Deer browsing alters sound propagation in temperate deciduous forests

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 2; p. e0211569
• Main Authors: Boycott, Timothy J., Gao, Jingyi, Gall, Megan D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 13.02.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acoustic noise; Acoustic propagation; Acoustics; Adaptation; Amplitudes; Animal Communication; Animals; Biological evolution; Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; Birds; Breeding; Browsing; Computer and Information Sciences; Deciduous forests; Deer; Deer - physiology; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Engineering and Technology; Environmental aspects; Evolution; Fidelity; Foraging habitats; Forests; Habitats; Herbivory; Hypotheses; Land degradation; Mate selection; New York; Noise; Odocoileus virginianus; Offspring; Physical Sciences; Playback; Protection and preservation; Social evolution; Social Sciences; Sound; Sound propagation; Temperate forests; Vegetation; Vegetation effects; Vocalization behavior; Wave propagation; White noise; White-tailed deer; New York; United States; United States > US

The efficacy of animal signals is strongly influenced by the structure of the habitat in which they are propagating. In recent years, the habitat structure of temperate forests has been increasingly subject to modifications from foraging by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Increasing deer...