Science is making it possible to 'hear' nature. It does more talking than we knew

[cbabe]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/30/science-hear-nature-digital-bioacoustics

Science is making it possible to ‘hear’ nature. It does more talking than we knew

With digital bioacoustics, scientists can eavesdrop on the natural world – and they’re learning some astonishing things

Wed 30 Nov 2022 02.16 EST

Scientists have recently made some remarkable discoveries about non-human sounds. With the aid of digital bioacoustics – tiny, portable digital recorders similar to those found in your smartphone – researchers are documenting the universal importance of sound to life on Earth.

As scientists eavesdrop on nature, they are learning some astonishing things. Many species that we once thought to be mute actually make noise – lots of it, in some cases. For example, research by Camila Ferrara at Brazil’s Wildlife Conservation Society has demonstrated that Amazonian sea turtles make more than 200 distinct sounds. Ferrara’s research showed that turtle hatchlings even make sounds while still in their eggs, before they hatch, to coordinate the moment of their birth. Ferrara’s acoustic research also revealed that mother turtles wait nearby in the river, calling to their babies to guide them to safety, away from predators: the first scientific evidence of parental care in turtles, which were previously thought to simply abandon their eggs.

…

Acoustic tuning is also widespread in nature. Coral and fish larvae find their way back home by imprinting on the unique sounds made by the reef where they were born. Moths have developed echolocation-jamming capabilities to hide themselves from bat sonar. Flowers and vines have evolved leaves to reflect echolocation back to bats, as if they were luring their pollinators with a bright acoustic flashlight. In response to the buzz of bees, flowers flood themselves with nectar. Plants respond to some sound frequencies by growing faster; and some species – including tomatoes, tobacco and corn seedlings – even make noise, although well above our hearing range.

…

As we grapple with these future-oriented questions, we should not forget about the pressing challenge of noise pollution, the reduction of which can have immediate, positive and significant impacts for non-humans and humans alike. Hushing the human cacophony is a major challenge of our time. Digital listening reveals that we have much more to learn about non-humans, and provides new ways to protect and conserve the environment. Perhaps one day we will invent a zoological version of Google Translate. But first we need to learn how to listen.

Karen Bakker is the director of the University of British Columbia’s Program on Water Governance and the author of The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants

[grumpyduck]

1. So if a tree falls in the forest...

[airplaneman]

8. So if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it

A poodle 1000 miles away will bark at it.

-Airplane

[TygrBright]

2. Wonderful! Reminds me of the moment my hearing aids first went in...

...I almost cried at the miraculous experience of a an aural spectrum that had been lost to me for so long I didn't even remember it.

But the key statement is also here: "Hushing the human cacophony is a major challenge of our time."

Thanks for posting!

appreciatively,
Bright

[ratchiweenie]

3. We know that plants react to music so this is no surprise.

[cbabe]

4. All God's Critters - John McCutcheon

All God's Critters - John McCutcheon

https://m.

[2naSalit]

5. Well...

If anyone had listened to the indigenous peoples who were already here over five centuries ago, you'd have known that way back then.

[tanyev]

6. Well that's cool.

[lark]

7. I lived in Strausbourg France for about a month.

It was delightful, it was so quiet compared to here. No auto traffic to speak of there, everyone takes the trains, light rail or buses. These are almost always right on time and inexpensive! People tell time by the cathedral bells and people take their time at lunch. Even working folks will bring a picnic basket and go to a park or join up with friends at a restaurant. It's a much quieter and friendly atmosphere.

It was hard adjusting to all the noise of living back in the USA.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Thank you, cbabe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️