Proceeding with Sound Judgment: Applied Soundscape Ecology and Wilderness Ethics

In contemporary society, people and wildlife commonly come into close contact through industrial and agricultural growth, encroachment by human settlements on “wild” spaces, and outdoor leisure pursuits (Bejder et al., 2009; Dominoni et al., 2020; Barber et al., 2010). Studies on the impact of anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife can play a pivotal part in managing conflicts and adverse impacts that occur when humans and wildlife interact and in encouraging positive outcomes instead (Bejder et al., 2009; Soulsbury & White, 2015). One adverse impact is human-generated sensory pollutants. In this presentation, I will examine the effects of recreational sounds on wildlife habituation. Given the increasing prevalence of anthropogenic noise and the demonstrated effects of noise on human and wildlife health and behavior, the conservation of soundscapes is a nascent and growing priority, especially on public lands, where biodiversity preservation and visitor access can conflict (Buxton, 2021). The 1964 Wilderness Act mandates the preservation of wilderness areas in a state "untrammeled by man," yet it acknowledges the challenge of balancing human enjoyment of these spaces with the protection of their ecological integrity. This conflict is particularly evident in the context of recreational noise, which can disrupt both wildlife habitats and the experience of visitors seeking solitude and natural soundscapes. Balancing these competing demands requires careful management strategies that protect wildlife from sensory pollution while ensuring that public access to wilderness areas does not undermine their intrinsic value (Roth et al., 2017; Buxton, 2021).