Percent-time Audibility of Natural and Anthropogenic Noise at Gettysburg National Military Park
Environmental Studies Senior Capstone
Description
Stable and natural acoustic environments, or soundscapes, are integral to US National Parks. Vistas tend to dominate the public perspective of National Parks, yet many aspects of the immediate environment are dependent on the ability of the visitor to hear. Likewise, the intrusion of anthropogenic noise in natural areas has emerged as a primary concern in National Parks in regards to both visitor experience and overall ecosystem health. According to National Park Service (NPS) research, 91% of park visitors agreed that “enjoyment of natural quiet and the sounds of nature [are] compelling reasons for visiting national parks." The introduction of anthropogenic sound has dramatic impacts on biological interactions and survival strategies of species using sound for mating, predation, and migration. With NPS prototype percent-time audibility software, we identified the dominant sources of natural and anthropogenic sound at five locations of varying disturbance throughout Gettysburg National Military Park (Little Round Top, Spangler's Spring, Big Round Top, Virginia Monument, and Reynolds Ave). Our results suggest that the soundscape of each site is severely impacted by vehicles and people with a total noise-free interval of 12.98%. Big Round Top had the highest disturbance rates with an observed mean anthropogenic noise-free interval of 0.375%. Wind was the primary masking agent in the park and decreased our ability to detect vehicles and birds. Identification of dominant sources of sound throughout the park will be helpful in developing management and policy guidelines to create enjoyable visitor experiences and healthier ecological environments.
Percent-time Audibility of Natural and Anthropogenic Noise at Gettysburg National Military Park
Glatfelter 102
Stable and natural acoustic environments, or soundscapes, are integral to US National Parks. Vistas tend to dominate the public perspective of National Parks, yet many aspects of the immediate environment are dependent on the ability of the visitor to hear. Likewise, the intrusion of anthropogenic noise in natural areas has emerged as a primary concern in National Parks in regards to both visitor experience and overall ecosystem health. According to National Park Service (NPS) research, 91% of park visitors agreed that “enjoyment of natural quiet and the sounds of nature [are] compelling reasons for visiting national parks." The introduction of anthropogenic sound has dramatic impacts on biological interactions and survival strategies of species using sound for mating, predation, and migration. With NPS prototype percent-time audibility software, we identified the dominant sources of natural and anthropogenic sound at five locations of varying disturbance throughout Gettysburg National Military Park (Little Round Top, Spangler's Spring, Big Round Top, Virginia Monument, and Reynolds Ave). Our results suggest that the soundscape of each site is severely impacted by vehicles and people with a total noise-free interval of 12.98%. Big Round Top had the highest disturbance rates with an observed mean anthropogenic noise-free interval of 0.375%. Wind was the primary masking agent in the park and decreased our ability to detect vehicles and birds. Identification of dominant sources of sound throughout the park will be helpful in developing management and policy guidelines to create enjoyable visitor experiences and healthier ecological environments.