Anthropogenic noise (anthrophony) can have significant negative effects on wildlife, causing both physiological (i.e., increased stress hormone production) and behavioral (i.e., altered anti-predator behaviors, space use, or diel activity) changes in individuals. Roads are a major source of anthrophony, often contributing the most to the anthrophony in rural areas. Most efforts to reduce road effects on wildlife have focused on decreasing road-associated mortality through the construction of wildlife crossing structures (WCSs) with little consideration for the anthrophony associated with these structures. Given the impacts of anthrophony on wildlife behavior, the effectiveness of WCSs could be altered without consideration towards noise pollution. Therefore, understanding how anthrophony is structured in space and time and how it impacts WCS use is an important aspect of assessing effectiveness of WCSs. We developed a framework for assessing anthrophony at WCS using an array of autonomous recording units to monitor overall acoustic conditions. We then examined how wildlife crossing rates were associated with anthrophony using camera traps. We monitored five underpass-style WCSs built in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, USA using camera traps and acoustic recording units. We measured sound pressure level (SPL [dB]) and relative level of anthrophony (using the normalized difference soundscape index [NDSI]) at six positions around each WCS: two at elevation (road grade) with the road surface (west and east), two at the WCS entrances, and two in the middle of the WCSs. We then used SPL and NDSI to predict the probability of a successful crossing by Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), a common, disturbance-tolerant mammal. While the relative amount of anthrophony did not differ, smaller WCSs and those with less traffic were up to 40 dB quieter than larger WCSs and those with more traffic. Opossums spent more time at WCSs when it was quieter on average and were more likely to successfully cross through a WCS when there was less vehicle noise. Our study highlights the importance of considering soundscapes in assessing WCS effectiveness and represents a framework that can be used for further exploration of the impacts of anthrophony on WCS use.

This README.txt file was generated on 2025-03-21 by Thomas J. Yamashita

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Dataset: At the intersection of soundscapes and roads: quantifying anthrophony’s influence on wildlife crossing structure use
This data is associated with the manuscript, titled At the intersection of soundscapes and roads: quantifying anthrophony’s influence on wildlife crossing structure use, available here: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wwpzgmswk
Author Information
Thomas J. Yamashita
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
tjyamashta@gmail.com
Corresponding Author
Ashley M. Tanner
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Evan P. Tanner
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Daniel G. Scognamillo
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Michael E. Tewes
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
John H. Young Jr.
Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation
Jason V. Lombardi
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Date of Data Collection
August 2023 - October 2023; March 2024 - April 2024
Geographic location of data collection: wildlife crossing structures located along FM 1847 in Cameron County, Texas, USA
Funding Sources: Texas Department of Transportation

DATA & FILE OVERVIEW

File List
1A_20230927_190000-1.wav: Raw recording for an audiomoth at WCS1, position A.
1B_20230927_190000-1.wav: Raw recording for an audiomoth at WCS1, position B.
1C_20230927_190000-1.wav: Raw recording for an audiomoth at WCS1, position C.
aru_envdata.xlsx: File containing information about experimental units and vegetation data for each site.
audiomoth_kestrel_20240709.csv: Temperature and humidity data associated with the audiomoths.
audiomoth_out_update_20240726.csv: NDSI and Sound Pressure Level from the audiomoths.
solarbar_kestrel_20240709.csv: Temperature and humidity data associated with the Solar BARs.
solarbar_out_update_20240726.csv: NDSI and Sound Pressure Level from the Solar BARs.
SoundRoads_repository.R: R script with code used in the analyses.
Relationship between files:
Device names are consistent across files for each device and are labelled either device or site. See the manuscript and R code for details of how individual devices correspond to each other. Contact Thomas Yamashita with questions (email above).
Files not included in this repository.

Camera trap data from this study because it is a part of a longer term study that contains information on sensitive species (e.g., ocelots). This data is available upon request. Please contact Thomas Yamashita.

Raw audio recordings from most of the study duration are not provided due to file size considerations (~ 4TB of data). This data is available upon request. Please contact Thomas Yamashita.

METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Description of the methods used for collection/generation and processing of data:
Methodology for collection and processing of the data can be found in the manuscript
Quality Assurance Procedures:
Photographs were processed by trained personnel and went through multiple rounds of checks to ensure accurate detection of all animals.
Some audio recordings were listened to to ensure that acoustic indices aligned with expected vehicle noise.
People involved with data collection, processing, and analysis:
Thomas J. Yamashita (data collection, data processing, data analysis)

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: 1A_20230927_190000-1.wav

Data Type: .wav audio file
Other Information: This is an example of the raw audio file used to calculate acoustic indices.

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: 1B_20230927_190000-1.wav

Data Type: .wav audio file
Other Information: This is an example of the raw audio file used to calculate acoustic indices.

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: 1C_20230927_190000-1.wav

Data Type: .wav audio file
Other Information: This is an example of the raw audio file used to calculate acoustic indices.

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: aru_envdata.xlsx

Data Type: Microsoft excel xlsx file
Number of Tabs: 2
Number of Variables: 5, 4
Number of Rows: 30, 5
Variable List:
device: Name of audiomoth device
Station: Wildlife crossing side of highway
Site: Wildlife crossing number
side: Position of the device
name: Unique identify of side and position

audiomoth_out_update_20240726.csv: NDSI and Sound Pressure Level from the audiomoths.
solarbar_kestrel_20240709.csv: Temperature and humidity data associated with the Solar BARs.
solarbar_out_update_20240726.csv: NDSI and Sound Pressure Level from the Solar BARs.
SoundRoads_repository.R

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: audiomoth_kestrel_20240709.csv

Data Type: Comma delimitated text file
Number of Variables: 7
Number of Rows: 188,293
Variable List:
Date.Time: Date-time of the log
Temperature: Temperature in units degrees C
Relative.Humidity: Relative humidity in units %
Heat.Index: Heat index
Dew.Point: Dew point
data.type: Point recording
name: name of the kestrel device

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: audiomoth_out_update_20240726.csv

Data Type: Comma delimitated text file
Number of Variables: 12
Number of Rows: > 1,000,000
Variable List:
sound.files: Sound file name
org.sound.files: Original sound file
start: Relative start point of the subsetted recording
end: Relative end point of the subsetted recording
duration: Duration of the recording (seconds)
site: device name
dt_start: Start time of the recording
dt_end: End time of the recording
ndsi: NDSI calculation for a recording, based on biophony and anthrophony
biophony: Biophony level for a recording
anthrophony: Anthrophony level for a recording
SPL: Sound pressure level for a recording

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: solarbar_kestrel_20240709.csv

Data Type: Comma delimitated text file
Number of Variables: 7
Number of Rows: 30,251
Variable List:
Date.Time: Date-time of the log
Temperature: Temperature in units degrees C
Relative.Humidity: Relative humidity in units %
Heat.Index: Heat index
Dew.Point: Dew point
data.type: Point recording
name: name of the kestrel device

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: solarbar_out_update_20240726.csv

Data Type: Comma delimitated text file
Number of Variables: 12
Number of Rows: 266,396
Variable List:
sound.files: Sound file name
org.sound.files: Original sound file
start: Relative start point of the subsetted recording
end: Relative end point of the subsetted recording
duration: Duration of the recording (seconds)
site: device name
dt_start: Start time of the recording
dt_end: End time of the recording
ndsi: NDSI calculation for a recording, based on biophony and anthrophony
biophony: Biophony level for a recording
anthrophony: Anthrophony level for a recording
SPL: Sound pressure level for a recording

DATA SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: SoundRoads_repository.R

Data Type: R script
Other Information: This script provides code for conducting all R-based analyses used in this manuscript. This code will not run properly without the camera data or acoustic data which is not provided in this repository. Camera data and acoustic data are available upon request from Thomas Yamashita.

Data and code from: At the intersection of soundscapes and roads: Quantifying anthrophony’s influence on wildlife crossing structure use

Data files

Abstract