generated noise is spreading and intensifying worldwide, and its potential to impact many animal species has been identified as an urgent conservation priority.*** A growing literature shows that noise can distract listeners, mask or cover-up relevant sounds, and raise stress levels, all with potential implications for reproductive success and survival. Most studies on this topic have focused on adult animals, but young animals may also be affected by noise. For instance, young of many species are especially reliant on sound to assess their environment because they are confined to burrows and nests, where vision is restricted. Also, the ability of young animals to adjust to noise is often underdeveloped compared to adults. Nonetheless, there are few in-depth studies of the effects of noise on young, free-living animals.******The long-term objective of my research program has been to understand the social and environmental factors that influence parent-offspring communication in birds. Recently, the research has focused on the effects of noise on this communication system. Growing evidence suggests, however, that noise effects may extend well beyond communication and have impacts on many aspects of this early life stage. Therefore, my short-term objective is to test the hypothesis that chronically elevated noise degrades the quality of the rearing environment, with impacts on learning, stress physiology, and predation risk. ***In this research program, my students and I will test a) whether noise affects how nestlings learn to respond to key signals and cues from the parents, b) whether noise elevates stress hormones and c) whether the manner in which nestlings call in noise increases predation risk. In addition to these main questions, we will complete earlier work on the effects of noise on parent-offspring communication, by testing d) whether noise disrupts communication by masking relevant sounds or whether it affects communication in other ways, for instance, through distraction.******This research will be the first to examine the broader effects of noise on free-living animals during early development when they may be especially vulnerable to its effects. The work will also contribute to our understanding of whether the rearing environment adaptively shapes behaviour and physiology, so that animals can better cope with changeable environments.********