Anthropogenic noise pollution affects wildlife welfare through stress, communication disruption, and altered predator-prey dynamics across terrestrial and aquatic environments.
Noise pollution welfare impacts on wildlife are pervasive but often invisible. Chronic exposure to traffic, industrial, and recreational noise causes sustained stress responses with physiological consequences including immune suppression, reproductive hormone disruption, and altered predator detection. Birds in noisy environments show elevated glucocorticoid levels indicating chronic stress even in the absence of acute threats. Acoustic masking forces animals to alter communication behaviors, potentially reducing mating success and social cohesion. Noise reduction in critical wildlife habitats - through speed limits, sound barriers, and urban planning - has measurable welfare benefits.