The influence of human disturbance on amphibians and small mammals

Abstract

Human disturbance is increasingly affecting wildlife and their habitats. Studies on the ecological impact of human disturbance on wildlife mainly focused on bird species. However, the impact of human disturbance is at least equally important for amphibians and small mammals, in particular for endangered species. Therefore, this review gives an overview of the effects of human disturbance (light and noise pollution, vibration and human presence) on amphibians and small mammals. This provides a theoretical basis for the impact assessment of potentially disturbing human activities. Human disturbance has a range of effects on wildlife. Light pollution had a positive effect on toads by facilitating foraging, whereas in other amphibians foraging behaviour declined. In addition, light pollution decreased reproductive behaviour. Studies on noise pollution in amphibians mainly found effects on reproductive behaviour such as calling behaviour, calling plasticity and mate attraction. In both amphibians and small mammals, vibrations had negative impacts on physiology, and human presence changed the abundance of species. Studies on light pollution in small mammals found negative impacts on behaviour and physiology. Noise pollution was found to have a range of negative effects including changes in behaviour, physiology, reproduction and cardiovascular system of small mammals. The number of studies on this issue was few and more research is necessary on different species, habitats and locations to give a better indication of human disturbance on wildlife. Nevertheless, it is clear that light and noise pollution, vibration and human presence have negative impacts on a diversity of amphibians and small mammals.