Contact with Nature is recognized as a way to promote physical and mental well-being, and listening to birds’ songs can even help reduce stress levels and improve mood.
However, a new study has shown that traffic noises, associated with increased stress and irritability, can reduce the benefits of Nature’s soundscapes.
Led by researchers from the University of Surrey (United Kingdom), the study, published in the journal ‘People and Nature, involved more than 1,500 participants who listened to Nature sounds and also traffic sounds and then answered a questionnaire about how relaxed they felt. In addition, another group of 63 participants listened to the same sounds but used heart-rate monitors.
Based on the data obtained, the researchers revealed that listening to birdsong in natural spaces, regardless of the animals producing it, improved the participants’ well-being.
However, in recordings where birdsong mingled with traffic noises, the benefits were negatively impacted. And the negative effects of these noises were greater the louder or more complex the sounds of the natural acoustic landscape were, which the researchers attributed to an overload of stimuli that causes discomfort and stress.
It was also observed that the participants’ heart rate was significantly lower when listening to Nature sounds than when listening to traffic noises.
The team also found that the benefits of listening to birdsong were greater the more species of birds produced sounds, so the authors suggest that greater species diversity is essential for promoting the well-being of human listeners.
“Traffic noise, undoubtedly, affects the psychological benefits of natural soundscapes. With urban planning now incorporating more green spaces, it is important that measures be taken so that people can derive the greatest benefit from these areas,” says Eleanor Ratcliffe, the study’s lead co-author.
For the study’s lead co-author, traffic noise can be minimized with measures such as reducing speed limits on streets near parks or with increasing the density of ground-level vegetation around the boundaries of parks.
“It is important that people can spend time in nature and enjoy its benefits without being distracted by noise,” adds the researcher.
