Acoustic Invasion

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Courtesy of Taubman Museum of Art

Invasive species are one of the five factors reshaping the biosphere, threatening native biodiversity, ecosystem services on which society depends, and human health.

Exotic invasive species occur on all continents and oceans, and in some cases have caused the extinction of species.

In some cases the impacts from invasive species are obvious, like the monocultural curtains of kudzu blanketing the southern US. Others may not be as visually obvious, but have strong direct and cascading influences to the ecological functioning of an ecosystem and its native biota.

One such impact may occur on the soundscape of the landscape. There is an emerging interest in ecology about the changes to the soundscape of nature and the impacts this has for species ability to adapt and persist.

Often this is in response to some anthropogenic change like roads, but invasive species can change the composition of a community by either adding or removing species as well as changing the structure of a community–all of which can alter the soundscape and functioning of a place.

Researchers and creators include David Franusich, Grace O’Malley, Jacob Barney, Joe Drake, and Meryl Mims.

This immersive experience is jointly presented by the Taubman Museum of Art and Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology in the Museum’s Media Lab.