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96 results for “Artificial light at night”
Artificial light at night (ALAN) decreases plant diversity and performance in experimental grassland communities – Data on species biomass and traits
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Dim artificial light at night alters immediate early gene expression throughout the avian brain
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Noise pollution and artificial light at night alter selection pressures on sexual signals in an urban adapter
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Relative importance of intensity and spectrum of artificial light at night in disrupting behavior of a nocturnal rodent
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Dietary melatonin supplementation mitigates the negative effects of artificial light at night in the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus
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Data and code from: Nocturnal flight call monitoring reveals in-flight behavioral alteration by avian migrants in response to artificial light at night
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The influence of artificial light at night (ALAN) on algal phenol concentrations can mediate herbivore-alga interactions
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Lifelong exposure to artificial light at night impacts stridulation and locomotion activity patterns in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus
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Data from: Artificial light at night increases growth and reproductive output in Anolis lizards
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Sexually dimorphic and clock-gene specific effects of artificial light at night on Drosophila behavioral rhythms
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A meta-analysis of biological impacts of artificial light at night
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>This is a database of published studies, that measuered how the exposure to artificial light at night impacts the physiology, daily activity patterns and life-history traits. The data were collected using a systematic review with searches in Web of Science and Scopus. We also provide the R-code that was used to analyse the dataset with meta-analytic models in MCMCglmm.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Artificial light at night amplifies seasonal relapse of haemosporidian parasites in a widespread songbird
<p>Urban habitats can shape interactions between hosts and parasites by altering within-host processes such as resistance. Artificial light at night is common in urban environments, and chronic exposure can impair host immunity in ways that may increase infection. However, studies of causal links between this stressor, immunity, and infection dynamics are rare, particularly in migratory animals. Here, we experimentally tested how artificial light at night affects cellular immunity and intensity of infection with haemosporidian parasites across the annual cycle of migrant and resident subspecies of the dark-eyed junco (<em>Junco hyemalis</em>). We exposed an experimental group to light at night and compared them to control birds under nighttime darkness. Both groups were monitored as they passed through short days simulating early spring to longer days simulating the breeding season, followed by fall migration. Using generalized additive models, we show that artificial light at night increased inflammation, and leukocyte counts were greatest in early spring and fall. At the beginning of the experiment, few birds had active infections based on microscopy, but nested PCR revealed that many birds had chronic infections. Artificial light at night increased parasitemia across the annual cycle, with pronounced peaks in spring and fall that were largely absent in control birds. Because all birds were kept in indoor aviaries to prevent vector exposure, these pulses in parasite intensity indicate relapse of chronic infection during costly life history stages (i.e., reproduction, migration). Although the immunological and parasitological time series were in phase for control birds, cross-correlation analyses revealed that artificial light at night desynchronized leukocyte profiles and haemosporidian intensity, which could suggest immune dysregulation. Our study shows how a common anthropogenic influence can shape within-host processes to affect infection dynamics.</p>
Data from: Artificial light at night confounds broad-scale habitat use by migrating birds
With many of the world's migratory bird populations in alarming decline, broad-scale assessments of responses to migratory hazards may prove crucial to successful conservation efforts. Most birds migrate at night through increasingly light-polluted skies. Bright light sources can attract airborne migrants and lead to collisions with structures, but might also influence selection of migratory stopover habitat and thereby acquisition of food resources. We demonstrate, using multi-year weather radar measurements of nocturnal migrants across the northeastern U.S., that autumnal migrant stopover density increased at regional scales with proximity to the brightest areas, but decreased within a few kilometers of brightly-lit sources. This finding implies broad-scale attraction to artificial light while airborne, impeding selection for extensive forest habitat. Given that high-quality stopover habitat is critical to successful migration, and hindrances during migration can decrease fitness, artificial lights present a potentially heightened conservation concern for migratory bird populations.
