The extent of artificial night light and anthropogenic noise (i.e., “light” and “noise”) impacts is global and has the capacity to threaten species across diverse ecosystems. Existing research ...involving impacts of light or noise has primarily focused on noise or light alone and single species; however, these stimuli often co‐occur and little is known about how co‐exposure influences wildlife and if and why species may vary in their responses. Here, we had three aims: (1) to investigate species‐specific responses to light, noise, and the interaction between the two using a spatially explicit approach to model changes in abundance of 140 prevalent bird species across North America, (2) to investigate responses to the interaction between light exposure and night length, and (3) to identify functional traits and habitat affiliations that explain variation in species‐specific responses to these sensory stimuli with phylogenetically informed models. We found species that responded to noise exposure generally decreased in abundance, and the additional presence of light interacted synergistically with noise to exacerbate its negative effects. Moreover, the interaction revealed negative emergent responses for several species that only reacted when light and noise co‐occurred. Additionally, an interaction between light and night length revealed 47 species increased in abundance with light exposure during longer nights. In addition to modifying behavior with optimal temperature and potential foraging opportunities, birds might be attracted to light, yet suffer inadvertent physiological consequences. The trait that most strongly related to avian response to light and noise was habitat affiliation. Specifically, species that occupy closed habitat were less tolerant of both sensory stressors compared to those that occupy open habitat. Further quantifying the contexts and intrinsic traits that explain how species respond to noise and light will be fundamental to understanding the ecological consequences of a world that is ever louder and brighter.
Based on over 3.4 million observations of birds at feeders from across the contiguous USA, this study documents influences of noise and light pollution, plus their interaction, on 140 bird species. Birds tend to decline in abundance with noise exposure and exposure to light pollution accentuates the negative effect of noise. Still, interactions with noise and light were diverse, spanning across antagonistic, synergistic, and emergent responses. Additionally, many species tended to increase in abundance with elevated light pollution when nights were longer. In general, birds that live in forests were more sensitive to noise and light than those in more open habitats.
The notable increase in artificial night light (ANL) induced by the rapid urbanization process has been widely studied, but a deep understanding of the supply and demand status of ANL is still ...lacking. This paper attempts to map the supply and demand of ANL from the human perspective by using advanced Loujia1-01 nighttime imagery and social media derived population density (PD) data, which provides a new tool for light regulation in urban management. The bivariate clustering based k-means algorithm and template matching technique are integrated to delineate mismatch regions at the block scale to further analyze the underlying reason for unbalanced status. The results showed that the high supply but low demand (HSLD) ANL status was the leading component in the mismatch regions, occupying more than 650,000 ha and mainly occurring in the city center. The HSLD proportion was considerable in terms of public services (44%), commercial (40%), industrial (39%), transportation (56%), and green space areas (53%). Moreover, the HSLD area notably increased 946 ha over time from 18:00 to 22:00. The measurements for validation obtained by field investigation showed highly linear relationship with ANL (R2 = 0.75) and PD (R2 = 0.62), and the mapping results were consistent with the actual conditions. This study reveals the highly unbalanced ANL status, and appeals to planners for the establishment of optimal lighting regulations to alleviate disruptive effects.
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•The supply and demand status of ANL in open areas is mapped.•The relationship between ANL and PD has been quantified.•The significant HSLD status of ANL calls for high attention.•Unbalanced status of ANL is highly related to housing price.•Light regulation is necessary to alleviate the disruptive effects.
Early in the 20th century, disparate human developmental processes culminate excess artificial light during night time and distort the phenological, physiological and ecological responses, which are ...sustained in the plants, animals and microorganism from millions of years. Earlier studies regarding artificial light (AL) during the night predominantly covered the drastic effects on animal systems. Although, drastic effects of AL during night time are enormous; therefore, the present topic is focused on the physiological and ecological consequences of artificial night light pollution (ANLP) on plant systems. In these consequences, most of the plant processes under ANLP are affected intensely and cause compelling changes in plant life cycle from germination to maturity. However, severe effects were observed in the case of pollination, photoreceptor signalling, flowering and microhabitats of plants. Along with drastic effects on ecology and environments, its relevance to human developmental processes cannot be avoided. Therefore, we need to equipoise between sustainable environment and steadily human development processes. Further, selection of plant/crop species, which are more responsive to ANLP, can minimize the ecological consequences of night light pollution. Likewise, changing artificial nightscape with the implication of new LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) lightening policies like UJALA (
www.ujala.gov.in
), which are low cost, more durable, eco-friendly and less emitter of CO
2
, have potential to overcome the biodiversity threats, which arise due to old artificial lightening technology from decades. Hence, adopting new advance artificial lightening technology and understanding its impact on plant ecosystem will be a future challenge for plant biologist.
Summary
The effect of a range of ecologically relevant broader spectrum street light intensities on the dispersal timing of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry was investigated to assess the efficacy ...of a proposed management tool, the dimming of lamp brightness, for reducing the ecological consequences of artificial night light on aquatic ecosystems. Dispersal timing under treatment street light intensities of 8, 4, 2 and 1 lux was compared to that under a control night light intensity of 0.1 lux, representative of approximately half that experienced from a full moon.
