Biophony
Encyclopedia
Biophony is the collective sound vocal non-human animals create in each given environment. The term, which refers to one of three components of the soundscape (the others include geophony [non-biological natural sound] and anthrophony [human-induced noise]), was coined by Dr. Bernie Krause
. The study of natural soundscapes is called soundscape ecology
.
The study of biophony falls under the discipline of biophonics that takes into account the collective impact of all sounds emanating from natural biological origins in a given habitat. The realm of study is focused on the intricate relationships – competitive and/or cooperative – between biological sound sources taking into account seasonal variability, weather, and time of day or night, and climate change. It explores new definitions of territory as expressed by biophony, and addresses changes in density, diversity, and richness of animal populations.
Biophony does not have a literal opposite, except, perhaps, for the complete absence of any biological sound in a given biome.
The "niche hypothesis", an early version of the term, biophony, describes an acoustic partitioning process by which non-human animals in particular habitats adjust their vocalizations
by frequency and time-shifting, to compensate for background noise created by other vocal creatures and human-induced noise. Thus each species evolves to establish and maintain its own acoustic territory so that its voice is not masked. Notable examples are the changed vocalizations of great tit
s in noisy urban environments and killer whales in noisy shipping lanes.
Bernie Krause
Bernard L. Krause is an American musician, soundscape recordist and bio-acoustician, who coined the term biophony and helped define the structure of soundscape ecology. Krause holds a Ph.D. in bioacoustics from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati.-Biography:Bernie Krause was born in 1938...
. The study of natural soundscapes is called soundscape ecology
Soundscape ecology
Soundscape ecology has sometimes been considered interchangeable with acoustic ecology, but it has a different and distinctive meaning, according to a small group of researchers at Purdue. The term has been use for decades in acoustic ecology, and comes from the founding work of Barry Truax and R....
.
The study of biophony falls under the discipline of biophonics that takes into account the collective impact of all sounds emanating from natural biological origins in a given habitat. The realm of study is focused on the intricate relationships – competitive and/or cooperative – between biological sound sources taking into account seasonal variability, weather, and time of day or night, and climate change. It explores new definitions of territory as expressed by biophony, and addresses changes in density, diversity, and richness of animal populations.
Biophony does not have a literal opposite, except, perhaps, for the complete absence of any biological sound in a given biome.
The "niche hypothesis", an early version of the term, biophony, describes an acoustic partitioning process by which non-human animals in particular habitats adjust their vocalizations
Animal communication
Animal communication is any behavior on the part of one animal that has an effect on the current or future behaviour of another animal. The study of animal communication, is sometimes called Zoosemiotics has played an important part in the...
by frequency and time-shifting, to compensate for background noise created by other vocal creatures and human-induced noise. Thus each species evolves to establish and maintain its own acoustic territory so that its voice is not masked. Notable examples are the changed vocalizations of great tit
Great Tit
The Great Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa in any sort of woodland. It is generally resident, and most Great Tits do not migrate except in extremely...
s in noisy urban environments and killer whales in noisy shipping lanes.
Further reading
- Gage S, Krause B. Measuring and Interpreting Acoustics In Four Landscapes In Sequoia National Park (in press).
External links
- Wild Sanctuary — online database of natural sounds. Created by Dr. Bernie Krause.
- World Forum For Acoustic Ecology: Soundscape Newsletter Archive
- An Introduction To Acoustic Ecology