Fecal glucocorticoids link snowmobile noise to stress in elk and wolves
Evidence
Analysis of fecal GC content, a good noninvasive method to evaluate the level of stress, has been applied by Creel et al. (2002) on elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park (Fig. 10.7) and on wolves (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone, Voyageurs, and Isle Royal National Parks. The results confirmed the increase of GC with the increase of snowmobiles when compared with other road vehicles. No evidence was collected about the effects of snowmobiles on population dynamics, however. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 2323
To visit mountain parks in wintertime the use of snowmobiles and snowcoaches that reduce the risk of individual trekker casualties is required. However, these vehicles are responsible for an altered soundscape that can decrease the rating of a protected area, as recently found by a survey conducted on a large set of visitors. The last generation of visitors were aware of the consequence of the use of vehicles during wintertime in the parks. The annoyance produced by snowmobiles on visitors is confirmed also for wild animals such as wolves and elk, which have an altered level of glucocorticoids (GCs) produced by the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 2464
Categorization
- SHARE: A specific person tracking wildlife-stress biomarkers would want this noninvasive fecal-GC method citation.
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 2323; Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 2464
- XREF: connects to: Organisms adapt to natural noise but suffer stress from anthropogenic noise — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1275; Helicopter noise measurably alters bighorn sheep foraging behavior — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 485; Turbine noise forces ground squirrels to alter antipredator vigilance. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1429
Broader Connections
- Organisms adapt to natural noise but suffer stress from anthropogenic noise
#corroborates(0.85) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 1275 - Helicopter noise measurably alters bighorn sheep foraging behavior
#exemplifies(0.85) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 485 - Turbine noise forces ground squirrels to alter antipredator vigilance.
#exemplifies(0.80) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 1429