Behavioral responses of bioluminescent fireflies to artificial light at night

Owens, Avalon C.S.; Broeck, Mira Van den; Cock, Raphaël De; Lewis, Sara M.

doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.946640

Cited by 14 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 121 publications

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“…However, no concrete short-wavelength radiation thresholds and recommendations are yet in place. Also, amber lighting might negatively impact some species, e.g., the mating of firefly beetles, so it should be carefully applied based on site-specific conditions [64]. Decreasing light levels, directing luminaires attentively, limiting operational times, and implementing adaptable lighting control systems are necessary besides spectral considerations [37].…”

Section: Ecological Design Approach In Urban Lighting Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light formed through urban morphology and different organism groups: First findings from a systematic review.

Dincel,

Besenecker,

Koch

et al. 2024

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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The prevailing implementation and usage of contemporary lighting technologies and design practices in cities have created over-illuminated built environments. Recent studies indicate that exposure to electric lighting effects formed through spatial characteristics has visual, physiological, and behavioural effects on both humans and non-humans, such as wildlife. In order to gain a better understanding of the impact that electric lighting has on space and different organism groups, a comprehensive literature review was conducted applying PRISMA 2020 systematic review guidelines. Results of the searches from various databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus, identified 5260 related studies. A total of 55 papers connected to four themes: (1) urban morphology; (2) human visual impressions; (3) ecological impacts; and (4) design approaches and methods were analysed with a focus on urban morphology. The review provided the following general findings: lighting properties alone are inadequate to depict visual impressions of pedestrians, patterns formed through light interacting with spatial characteristics can contribute to understanding how spaces are visually perceived and help characterising the exposure of wildlife organisms to potential disturbances.

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Section: Ecological Design Approach In Urban Lighting Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light formed through urban morphology and different organism groups: First findings from a systematic review.

Dincel,

Besenecker,

Koch

et al. 2024

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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“…The ecological consequences of these disruptions may have cascading effects on the survival and persistence of these species. [14,15] Conservation considerations for terrestrial bioluminescent organisms require a comprehensive understanding of their ecological roles and potential human-induced threats. Strategies may include habitat protection, light pollution reduction, and targeted conservation efforts that recognize the unique value and vulnerabilities of these systems.…”

Section: Habitats and Ecological Aspects Of Bioluminescencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Factors such as urbanization, habitat destruction, and especially light pollution can profoundly interfere with the natural bioluminescent rhythms, disrupting key behaviors such as mating and feeding. The ecological consequences of these disruptions may have cascading effects on the survival and persistence of these species [14,15] . Conservation considerations for terrestrial bioluminescent organisms require a comprehensive understanding of their ecological roles and potential human–induced threats.…”

Section: General Aspects Of Bioluminescencementioning

confidence: 99%

Bioluminescence – The Vibrant Glow of Nature and its Chemical Mechanisms

Schramm,

Weiß

2024

ChemBioChem

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Bioluminescence, the mesmerizing natural phenomenon where living organisms produce light through chemical reactions, has long captivated scientists and laypersons alike, offering a rich tapestry of insights into biological function, ecology, evolution as well as the underlying chemistry. This comprehensive review systematically explores the phenomenon of bioluminescence, addressing its historical context, geographic dispersion, and ecological significance with a focus on their chemical mechanisms. We discuss terrestrial bioluminescence in various habitats, including fireflies in Central Europe, luminescent fungi in Brazil's Atlantic rainforest, and glowing species in New Zealand's Waitomo Caves and the Siberian Steppes. The marine section covers deep‐sea jellyfish, seasonal bioluminescence in Japan's Toyama Bay, and symbiotic bioluminescent bacteria. Each organism's discovery, ecological function, and distribution are detailed, emphasizing the chemistry behind their luminescence. We conclude with practical experiments in bioluminescence and chemiluminescence for educational purposes. Our goal with this review is to provide a summary of bioluminescence across the diverse ecological contexts, contributing to the broader understanding of this unique biological phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms.

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“…This unique signaling system makes fireflies particularly susceptible to human-created population threats like light pollution [9][10][11][12]. The presence of artificial light at night (ALAN) interferes with fireflies' perception of conspecific signals and disrupts their communication timings, curtailing flash signaling behavior and preventing successful mating [10,13]. In addition to light pollution, habitat degradation, pesticide use, water pollution, and climate change comprise some of the most serious environmental stressors causing declines in firefly populations across the globe [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embracing firefly flash pattern variability with data-driven species classification

Martin

Sarfati

Nguyen

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Many nocturnally active fireflies use precisely timed bioluminescent patterns to identify mates, making them especially vulnerable to light pollution. As urbanization continues to brighten the night sky, firefly populations are under constant stress, and close to half of the species are now threatened. Ensuring the survival of firefly biodiversity depends on a large-scale conservation effort to monitor and protect thousands of populations. While species can be identified by their flash patterns, current methods require expert measurement and manual classification and are infeasible given the number and geographic distribution of fireflies. Here we present the application of a recurrent neural network (RNN) for accurate automated firefly flash pattern classification. Using recordings from commodity cameras, we can extract flash trajectories of individuals within a swarm and classify their species with a precision and recall of approximately seventy percent. In addition to scaling population monitoring, automated classification provides the means to study firefly behavior at the population level. We employ the classifier to measure and characterize the variability within and between swarms, unlocking a new dimension of their behavior. Our method is open source, and deployment in community science applications could revolutionize our ability to monitor and understand firefly populations.

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Behavioral responses of bioluminescent fireflies to artificial light at night

Cited by 14 publications

References 121 publications

Light formed through urban morphology and different organism groups: First findings from a systematic review.

Light formed through urban morphology and different organism groups: First findings from a systematic review.

Bioluminescence – The Vibrant Glow of Nature and its Chemical Mechanisms

Embracing firefly flash pattern variability with data-driven species classification

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