A Review of Acoustic Techniques for Noise Monitoring of BC Wildlife Crossing Structures

The sustainability of effects from anthropogenic activities has gained significant attention in recent years. Traffic noise is a poorly understood source of such an activity on wildlife crossing structures, particularly in fragmented natural environments. Monitoring noise on wildlife crossing structures is complex since the source of the noise involves several concurrent moving sources, and testing such large source dimensions in the laboratory is not possible. British Columbia (BC) is home to 75% of all bird and animal species in Canada. Consequently, there must be a symbiotic relationship between the wildlife and the province's transportation system. This paper reviews the current level of knowledge and specifically the technologies and instrumentation that may be used for acoustic monitoring of animal crossing structures in BC. Additional innovations in monitoring instruments and innovative measurement techniques that can be successfully applied to wildlife crossing structures are suggested to monitor and mitigate noise in order to minimize its potential adverse impacts on crossing animals and improve the effectiveness of these structures for wildlife passage.