Jesse Barber

Jaffe Chief Conservation Scientist

Curator of Conservation Science

Email:
[email protected]

Research Interests

Dr. Jesse Barber's research lens is to look through fundamental ecological and evolutionary theory toward applied solutions. Understanding the umwelten of other species – the worlds other animals perceive – can provide critical insight into ecology, evolution, and conservation. His research program on sensory ecology and sensory pollution focuses on understanding how information flow structures animal behavior, ecology, and evolution. Jesse has two primary thrusts, 1) the ecological consequences of loud and bright sensory environments for animals and, 2) the sensory ecology of bat-moth interactions.

Publications

Selected Publications:
  • Barber JR, Plotkin D, Rubin JJ, Homziak NT, Leavell BC, Houlihan PR, et al. (2022) Anti-bat ultrasound production in moths is globally and phylogenetically widespread. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (25), e2117485119.
  • Gomes DGE, Toth CA, Cole HJ, Francis CD, Barber JR (2021). Phantom rivers filter birds and bats by acoustic niche. Nature Communications 12 (1), 1-8.
  • Sedlock JL, Gomes DGE, Rubin JJ, Woody S, Hadi BAR, Barber JR (2021). A phantom ultrasonic insect chorus repels low-flying bats, but most are undeterred. Functional Ecology published online Oct. 5, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13933
  • Gomes DGE, Toth C, Bateman C, Francis CD, Kawahara AY, Barber JR (2021). Experimental river noise alters arthropod abundance. Oikos doi: 10.1111/oik.08499
  • Levenhagen MJ, Miller ZD, Petrelli AR, Ferguson LA, Shr Y, Taff BD, Fristrup KM, McClure CJW, Burson S, Giamellaro M, Newman P, Francis CD, Barber JR (2021). Does experimentally quieting traffic noise benefit people and birds? Ecology and Society 26(2):32.
  • Gomes DGE, Hesselberg T, Barber JR (2021). Phantom river noise alters orb-weaving spider abundance, web size, and prey capture. Functional Ecology. 35 (3), 717-726.
  • Allen LC, Hristov NI, Rubin JJ, Lightsey JT, Barber JR (2021). Noise distracts foraging bats. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 288 (1944), 20202689.
  • Kawahara AY, Reeves LE, Barber JR, Black S (2021). Opinion: eight practical actions to save insects from global declines. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118(2).
  • Gomes DGE, Francis CD, Barber JR (2021). Using past to understand present: coping with natural and anthropogenic noise. Bioscience. 71 (3), 223-234.
  • Senzaki M, Barber JR, Phillips JN, Carter NH, Cooper CB, Ditmer MA, Fristrup KM, McClure, CJW, Mennitt DJ, Tyrrell LP, Vukomanovic J, Wilson AA, Francis CD (2020). Sensory pollutants alter bird phenology and fitness across a continent. Nature. 587:605-609.
  • Levenhagen MJ, Miller ZD, Petrelli AR, Ferguson LA, Shr Y, Gomes DGE, Taff BD, White C, Fristrup KM, Monz C, McClure CJW, Newman P*, Francis CD*, Barber JR* (2020). Ecosystem services enhanced through soundscape management link people and wildlife. People and Nature. 00:1–14. *Co-PIs
  • Dominoni DM, Halfwerk W, Baird E, Buxton RT, Fernàndez-Juricic E, Fristrup KM, McKenna MF, Mennitt Perkin EK, DJ, Seymoure BM, Stoner DC, Tennessen JB, Toth CA, Tyrrell LP, Wilson A, Francis CD, Carter NH, Barber JR (2020). Why conservation biology can benefit from sensory ecology. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 16:1-10.
  • Cinto Mejia E, McClure CJW, Barber JR (2019) Large‐scale manipulation of the acoustic environment can alter the abundance of breeding birds: Evidence from a phantom natural gas field. Journal of Applied Ecology. 56(8):2091-2101.
  • Leavell BC, Rubin JJ, McClure CJW, Miner KA, Branham MA, Barber JR (2018) Fireflies thwart bat attack with multisensory warnings. Science Advances 4:8, eaat6601
  • Rubin JJ, Hamilton CA, McClure CJW, Chadwell BA, Kawahara AY, Barber JR (2018) The evolution of anti-bat sensory illusions in moths. Science Advances 4:7, eaar7428
  • Barber JR, Leavell BC, Keener AL, Breinholt JW, Chadwell BA, McClure CJW, Hill GM, Kawahara AY (2015) Moth tails divert bat attack: evolution of acoustic deflection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(9):2812-2816.
  • Ware HE, McClure CJW, Carlisle J, Barber JR (2015) A phantom road experiment reveals traffic noise is an invisible source of habitat degradation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(39):12105-12109.
  • Kawahara* AY, Barber* JR (2015) Tempo and mode of anti-bat ultrasound production and sonar jamming in the diverse hawkmoth radiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(20): 6407-6412. *Authors contributed equally
  • Bunkley JP, McClure CJW, Kleist NJ, Francis CD, Barber JR (2015) Anthropogenic noise alters bat activity levels and echolocation calls. Global Ecology and Conservation 3:62-71.
  • McClure CJW, Ware HE, Carlisle J, Kaltenecker G, Barber JR (2013) An experimental investigation into the effects of traffic noise on distributions of birds: Avoiding the phantom road. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 80: 20132290.
  • Barber JR, Kawahara AY (2013) Hawkmoths produce anti-bat ultrasound. Biology Letters 9: 20130161.