Ladybird behaviour has proven AC/DC wrong – turns out rock and roll IS noise pollution

/ February 6, 2021

by Katrina Woodfield –

The song by rock band AC/DC may argue that “Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution”, but after testing this hypothesis, scientists from Mississippi State University beg to differ1,2.

AC/DC’s album Back in Black inspired Barton et al. (2018) to study the effect of rock music on predator-prey interactions between ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis), and aphids (Aphis glycines) who feed on soybean plants1,2. It appears ladybirds are not AC/DC fans. After 14 days of continuous Back in Black, at a volume comparable to a farm tractor (95-100 decibels), their predation rates dropped significantly1. With reduced risk from predation, aphid population size shot up by a factor of 40, reducing soybean plant material by 25%3. Most ladybirds don’t have to worry about rock and roll music during their lifetime, nevertheless, the study has been used as a “proof‐of‐concept” for thinking about the wider implications of noise pollution.1

A ladybird on a plant covered in aphids. Source: Greyson Orlando, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

AC/DC music was not the only sound played to the ladybirds. Exposure to a playlist of urban sounds showed a similar trend in reducing predation1. Perhaps surprising to some, noise is an invisible form of air pollution with serious consequences for many organisms, including humans 4. It is estimated that every year in Western Europe, 1 million years of life are lost to traffic-related noise alone5. Although a prevalent issue in cities, noise pollution is not limited to urban spaces6. As I see it, we need to expand our focus on noise pollution and address our knowledge gaps. Insects, despite being the most abundant animal group, are often overlooked1.

Besides acknowledging a rock band as a source of motivation, another unique aspect of this research is the authors’ consideration of the tropic cascade1. Changes in the behaviour of the top predators will have subsequent impacts through the food chain, even reaching the human population7. Ladybirds provide an important ecosystem service by regulating pests, they have been identified as the major predator of the invasive soybean aphid, which can decrease crop yields by more than 40%8,9,10. Based on the ladybirds’ response to manmade noise, at volumes comparable to farm machinery, Barton concluded that “farm noise could actually reduce the efficiency of natural predators” possibly increasing harmful pesticide use11,12. Growing food consumption, primarily driven by the expanding population, means it’s crucial that we tackle the threat of food insecurity by understand agricultural challenges13. New research, such as this year’s study finding detrimental impacts of noise within biological communities, will keep revealing new patterns that we need to act on moving forwards14.

Researching the interactions of noise pollution and the ecosystem is the first stage in working towards action on the arising concerns. Understanding the mechanisms for how and why specifically rock music and urban sounds affect ladybirds, might help to understand how other valuable insect ecosystem services may be affected by noise pollution1. But in the meantime, maybe you should think carefully about the playlist for your next garden party.

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References

  1. Barton, B. T., Hodge, M. E., Speights, C. J., Autrey, A. M., Lashley, M. A., and Klink, V. P. (2018) Testing the AC/DC hypothesis: Rock and roll is noise pollution and weakens a trophic cascade. Ecology and Evolution, 8(15), 7649-7656.
  2. Young, A., Young, M., and Johnson, B. (1980) Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution. AC/DC Back in Black.
  3. Barton, B. (2018) Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Noise Pollution – With Ecological Implications That Can Spread Through A Food Web. https://theconversation.com/rock-n-roll-is-noise-pollution-with-ecological-implications-that-can-spread-through-a-food-web-98998 [25.11.2020].
  4. National Geographic (2019) Noise Pollution. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/noise-pollution/#:~:text=Noise%20pollution%20becomes%20an%20increasingly%20larger%20issue%20in%20big%20cities.&text=Noise%20pollution%20is%20an%20invisible%20danger.&text=Exposure%20to%20loud%20noise%20can,all%20age%20groups%2C%20especially%20children. [03.12.2020].
  5. World Health Organization (2011) Burden of disease from environmental noise: Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe.
  6. Buxton, R.T., McKenna, M.F., Mennitt, D., Fristrup, K., Crooks, K., Angeloni, L. and Wittemyer, G. (2017) Noise pollution is pervasive in US protected areas. Science, 356(6337), 531-533.
  7. Carpenter, S. (2020) Trophic Cascade. https://www.britannica.com/science/trophic-cascade [25.11.2020].
  8. UK National Ecosystem Assessment (n.d.) Ecosystem Services. http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/EcosystemAssessmentConcepts/EcosystemServices/tabid/103/Default.aspx [29.11.2020].
  9. Riddick, E. W. (2017) Spotlight on the positive effects of the ladybird Harmonia axyridis on agriculture. BioControl, 62(3), 319-330.
  10. Tilmon, K. J, Hodgson, E. W, O’Neal, M. E, & Ragsdale, D. W. (2011) Biology of the Soybean Aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the United States. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 2(2), 1-7.
  11. Carskadon, J. (2018) Rock And Roll IS Noise Pollution, Mississippi State Study Shows.https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/07/rock-and-roll-noise-pollution-mississippi-state-study-shows [29.11.2020].
  12. Pesticide Action Network UK. (n.d) Pesticides In Our Environment. https://www.pan-uk.org/our-environment/ [03.12.2020].
  13. OECD, FAO (2019). OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2019-2028. Paris: OECD Publishing.
  14. Senzaki, M., Kadoya, T. and Francis, C.D. (2020) Direct and indirect effects of noise pollution alter biological communities in and near noise-exposed environments. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1923), 20200176.

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