Leaf width and canopy leaf area drive sound scattering in dense vegetation

Evidence

Vegetation functions as a sound screen, especially for high-frequency sounds. The attenuation observed in dense vegetation is largely caused by the scattering effect, which is driven by leaf width and leaf area per unit volume of canopy. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 321

Categorization

• XREF: The leaf-driven scattering mechanism underlies the acoustic adaptation hypothesis and the masking filters behind bioacoustic index derivation. — connects to: Trunk scatter cannot alone explain forest high-frequency sound attenuation — Margaret A. Price, Keith Attenborough, and Nicholas W. Heap, Sound Attenuation through Trees:…, 87; Ground impedance, not foliage, governs low-band attenuation by vegetation. — Donald Aylor, Noise Reduction by Vegetation and Ground, 2; Vegetation attenuation thresholds differ measurably across cover types and soil states — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 331 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Excess attenuation increases with frequency in vegetated habitats #expands (0.90) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 418