Journal of Natural Environment

Assessing the effects of traffic noise on bird communities in Golestan National Park

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc. Student, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

2 Associate professor of Environmental Sciences, College of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

3 Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences, College of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Abstract

Biodiversity is being lost at an increased rate as a result of human activities. One of the major threats to biodiversity is infrastructural development such as roads which have important negative and some positive ecological effects on wild birds. In many cases, decreased bird densities have been observed in large zones adjacent to busy roads. Indices of diversity and birds’ correlation with traffic noise and other environmental variables were studied using a Systematic-Random sampling method in Golestan National Park. The sampling stations were selected at 76 points in various distances from the main road crossing the park. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) was used for determination of the measure of association between the birds and environmental variables such as noise level, temperature, number of vehicles and humidity. The equivalent sound level "LAeq", effective width of road, number of vehicles and horn beeping, species diversity and distribution of birds in the study area and temperature and humidity comprised the variables recorded at the sampling stations. Some bird species such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, robins, chaffinches and blackbirds were most sensitive to sound level. In contrast, golden eagle showed more resistance to adverse effects of proximity to roads.

Keywords

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Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 67, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
January 2015
Pages 435-447