Habitat preference contributes to explaining the varied sensitivity of bats to anthropogenic noise

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 302; p. 110974
• Main Authors: Li, Aoqiang, Tian, Xiaotong, Ma, Nina, Luo, Jinhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2025
• Subjects: Auditory masking; biodiversity conservation; Echolocating bats; echolocation; forage; habitat preferences; Habitat selection; humans; Meta-analysis; Molossidae; Noise pollution; pollutants; species; surveys; transportation; vegetation; Vespertilionidae; wildlife; Auditory masking; Echolocating bats; Noise pollution; Habitat selection; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 0006-3207
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110974

Anthropogenic noise is a global pollutant that negatively affects a wide range of wildlife, both on land and in water. It has long been recognized that there are marked variations in animals' sensitivity to noise disturbance across individuals and species and behavioral contexts for the same individuals. For biodiversity conservation and management, it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms for the subject- and context-dependent responses of wildlife to human disturbances. Here we used meta-analysis and statistical models to understand the biological and ecological traits that may explain the differential responses of bats to anthropogenic noise. Bats, the second-largest order of mammals, play indispensable ecological roles but face various human threats. The literature survey revealed that only 33 studies had investigated the effects of anthropogenic noise on 60 bat species, representing approximately 4 % of the total bat species and being largely (92 %) restrained to the families Vespertilionidae and Molossidae. The statistical analyses revealed that transportation and urban noise were the more disturbing to bats. Bat species that forage in narrow and edge spaces were more sensitive to anthropogenic noise than those that forage in open spaces. Bat species using longer echolocation calls were more sensitive to noise disturbance. Furthermore, compared to orienting and vocalizing bats, foraging bats were more sensitive to noise disturbance. These data indicated that anthropogenic noise, particularly traffic noise, needs to be carefully managed for forests and other types of vegetation used by foraging bats. •Bats are under-represented mammals for which anthropogenic noise effects have been examined.•Bats are generally sensitive to low-frequency anthropogenic noise disturbance, despite their reliance on ultrasonic sounds.•Habitat preference helps to explain the varied effects of anthropogenic noise on bats.•Bats that use forests and other types of vegetation as habitats should be prioritized for managing the impacts of anthropogenic noise.