This article describes a useful framework for applying one’s understanding of animal communication about conservation biology. To do this, the authors analyze the various studies of animal communication that have implications on conservation. They state that while the study of animal behavior is only focusing on understanding individual behavior of animals, conservation biology is more concentrated on a mass and attempts to study processes such as life history, demographics, and population viability. Despite this, they argue that the knowledge of the individual behavior proximate means can be crucial considerations in the development of the strategies of conservation management. Therefore, understanding the own behaviors will allow the managers to work on their level to ensure that there is positive population growth and minimize the possibility of extinction of the species. They give examples of how the knowledge of individual behavioral mechanisms of sea turtles can help solve problems of conservation.

The article then puts across a set of distinctive emphases that comparative psychology introduces to the study of behavior. The first one is the focus on the proximate processes which involves the exploration of the ontogeny of behavioral systems, dynamics of behavioral system functioning among others. The second emphasis is looking at the environmental relations of organisms as fundamentally transactional. The third emphasis, on the other hand, is recognizing that behavioral processes are designed at different levels with each having emergent properties.

The authors then look at the synthesis of conservation biology and animal communication and state that the effective use of communication contributes to the completion of an individual’s daily tasks which in turn helps to its reproductive successes and survival. They argue that animals communicate with each other as a means of finding food. They then continue to state that research on communicative behavior changes in multiple organizational levels will be critical in identifying ways of adaptability and vulnerability to anthropogenic modifications of the environment.

The article then goes ahead to look into the effective transmission of acoustic signals by the use of a modified signal medium. It asserts that for one to maintain the effectiveness of a signal in any acoustic environment, differences in temperature gradients, humidity, topography, and foliage that generate distorting properties must be overcome. It also outlines that in every habitat, the masking by the use of old noise regime has mainly been caused by noise sources such as water, wind, and signals of heterospecifics and conspecifics. While responding to these noise regimes, the population has thus come up with strategies to reduce the acoustic interference between noise and signal. It then goes ahead to look into the various reports on the effects that anthropogenic noise has on wildlife.

The study then looks at a case study of the effects that California highway noise has on the vocalization of ground squirrel. The study found out that ground squirrels can alter their vocalizations as they respond to highway noise. They do this by moving their acoustic energy to their harmonic calls which do not overlap with the highway noise.

The authors then conclude by asserting that for the natural ecosystem to be effectively managed, those interested in the theoretical issues and those that are into management must come together. They also hope that a large number of comparative psychologists will in the future try to seek ways in which questions from their theoretical research can be used in conservation management.

 
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