Spider Webs Act as ‘Soundproof’ Barriers to Combat Urban Noise Pollution
A recent study published in the journal Current Biology has revealed that funnel-weaving spiders are adapting to urban noise pollution by constructing "soundproof" webs that transmit vibrations differently. According to research conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, these spiders are intentionally spinning their webs to manage surrounding noise and receive crucial sensory information. This is reported by The Independent.
The study found that individual webs transmit vibrations differently depending on whether the spider is collected from an urban or rural environment. Spiders from urban areas, living under constant, high-amplitude noise, built webs that quieted their environment, likely as a means to avoid excessive stimulation. In contrast, rural spiders, which are not used to as much noise in their environment, seemed to build webs that enhanced incoming vibrations at a particular frequency, likely to home in on important environmental cues. These findings suggest that the spiders’ past exposure to environmental noise, and perhaps genetic makeup, shapes their web-building flexibility.
The researchers collected 60 funnel-weaving spiders from both urban and rural areas in and around Lincoln and exposed them to either quiet or loud vibratory noise as they spun webs over four nights. They then applied different vibratory stimuli to assess how sound travelled across each of these webs. The results showed that urban spiders’ webs transmitted vibrations differently in response to increased local noise.
Brandi Pessman, one of the study’s authors, noted that "one of the most interesting things that we found is that urban and rural spiders are reacting differently when they are put into a noisy environment." She added that "spiders with different experiences with noise – whether they themselves experienced it or their mothers passed it down to them across generations – respond differently."
Funnel-weaving spiders connect their webs to surfaces like trees, rocks, and buildings, which act as conduits for sound vibrations, including environmental noise from traffic and machinery. These spiders learn about predators, prey, potential mates, and their overall environment from vibrations carried by their webs. By altering the way their webs transmit vibrations, the spiders may be able to soundproof themselves against manmade noise, which tends to overlap with the frequency range the spiders use for communication.
The study’s findings highlight a particularly sophisticated means of coping with environmental noise. As Dr. Pessman explained, "rural spiders are not used to as much noise in their environment. When they suddenly get a lot of noise, they might try to ‘turn up’ the volume in their webs or amplify what is coming in to better hear certain signals above the noise." The researchers hope to understand how exactly the spiders change the sound transmission properties of the webs in future studies.
Urban noise pollution from human activity continues to challenge the ability of several animals, including marine species such as turtles and dolphins, to send and receive information. While previous studies have documented how such noise affects animals, there has been little research into how they adapt to such soundscapes. This study provides new insights into the ways in which animals are adapting to the changing environment, and highlights the importance of considering the impact of human activity on the natural world.
The Independent’s reporting on this study provides further evidence of the resourcefulness of animals in the face of environmental change. As The Independent reports, the ability of funnel-weaving spiders to adapt to urban noise pollution is a testament to the complex and fascinating ways in which animals interact with their environment.
