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Sounds in nature reveal clues to the impacts of invasive species

A forest in Bland County with rhododendrons in bloom.
Roxy Todd
/
RadioIQ
A forest in Bland County where rhododendrons, a native plant, are in bloom.

Walk outside and you hear a world of sounds, everything from birds to traffic and construction. But have you ever stopped to really listen to what you’re hearing, and what it can tell us? Two researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring what scientists can learn about the natural world, through soundscapes

Soundscapes are like landscapes you hear, explains Gabrielle Ripa, a graduate student at Virginia Tech. “So the frogs, the birds, the insects.”

Soundscapes can also include wind, the sound of water, even human-made sounds, like cars and airplanes. Ripa and another researcher, Grace O’Malley, are exploring what changes in a soundscape when invasive plants take over an area.

Sometimes these plants, like autumn olive, have berries, and bring new birds or mammals. Or the flipside can happen, said O’Malley.

“There’s no longer food or resources there for animals, so they no longer occupy those areas,” O’Malley said.

Spaces become quieter, if birds or insects leave, or if, for example, kudzu muffles the sounds that were there before.

O’Malley and Ripa processed hours of soundscapes, using a computer program, to isolate different types of sounds. They say more of this type of research could help us better understand how invasive species impact native plants and animals, and what changes to the ecosystem they bring.

“We feel like people have focused on investigating the individual threads or species related to soundscapes,” O’Malley said, using a metaphor her dad came up with, to explain her research.

“But in our work, we’re really pushing to try and study the whole quilt of the soundscape and the ecosystem," O’Malley said.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Updated: May 29, 2024 at 2:00 PM EDT
Editor's Note: Radio IQ is a service of Virginia Tech.

Roxy Todd is Radio IQ's New River Valley Bureau Chief.