A new study suggests the sounds around us have a significant impact on how we feel about physical spaces, with natural sounds – such as birdsong – associated with a greater sense of attachment to a given place. The study draws on data from a large-scale participatory science project that enlisted the participation of more than 1,000 citizen scientists.

Researchers asked study participants to spend ten minutes listening to and logging sounds they heard outside of their homes. Study participants then categorized sounds as either biophonic (sounds like birdsong), anthrophonic (human-made sounds) or geophonic (sounds like rain or wind) and listed the sounds’ perceived sources. Then participants rated those sounds on a “pleasantness” scale from 1 to 7. Study participants also answered a few questions designed to measure their sense of place, or how attached they were to the area they were listening from.

Researchers found that natural sounds, and specifically biophonic ones, were associated with the highest levels of place attachment.

“The biggest takeaway from this is that soundscapes matter to sense of place, to how attached we feel to spaces,” said Caren Cooper, professor in the NC State College of Natural Resources Forestry and Environmental Resources department and lead author of a paper on the study. “We so often think about our landscapes visually, or in terms of what we encounter physically, and forget about how our soundscapes affect our perceptions of things.”

In general, participants found biophonic sounds the most pleasant, and anthrophonic sounds like cars or other machinery the least pleasant. Biophonic sounds were associated with a strong sense of place attachment more often than either of the other two types.

“A lot of people, when they think of noise pollution, immediately think of something very loud, and that’s not necessarily the case,” said Cooper. “What we’ve found is that the wavelength of the sound is as important as its volume. We can have a bird very close by being very loud and still find it pleasant, while a distant leaf blower at the same decibel level would be perceived as unpleasant.”

The volunteer participants who provided the data for this study are part of a citizen science project called Sound Around Town.

“Our understanding of soundscapes is exceedingly limited if we rely solely on sensors like decibel meters,” says Cooper. “Engaging people in collecting data through listening sessions with clear protocols is the best way to collect data on the sources of sound. Noise pollution is subjective, based on human perceptions, so understanding noise pollution requires engaging participants in data collection.

“This research highlights the importance of managing soundscapes near where people live, work and play,” Cooper said. “This can be achieved through physical obstacles like sound barriers near high traffic roads or highways, or through regulations such as local ordinances.”

The paper “Public perceptions of anthropogenic and natural sounds: Disparities in soundscapes and corresponding sense of place,” is published in People and Nature. Co-authors include Jin Bai, Deja Perkins and Lincoln Larson of NC State University.