Dispersal timing was significantly delayed (by 1.4 to 2.2 days), and its diel pattern significantly disrupted under the treatment street light intensities. However, the dose–response for both delay and disruption effects was not linear, with a strong effect apparent at 1 lux, and little or no additional impact seen when the light intensity was increased further. Under control conditions, the mean time of dispersal was 3:58 h after dusk, with very few fry (<4%) dispersing during daylight hours. For the treatment street light intensities, the mean time of dispersal of fry was significantly later (5:31 h after dusk at 1 lux) at night, and a much wider distribution of fry dispersal times was apparent with many more fry (19% at 1 lux) dispersing during daylight hours.
Survival to dispersal in aquarium conditions was high (≥97.8%) and comparable in the control and treatment street light intensities. However, in the wild, the period between fry dispersal and the establishment of feeding territories is considered to be of critical importance in the dynamics of salmonid populations and any disruption may significantly increase predation and reduce fitness.
The findings of this aquarium‐based investigation suggest that the dimming of lamp brightness has little potential as a successful management strategy to reduce the disruptive impact of street lighting surrounding freshwater ecosystems. We therefore recommend that the best course of action is to maintain and increase natural unlit areas.
This work identifies lighting as a non-invasive method for the transformation of a space that simultaneously and unconstructively articulates various activities and does not interfere with the ...inherited physical framework. Through experimental research and a case study of the "Eastern City Gate of Belgrade" housing settlement in Serbia, which was designed and built in the second half of the 20th century, the activity rhythm of a contemporary user is explored. The research goal was to recognise the decision-making tools for increasing the quality of open public spaces during the night-time mode of use by improving the quality of lighting. The study proposes the new lighting design model that supports night-time leisure activities in mass housing open public spaces in the contemporary urban context.
Artificial night light (ALAN) could lead to circadian rhythm disorders and disrupt normal lipid metabolism, while time-restricted feeding (TRF) could maintain metabolic homeostasis. In mammals, TRF ...has been demonstrated to have extraordinary effects on the metabolic regulation caused by circadian rhythm disorders, but studies in lower vertebrates such as fish are still scarce. In this study, the impacts of ALAN on the body composition and lipid metabolism of juvenile rainbow trout were investigated by continuous light (LL) exposure as well as whether TRF could alleviate the negative effects of LL. The results showed that LL upregulated the expression of lipid synthesis (fas and srebp-1c) genes and suppressed the expression of lipid lipolysis (pparβ, cpt-1a, and lpl) genes in the liver, finally promoting lipid accumulation in juvenile rainbow trout. However, LL downregulated the expression of genes (Δ6-fad, Δ9-fad, elovl2, and elovl5) related to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) synthesis, resulting in a significant decrease in the proportion of LC-PUFA in the dorsal muscle. In serum, LL led to a decrease in glucose (Glu) levels and an increase in triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (H-DLC) levels. On the other hand, TRF (mid-dark stage feeding (D)) and mid-light stage feeding (L)) upregulated the expression of both the lipid synthesis (srebp-1c and pparγ), lipolysis (pparα, pparβ, and cpt-1a), and lipid transport (cd36/fat and fatp-1) genes, finally increasing the whole-body lipid, liver protein, and lipid content. Meanwhile, TRF (D and L groups) increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and LC-PUFA in serum. In contrast, random feeding (R group) increased the serum Glu levels and decreased TG, total cholesterol (T-CHO), and H-DLC levels, suggesting stress and poor nutritional status. In conclusion, ALAN led to lipid accumulation and a significant decrease in muscle LC-PUFA proportion, and TRF failed to rescue these negative effects.
Yellow poplar (
Liriodendron tulipifera
L.) is a widespread hardwood tree of great ecological and economic value. Light pollution caused by excessive and indiscriminate exposure to artificial night ...light has emerged as a new risk factor due to its adverse effects related to energy waste, sleep disorders, anthropogenic habitat disturbance, and perceptual disorder of daily and seasonal rhythms in wildlife. However, it remains unknown how associations between artificial night light and stomatal behaviors controlled by internal signals are established. After continuous exposure to artificial light at night over 3 years, leaves in the experimental set-up were measured for stomatal movements, starch turnover, endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels, and chloroplast ultrastructure during the growing season. Yellow poplar showed dynamic changes in stomatal movement, starch turnover, and endogenous ABA levels in response to day/artificial night light cycle, resulting in reduction of circadian phase-shifting capacity at both dusk and dawn and normal chloroplast development as compared with natural night. Nighttime light exposure may act as a major factor for disorder of circadian and circannual rhythms as well as physiological and ultrastructural repressor in plants, via a modification of the perceived photoperiod. Our study suggests that these dynamic responses can provide advantageous insights that complement the current knowledge on light pollution.
