Evidence of the Environmental Impact of Noise Pollution on Biodiversity: a Systematic Map Protocol
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Sordello et al. Environ Evid (2019) 8:8 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-019-0146-6 Environmental Evidence SYSTEMATIC MAP PROTOCOL Open Access Evidence of the environmental impact of noise pollution on biodiversity: a systematic map protocol Romain Sordello1*, Frédérique Flamerie De Lachapelle2, Barbara Livoreil3 and Sylvie Vanpeene4 Abstract Background: For decades, biodiversity has sufered massive losses worldwide. Urbanization is one of the major driv- ers of extinction because it leads to the physical fragmentation and loss of natural habitats and it is associated with related efects, e.g. pollution and in particular noise pollution given that many man-made sounds are generated in cit- ies (e.g. industrial and trafc noise, etc.). However, all human activities generate sounds, even far from any human hab- itation (e.g. motor boats on lakes, aircraft in the air, etc.). Ecological research now deals increasingly with the efects of noise pollution on biodiversity. Many studies have shown the impacts of anthropogenic noise and concluded that it is potentially a threat to life on Earth. The present work describes a protocol to systematically map evidence of the environmental impact of noise pollution on biodiversity. The resulting map will inform on the species most studied and on the demonstrated impacts. This will be useful for further primary research by identifying knowledge gaps and in view of further analysis, such as systematic reviews. Methods: Searches will include peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English and French. Two online databases will be searched using English terms and search consistency will be assessed with a test list. No geographi- cal restrictions will be applied. The subject population will include all species. Exposures will include all types of man-made sounds (industrial, trafc, etc.) in all types of environments (or media) (terrestrial, aerial, aquatic), includ- ing all contexts and sound origins (spontaneous or recorded sounds, in situ or laboratory studies, etc.). All relevant outcomes will be considered (space use, reproduction, communication, abundance, etc.). An open-access database will be produced with all relevant studies selected during the three screening stages. For each study, the database will contain metadata on key variables of interest (species, types of sound, outcomes, etc.). This database will be available in conjunction with a map report describing the mapping process and the evidence base with summary fgures and tables of the study characteristics. Keywords: Noise, Pollution, Man-made sounds, Anthropogenic sounds, Masking auditory, Urban noise, Trafc noise, Impact of urbanization, Species loss, Natural habitats, Ecosystems Background invasive alien species (e.g. [24]). All the above are caused For decades, biodiversity has sufered massive losses by human activities and scientists regularly alert the worldwide. Species are disappearing (e.g. [36]), popula- international community concerning our responsibil- tions are collapsing (e.g. [15]), species’ ranges are chang- ity [30]. In particular, urban growth is one of the major ing (both shrinking and expanding) at unprecedented reasons for biodiversity loss [21, 29] in that it destroys rates (e.g. [7]) and communities are being displaced by natural habitats, fragments the remaining ecosystems (e.g. [40]) and also has other impacts, such as pollution. For example, cities produce artifcial light at night that *Correspondence: [email protected] 1 UMS Patrimoine Naturel (PATRINAT), AFB-CNRS-MNHN, 36 rue disturbs circadian rhythms, impacting plants and animals Geofroy-Saint-Hilaire CP41, 75005 Paris, France [2, 13]. Similarly, many man-made sounds are gener- Full list of author information is available at the end of the article ated in cities, by trafc and numerous human activities © The Author(s) 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creat iveco mmons .org/licen ses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creat iveco mmons .org/ publi cdoma in/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Sordello et al. Environ Evid (2019) 8:8 Page 2 of 7 (industrial, commercial, etc.) [39]. In fact, anthropo- only one biological group, such as Morley et al. [25] on genic noise is omnipresent and ranges beyond cities. All invertebrates, Patricelli and Blickley [27] on birds and human activities generate noise, even far from cities (e.g. Popper and Hastings [28] on fsh. A synthesis published motor boats on lakes, aircraft in the sky, etc.) and those by Shannon et al. in 2016 [34] is more general and comes sounds can reach wild, uninhabited places [16]. closer to a systematic map, but the search strategy would Many studies have shown that such sounds may have seem to be incomplete. Te literature search was