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Abstract |
Milford Sound is a tourism hotspot located in the protected natural area of Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. Due to its wild landscape, unique views and natural quietness, it is considered one of New Zealands must visit locations for tourists, both national and international. Consequently it received nearly 1 million visitors annually pre-Covid, which is of concern because a number of international studies have shown a link between high visitor numbers and degradation of natural soundscapes. Due to the extreme topography of the park, Milford is quite isolated and only accessible by aircraft and a single road; the Milford Highway. These modes of transport generate a disturbance, not only along the highway corridor, but spatially more expansive due to the nature of aircraft and traffic noise propagation – exacerbated by the topography. Whilst effects of these noise sources on human perceived tranquillity in New Zealand have been and are currently being investigated, no such research has focussed on the impacts to wildlife in this context. Similar studies have been conducted internationally, such as in the United States, that conclude anthropogenic noise has detrimental effects on avian wildlife, such as communication, use of space, reduced reproductive success, and altered species richness. Further to this body of work, our research will focus on the impacts of such noise sources on avian species richness in the New Zealand context, which has been identified as a research gap. This research is imperative due to the unique ecology of New Zealand for which more than 70% of bird and animal species are endemic. |
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