Data from: Artificial light at night does not affect telomere shortening in a developing free-living songbird: a field experiment
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasingly pervasive anthropogenic disturbance factor. ALAN can seriously disrupt physiological systems that follow circadian rhythms, and may be particularly influential early in life, when developmental trajectories are sensitive to stressful conditions. Using great tits (Parus major) as a model species, we experimentally examined how ALAN affects physiological stress in developing nestlings. We used a repeated-measure design to assess effects of ALAN on telomere shortening, body mass, tarsus length and body condition. Telomeres are repetitive nucleotide sequences that protect chromosomes from damage and malfunction. Early life telomere shortening can be accelerated by environmental stressors, and has been linked to later-life declines in survival and reproduction. We also assayed nitric oxide, as an additional metric of physiological stress, and determined fledging success. Change in body condition between day 8 and 15 differed according to treatment. Nestlings exposed to ALAN displayed a trend towards a decline in condition, whereas control nestlings displayed a trend towards increased condition. This pattern was driven by a greater increase in tarsus length relative to mass in nestlings exposed to ALAN. Nestlings in poorer condition and nestlings that were smaller than their nest mates had shorter telomeres. However, exposure to ALAN was unrelated to telomere shortening, and also had no effect on nitric oxide concentrations or fledging success. Thus, exposure to ALAN may not have led to sufficient stress to induce telomere shortening. Indeed, plasticity in other physiological systems could allow nestlings to maintain telomere length despite moderate stress. Alternatively, the cascade of physiological and behavioral responses associated with light exposure may have no net effect on telomere dynamics.
Data from: Individual-based measurements of light intensity provide new insights into the effects of artificial light at night on daily rhythms of urban-dwelling songbirds
1. The growing interest in the effects of light pollution on daily and seasonal cycles of animals has led to a boost of research in recent years. In birds, it has been hypothesized that artificial light at night can affect daily aspects of behaviour, but one caveat is the lack of knowledge about the light intensity that wild animals, such as birds, are exposed to during the night. 2. Organisms have naturally evolved daily rhythms to adapt to the 24-h cycle of day and night, thus, it is important to investigate the potential shifts in daily cycles due to global anthropogenic processes such as urbanization. 3. We captured adult male European blackbirds (Turdus merula) in one rural forest and two urban sites differing in the degree of anthropogenic disturbance. We tagged these birds with light loggers and simultaneously recorded changes in activity status (active/non-active) through an automated telemetry system. We first analysed the relationship between light at night, weather conditions and date with daily activity onset and end. We then compared activity, light at night exposure and noise levels between weekdays and weekends. 4. Onset of daily activity was significantly advanced in both urban sites compared to the rural population, while end of daily activity did not vary either among sites. Birds exposed to higher amounts of light in the late night showed earlier onset of activity in the morning, but light at night did not influence end of daily activity. Light exposure at night and onset/end of daily activity timing was not different between weekdays and weekends, but all noise variables were. A strong seasonal effect was detected in both urban and rural populations, such as birds tended to be active earlier in the morning and later in the evening (relative to civil twilight) in the early breeding season than at later stages. 5. Our results point at artificial light at night as a major driver of change in timing of daily activity. Future research should focus on the costs and benefits of altered daily rhythmicity in birds thriving in urban areas.
Data from: Altered breeding biology of the European blackbird under artificial light at night
Artificial light at night (LAN) has become a stressor of global extent. Previous work has highlighted the high potential of LAN to interfere with annual and diel rhythms of seasonal organisms as well as to affect interactions at the community level. However, our understanding how LAN induced alterations of activity and breeding cycles affect the reproductive outcome and fitness of the birds is still limited. Here, we focus on the effects of night time illumination on the breeding biology of urban European blackbirds (Turdus merula). Our results indicate that blackbirds prefer illuminated nest sites and advance their date of clutch initiation by 6 days per 1 lux of night time illumination. Furthermore, daily nest survival rates increased with increasing LAN although this effect was most pronounced for the transition from dark to slightly illuminated sites. We suggest that blackbirds breeding under low artificial night light conditions benefit from the LAN-avoidance of their major predators (nocturnal) whereas predominant predators of blackbirds nesting in the city centre are diurnal and are, thus, not affected by LAN. Hence, it seems likely that both direct effects of LAN on the timing of reproduction as well as indirect effects on interspecific interactions might contribute to the observed changes in the breeding biology of European blackbirds.This study emphasizes the diverse ecological effects of the night time illumination which are – in its complexity – still poorly understood.
