Justin D'Agostino, Dena J. Clink, Abdullah Abdullah, Stephanie Spehar
Anthropogenic noise is a pervasive byproduct of human activity that increasingly impacts wildlife behavior and ecology. This study examines the travel behavior of wild siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) in response to playback experiments simulating the anthropogenic noises of a jackhammer, traffic, music, and a natural sound control of cicada calls. Over the course of 12 months, seven siamang groups from four field sites in northern Sumatra were studied using GPS-tracked movement patterns pre- and post-playback experiments. We found that siamangs traveled substantially farther following anthropogenic noise playbacks compared to baseline conditions, with the strongest responses to traffic and jackhammer stimuli. Although no significant group level differences (defined here as consistent differences in response patterns across siamang groups) between playback types were observed, there was anecdotal evidence that one group separated in response to noise events. This suggests that anthropogenic noise has the potential to disrupt pair bonds and influence home range usage, with potential fitness consequences. This research underscores the need for further investigation into the ecological impacts of anthropogenic noise and its implications for wildlife conservation. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States; K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, United States
Research at a Glance
Register to unlock
Topics & SDG Alignment
Register to unlock
Collaboration
Register to unlock
Author Profile (Selected)
Register to unlock
References Overview
Register to unlock
Journal & Source
Register to unlock
Metadata & Integrity
Register to unlock