Članak istražuje holistički pristup razumijevanju važnosti kvalitete rasvjete u urbanom otvorenom prostoru. Noćne iluminacije imaju važni vizualni potencijal. Noćni grad izgleda sasvim drugačije nego ...tijekom dana. Koncept urbane krajine je za korisnike ne samo materijalna stvarnost, to je mentalna struktura koja rezultira subjektivnu percepciju. Analitički istraživački rad je otkrio da se percepcija okoline (mentalna slika), razlikuje tijekom dana i noći. U večernjim satima, pozornost je usmjerena na utjecaj svjetlosti. Samo osvijetljene točke djeluju kao orijentir. Obje, svijetle i tamne površine imaju utisak okruga. Ulogu glavnih puteva preuzimaju osvijetljeni hodnici. Identifikacija čvorova i rubova ovisna je od jačine rasvjete. Članak predstavlja primjere osvjetljenja i daje smjernice za kvalitativnu rasvjetu urbanih otvorenih površina. U kontekstu znanstvenog rada razvijena je metodologija procjene rasvjete. Rad prikazuje kriterije ocjenjivanja koji su bili uzeti u obzir. Rezultati studije pokazuju da su odgovarajuća rasvjetna rješenja društveno prihvatljiva, ekološko prihvatljiva i ekonomsko učinkovita. Samo takvi uspješni rasvjetni aranžmani omogućuju dobre uvjete za život svih. Rezultati studije su korisni kao inovativni pristup u prostornom planiranju i dizajnu. Pametna svjetlosna rješenja omogućuju visoku razino kvalitete s niskim energetskim troškovima. Niži troškovi znače učinkovit doprinos gospodarskom rastu koji potiče razvoj grada.
► We used satellite derived night lights to explore sea turtle nesting distribution. ► Night light intensity had a negative relationship with sea turtle nests. ► Our GLM predicted 32% of the ...variation in sea turtle nesting distribution. ► Night lights are an important variable to help predict sea turtle nesting activity.
Artificial night lights pose a major threat to multiple species. However, this threat is often disregarded in conservation management and action because it is difficult to quantify its effect. Increasing availability of high spatial-resolution satellite images may enable us to better incorporate this threat into future work, particularly in highly modified ecosystems such as the coastal zone. In this study we examine the potential of satellite night light imagery to predict the distribution of the endangered loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle nests in the eastern Mediterranean coastline. Using remote sensing tools and high resolution data derived from the SAC-C satellite and the International Space Station, we examined the relationship between the long term spatial patterns of sea turtle nests and the intensity of night lights along Israel’s entire Mediterranean coastline. We found that sea turtles nests are negatively related to night light intensity and are concentrated in darker sections along the coast. Our resulting GLMs showed that night lights were a significant factor for explaining the distribution of sea turtle nests. Other significant variables included: cliff presence, human population density and infrastructure. This study is one of the first to show that night lights estimated with satellite-based imagery can be used to help explain sea turtle nesting activity at a detailed resolution over large areas. This approach can facilitate the management of species affected by night lights, and will be particularly useful in areas that are inaccessible or where broad-scale prioritization of conservation action is required.
Research focused on evaluating how human food subsidies influence the foraging ecology of scavenger species is scarce but essential for elucidating their role in shaping behavioral patterns, ...population dynamics, and potential impacts on ecosystems. We evaluate the potential role of humans in shaping the year‐round distribution and habitat use of individuals from a typical scavenger species, the yellow‐legged gull (Larus michahellis), breeding at southwestern Spain. To do this, we combined long‐term, nearly continuous GPS‐tracking data with spatially explicit information on habitat types and distribution of human facilities, as proxied by satellite imagery of artificial night lights. Overall, individuals were mainly associated with freshwater habitats (mean proportion, 95% CI: 40.6%, 36.9%–44.4%) followed by the marine‐related systems (40.3, 37.7%–42.8%), human‐related habitats (13.5%, 13.2%–13.8%), and terrestrial systems (5.5%, 4.6%–6.5%). However, these relative contributions to the overall habitat usage largely changed throughout the annual cycle as a likely response to ecological/physiological constraints imposed by varying energy budgets and environmental constraints resulting from fluctuations in the availability of food resources. Moreover, the tight overlap between the year‐round spatial distribution of gulls and that of human facilities suggested that the different resources individuals relied on were likely of anthropogenic origin. We therefore provide evidence supporting the high dependence of this species on human‐related food resources throughout the annual cycle. Owing to the ability of individuals to disperse and reach transboundary areas of Spain, Portugal, or Morocco, international joint efforts aimed at restricting the availability of human food resources would be required to manage this overabundant species and the associated consequences for biodiversity conservation (e.g., competitive exclusion of co‐occurring species) and human interests (e.g., airports or disease transmission).
We investigate the spatial distribution and habitat associations of a yellow‐legged gull population inhabiting a highly anthropogenic landscape, and throughout a complete annual cycle. The tight overlap between the spatial distribution of gulls and that of human facilities (as proxied by satellite imagery of artificial night lights) supports the high dependence of this species on human‐related resources. Gulls relied differently on different types of human food subsidies throughout the annual cycle as evidenced by observed changes in habitat use.
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