White-tailed deer shape the acoustic properties of their forest habitat

According to a study published February 13, 2019 in the open access journal, deer's eating habits shape the acoustic properties of their forest habitat, which could affect the vocal communication of songbirds and other species living in the undergrowth PLOS ONE Timothy J. Boycott of Vbadar College and his colleagues.

Virginia deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are increasing throughout North America. Their dietary (navigation) habits directly shape their forest habitat – primarily by reducing the abundance and diversity of shrubs and understorey trees. Heavily wooded areas tend to reverberate and disperse the sound more easily than open spaces; the transmission of sound is therefore an essential element of communication for species, especially songbirds.

To determine the effect of deer navigation on sound transmission, the researchers played recorded sounds representing sounds and trills of songbirds, as well as white noise, in twinned plots that have been closed to exclude deer or left open as usual. To compare acoustic differences between plots, the authors examined fidelity, amplitude, and attenuation of sounds on plots.

The sonic fidelity of deer plots was much greater than that of deer plots, although there was no significant difference in amplitude, which the authors attributed to the reduced density of deer plots. undergrowth vegetation in plots occupied by fallow deer. The discovery suggests that singing bird vocalizations could be more effective and convey information more clearly, both to intended recipients and to unexpected recipients such as predators, in deer environments.

This study examined the transmission of sound over a distance of 11 m or less, so future studies examining vocalizations of songbirds over longer distances and with different levels of deer may be required. Nevertheless, these results suggest that white-tailed deer grazing in forests could have both acoustic and ecological effects.

Gall adds: "Although we know a lot about the effects of deer grazing on vegetation and the effects of vegetation on the propagation of sound, the two have never been linked. traditional ecology of deer grazing and ask how deer could influence the communication space for animals. "

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More information:
Boycott TJ, Gao J, Gall MD (2019) Deer grazing modifies sound propagation in temperate hardwood forests. PLoS ONE 14 (2): e0211569. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211569