Ekologiska konsekvenser avintermittent buller: en studie av fåglars akustiska beteende under infrastrukturprojekt

Sammanfattning

Anthropogenic noise from infrastructure projects threatens avian communication,and even if there are studies on chronic disturbances, impacts of intermittentdisturbances like weekday-restricted construction remain understudied. This studyexamines how noise from a bridge construction (active Monday–Thursday)influenced bird song frequency near Stäksundet, Sweden (July 2022–December2023). Using BirdNET-Pi, an acoustic monitoring system, 139,135 vocalizations from118 species was analysed. A convolutional neural network (CNN) identified speciesfrom 3-second audio segments. Statistical analyses compared song frequenciesbetween workdays and weekends for two species: house martin (Delichon urbicum),specialist and common gull (Larus canus), generalist. Song activity was significantlylower on workdays (U = 39,408, p < 0.001), with no compensatory nighttime singing.Both species showed similar reductions, indicating no resilience difference betweenspecialists and generalists (Wald χ²(1) = 0.088, p = 0.766). Construction noise’sbroad frequency profile, overlapping avian communication bands, may equally affectboth groups. These findings highlight ecological risks of intermittent noise, especiallyduring breeding seasons. Even though further studies need to be done concerningecological effects of intermittent disturbances, I advocate integrating acousticassessments into environmental planning, prioritizing noise reduction (e.g., soundbarriers), and scheduling disruptive activities outside sensitive periods. This workunderscores the need for dynamic conservation strategies balancing infrastructureand ecosystem resilience.