per- considerable impact on animals. However, sound is not a formed on only one database (ISI Web of Science within problem in itself. A majority of species use, hear and emit selected subject areas) and the review did not include sounds (e.g. Romer and Bailey 1990 [32]). Sounds are grey literature. Finally, a meta-analysis was performed often used to communicate between partners or conspe- by Roca et al. [31], but it dealt exclusively with birds and cifcs, or to detect prey or predators. Te problem arises amphibians and the authors were interested in only one when sounds turn into “noise”, i.e. a disturbance or even efect (vocalization adjustment). a form of pollution. In this case, man-made sounds can Tis report describes the protocol used to develop a mask and inhibit animal sounds and/or animal audition systematic map of noise pollution and biodiversity. Te and it has been shown to afect communication [37], use systematic map will provide further information on the of space [10] or reproduction [3]. Tis problem afects knowledge currently available on this issue. It will include many biological groups such as birds [19], amphibians all the relevant studies (with grey literature) collected [9], reptiles [22], fsh [1], mammals [34, 35] and inver- after three screening stages. An open-access database will tebrates [6]. It spans several types of ecosystems includ- be produced, containing metadata for each study on key ing terrestrial [18], aquatic [17] and coastal ecosystems variables of interest (species, types of sound, efects, etc.). [33]. Many types of sounds produced by human activities Tis database will be available in conjunction with a map would seem to be a form of noise pollution afecting bio- report describing the mapping process and the evidence diversity, including trafc [20], ships [38], aircraft [4] and base. It will include aggregate data and tables of the study industrial activities [23]. Noise pollution can also act in characteristics to highlight any gaps in the research evi- synergy with other disturbances, for example light pollu- dence concerning the issue. tion [26]. For decades, noise regulations have focused on Objective of the map human disorders but recently, public policies in biodi- Te objective of the systematic map is to assess the bio- versity conservation have started to pay more attention logical and ecological impacts of noise pollution. Noise to noise pollution. In 1996, for the frst time, the Euro- pollution is considered here as anthropogenic noise. It pean Commission’s Green Paper on Future Noise Con- does not include noise made by other animals (e.g. cho- trol Policy dealt with noise pollution from the point of rus frogs) or natural events (e.g. thunder, waterfalls). view of environmental protection. Today in Europe, quiet Te systematic map will address all man-made noise areas are recommended to guarantee the tranquility of whatever its origin (road trafc, industrial machines, fauna [12]. Since 2000 in France, an article in “Code de boats, planes, etc.), its environment or media (terrestrial, l’environnement” (art. L571-1) has contained the terms aquatic, aerial) or its type (infrasound, ultrasound, white “harms the environment” with respect to disturbances noise, etc.). Te goal is to provide a comprehensive image due to noise. To further mitigate the efects of noise pol- of the available knowledge on this topic and to quantify lution on biodiversity, the French Ecology Ministry wants the literature by taxonomic groups, types of impacts and to obtain more information on the impacts of noise on even types of studies. For this reason, the systematic map biodiversity in order to initiate policies focused on spe- will cover all species. It will deal with all kinds of impacts, cies which are known to be highly exposed. Te Min- from biological to ecological (use of space, reproduc- istry is also interested in the types of impacts that have tion, communication, abundance, etc.). It will encompass been efectively demonstrated and in the types of noise in situ studies as well as ex situ studies (aquariums, labo- that have been proven to afect wildlife. We proposed to ratories, cages, etc.). produce a systematic map of the literature dealing with Te primary question is: what is the evidence that man- this issue to provide the Ministry with a report on cur- made noise impacts biodiversity? rent knowledge and to identify sectors (sources, types of Te secondary question is: which species, kinds of impact, etc.) where research is needed to fll in knowl- impacts and types of noise are most studied? edge gaps. Te components of the systematic map are detailed in A preliminary search did not identify any existing sys- Table 1. tematic maps or reviews, however a few reviews of the literature have been published. Most of them concern Sordello et al. Environ Evid (2019) 8:8 Page 3 of 7 Table 1 Components of the systematic map Population All wild species Exposure All anthropogenic noises (e.g.