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Journal of the Acoustical Society of America / Volume 124 / Issue 2 / AEROACOUSTICS, ATMOSPHERIC SOUND [28]

Sound transmission at ground level in a short-grass prairie habitat and its implications for long-range communication in the swift fox Vulpes velox

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 124, Issue 2, pp. 758-766 (2008); (9 pages)

Safi K. Darden1, Simon B. Pedersen1, Ole N. Larsen2, and Torben Dabelsteen1

1Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Population Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Tagensvej 16, DK-2000 Copenhagen N, Denmark
2Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark

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The acoustic environment of swift foxes Vulpes velox vocalizing close to the ground and the effect of propagation on individual identity information in vocalizations were quantified in a transmission experiment in prairie habitat. Sounds were propagated (0.45 m above the ground) at distances up to 400 m. Effects of transmission were measured on three sound types: synthesized sweeps with 1.3 kHz bandwidths spanning in the range of 0.3–8.0 kHz; single elements of swift fox barking sequences (frequency range of 0.3–4.0 kHz) and complete barking sequences. Synthesized sweeps spanning 0.3–1.6 and 1.2–2.5 kHz propagated the furthest and the latter sweeps exhibited the best transmission properties for long-range propagation. Swift fox barking sequence elements are centered toward the lower end of this frequency range. Nevertheless, measurable individual spectral characteristics of the barking sequence seem to persist to at least 400 m. Individual temporal features were very consistent to at least 400 m. The communication range of the barking sequences is likely to be farther than 400 m and it should be considered a long-ranging vocalization. However, relative to the large home ranges of swift foxes (up to 16 km2 in the experimental area) the barking sequence probably functions at intermediate distances.

© 2008 Acoustical Society of America

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank K. K. Jensen for generously composing our transmission sequence. The study was funded by the SGS Long-Term Ecological Research project, the Danish National Science Foundation, a Ph.D. Fellowship from the University of Copenhagen to S.K.D and two Framework Grants from the Danish National Research Council (No. 21-04-0403 to T.D. and No. 23155-4 to O.N.L.).

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. METHODS
    1. Sound transmission
    2. Sound analysis
      1. Sound propagation
      2. Stability of individual vocal characteristics
    3. Statistical analysis
  3. RESULTS
    1. Sound propagation
      1. Synthesized sounds
      2. Swift fox vocalizations
    2. Stability of individual characteristics of swift fox barking sequences
      1. Effect of distance on measured variables
  4. DISCUSSION

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

acoustic wave transmission, biocommunications

PACS

  • 43.28.Gq

    Outdoor sound propagation and scattering in a turbulent atmosphere, and in non-uniform flow fields

ARTICLE DATA

History
Received 05 Jul 2007
Accepted 28 May 2008
Revised 21 May 2008
Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.2946704

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0001-4966 (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef Acoustical Society of America

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