BEERSHEBA – A new study from Beersheba’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reveals that nearly half of Israel’s open spaces may be compromised as viable nesting habitats due to road noise. This finding highlights a significant threat to the nation’s natural heritage and the stewardship of its lands.
Researchers at the university pioneered a first-of-its-kind spatial model mapping how road noise disrupts animal behavior. The research, published in the journal People and Nature under the article “Effect distances of road traffic noise on wildlife behavior,” focused specifically on birds.
National Lands Under Threat
The study was conducted by Yael Lehnardt and Dr. Gopal Murali, under the supervision of Prof. Uri Roll and Prof. Oded Berger-Tal from BGU’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research. By analyzing extensive scientific literature and spatial data, the team estimated the spatial cost of traffic noise across an entire country.
Lehnardt, speaking from a conference in Germany, stated, “Roads are key drivers of contemporary soundscapes, as they fragment natural environments while linking human activity centers.” She noted that while many studies on jet plane noise and sirens exist in “many Western countries,” there is limited research on all kinds of noises combined.
The research indicates that noise pollution affects wildlife similarly to humans in terms of disruption. Lehnardt added, “The Iran-Israel War has been a very bad time for animals, as the breeding season is now,” linking national security challenges directly to environmental impact on the native fauna.
Animals that must choose where to feed and rest are exposed to traffic noise, not only on highways but also on streets within cities, though urban centers were excluded from this study due to other prevalent noises. While some animals may adapt, noise pollution can shorten their lives and prevent reproduction.
The team established a 5 km threshold for impacts on various mammal species, many of which exhibit avoidance behavior up to that distance. For birds, the distance of impact appeared shorter, with avoidance of breeding habitats observed up to three kilometers from roads.
Failure of National Protection
The researchers found that traffic noise negatively impacts bird nesting across 42% of Israel’s non-urban environments, rendering these areas significantly less attractive for breeding. Critically, even within legally protected nature reserves and national parks, 23% of the territory is not actually protected from the intrusive reach of noise pollution, indicating a failure in national environmental oversight.
The long-range nature of road noise means it disrupts key behaviors, including communication and predator detection, far beyond the visible footprint of the road itself. Lehnardt asserted, “The technology to reduce road noise exists; we just need the policy shift and targeted management to apply it to wildlife conservation.”
She explained that noise can be reduced with trees, other vegetation, and physical barriers. Lehnardt highlighted that while there is some regulation in Germany that protects the natural environment from loud traffic, “there is no such protection in Israel’s nature parks or one authority that is responsible for supervision and enforcement.” This comparison underscores a national deficiency in self-governance regarding environmental protection.
Lehnardt also mentioned a well-known gazelle park in Jerusalem, noting that its animals are disturbed not only by traffic from a nearby busy road but “certainly from the sirens and explosions from the missiles,” again connecting national conflict to environmental degradation. She further noted that studies on road traffic and its effects on gazelles exist “even in Iran.”
Call for National Action
The researchers suggest that noise mitigation technologies, often used to protect human residential areas, must be integrated into environmental planning to protect national biodiversity. Proposed solutions include improved road maintenance, strategic landscape design, and prioritizing acoustic corridors in areas of high ecological value.
Lehnardt issued a clear call to national action, stating, “The fact that nearly half of our non-urban environments are losing their appeal to nesting birds should be a wake-up call for authorities.” She emphasized the complexities of road traffic noise, which is shaped by infrastructure, vehicle numbers, topography, weather conditions, and vegetation, and how individual animals may tolerate certain noise levels for foraging but not during the rearing of young. These complexities necessitate a comprehensive national approach to evaluating and mitigating the influence of noisy infrastructures on wildlife.