Artificial light at night erases positive interactions across trophic levels
<p>1. Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most recently recognized sources of anthropogenic disturbance, with potentially severe effects on biological systems that are still to be fully explored. Among marine ecosystems, high shore habitats are those more likely to be impacted by ALAN, due to a more intense exposition to outdoor nocturnal lightings (mostly from lamps along coastal streets and promenades, or within harbors, ports and marinas). 2. By performing in situ nocturnal manipulations of a direct source of white LED light and presence of herbivores in a Mediterranean high-shore habitat, we assessed the interactive effects of light pollution and grazing on two key functional components of the epilithic microbial community (the cyanobacteria, as the main photoautotrophic component, and the other bacteria, mainly dominated by heterotrophs) developing on rocky shores. 3. Results showed an unexpected increase in the diversity of epilithic bacterial biofilm at unlit sites in the presence of grazers, that was more evident on the other (mainly heterotrophic) bacterial component, when giving weight to more abundant families. This effect was likely related to the mechanical removal of dead cells through the grazing activity of consumers. ALAN significantly modified this scenario, by reducing the density of grazers and thus erasing their effects on bacteria, and by increasing the diversity of more abundant cyanobacterial families. 4. Overall, direct and indirect effects on ALAN resulted in a significant increase in the diversity of the photoautotrophic component and a decrease in the heterotrophic one, likely affecting key ecosystem functions acting on rocky shore habitats. 5. ALAN may represent a threat for natural systems through the annihilation of positive interactions across trophic levels, potentially impairing the relationship between biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems and interacting with other global and local stressors currently impinging on coastal areas.</p>
Data from: Artificial night lighting inhibits feeding in moths
One major, yet poorly studied, change in the environment is nocturnal light pollution, which strongly alters habitats of nocturnally active species. Artificial night lighting is often considered as driving force behind rapid moth population declines in severely illuminated countries. To understand these declines, the question remains whether artificial light causes only increased mortality or also sublethal effects. We show that moths subjected to artificial night lighting spend less time feeding than moths in darkness, with the shortest time under light conditions rich in short wavelength radiation. These findings provide evidence for sublethal effects contributing to moth population declines. Because effects are strong under various types of light compared with dark conditions, the potential of spectral alterations as a conservation tool may be overestimated. Therefore, restoration and maintenance of darkness in illuminated areas is essential for reversing declines of moth populations.
Data from: Artificial light at night advances avian reproductive physiology
Artificial light at night is a rapidly increasing phenomenon and it is presumed to have global implications. Light at night has been associated with health problems in humans as a consequence of altered biological rhythms. Effects on wild animals have been less investigated, but light at night has often been assumed to affect seasonal cycles of urban dwellers. Using light loggers attached to free-living European blackbirds (Turdus merula), we first measured light intensity at night which forest and city birds are subjected to in the wild. Then we used these measurements to test for the effect of light at night on timing of reproductive physiology. Captive city and forest blackbirds were exposed to either dark nights or very low light intensities at night (0.3 lux). Birds exposed to light at night developed their reproductive system up to one month earlier, and also moulted earlier, than birds kept under dark nights. Furthermore, city birds responded differently than forest individuals to the light at night treatment, suggesting that urbanization can alter the physiological phenotype of songbirds. Our results emphasize the impact of human-induced lighting on the ecology of millions of animals living in cities and call for an understanding of the fitness consequences of light pollution.
Artificial Light at Night weakens body condition but does not negatively affect physiological markers of health in great tits.
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