For Immediate Release

Caren Coopercbcoope3@ncsu.edu

Matt Shipmanmatt_shipman@ncsu.edu

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.

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Note to editors: An abstract follows.

“Public perceptions of anthropogenic and natural sounds: Disparities in soundscapes and corresponding sense of place”

DOI: 10.1002/pan3.70391

Authors: Caren Cooper, Jin Bai, Deja Perkins and Lincoln R. Larson, North Carolina State University

Published: July 19, 2026 in People and Nature

Abstract:

1. Noise pollution is an environmental stressor negatively affecting humans and biodiversity. Noise pollution is often measured and regulated according to loudness, but in this study, we assessed noise pollution based on human perceptions of soundscapes.
2. We used the participatory science project Sound Around Town to collect data reflecting personal interpretations of soundscapes. Participants logged the perceived loudness and pleasantness of sound sources during 10-min listening sessions outdoors at their homes.
3. Participants generally rated mechanical anthropogenic sounds as the least pleasant and natural sounds as the most pleasant. Pleasantness decreased with perceived loudness for mechanical and non-mechanical anthropogenic sources of sound and for biotic natural sounds, but increased with loudness for abiotic natural sources of sound.
4. Controlling for demographics, sense of place was higher for people detecting nature-based soundscapes (louder and more pleasant natural sounds like birds and wind) and suburb-like soundscapes (louder, more pleasant non-mechanical anthropogenic sounds like music and quieter cars and planes). Sense of place was lower for people detecting city-like soundscapes (less pleasant mechanical anthropogenic sounds like loud cars and planes).
5. Compared to white participants, non-white participants reported a lower sense of place. Even though non-white participants reported higher exposure to suburb-like soundscapes, they reported lower exposure to nature-based soundscapes, possibly affecting their sense of place.
6. Synthesis and applications: Our findings indicate that nature-based soundscapes are linked to a sense of place, which has implications for both biodiversity conservation and social justice. Efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity could be strengthened by promoting human-nature connections through natural soundscapes that also enhance community well-being.