Connecting spectral radiometry of anthropogenic light sources to the visual ecology of organisms

Seymoure, Brett; Linares, Carlos; White, Jeremy

doi:10.1111/jzo.12656

Cited by 24 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…The eyes of nocturnal moths typically have three maxima in their sensitivity; for instance, Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus; Sphingidae), has photoreceptors with peak sensitivities in the ultraviolet (350 nm), violet (440 nm), and green (525 nm) regions (Schwemer & Paulsen, 1973; Schlecht, 1979). These visual sensitivities have been compared to spectral outputs to predict the ecological impacts of different street light technologies (Davies et al ., 2013; Longcore et al ., 2018; Seymoure et al ., 2019). Yet, adult moths also possess extraocular photoreceptors, including in the brain and reproductive organs (Page, 1982; Giebultowicz et al ., 1989).…”

Section: Mitigation Of the Disruptive Effects Of Outdoor Lightingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is light pollution driving moth population declines? A review of causal mechanisms across the life cycle

Boyes

Evans

Fox

et al. 2020

Insect Conserv Diversity

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The night‐time environment is increasingly being lit, often by broad‐spectrum lighting, and there is growing evidence that artificial light at night (ALAN) has consequences for ecosystems, potentially contributing to declines in insect populations. Moths are species‐rich, sensitive to ALAN, and have undergone declines in Europe, making them the ideal group for investigating the impacts of light pollution on nocturnal insects more broadly. Here, we take a life cycle approach to review the impacts of ALAN on moths, drawing on a range of disciplines including ecology, physiology, and applied entomology. We find evidence of diverse impacts across most life stages and key behaviours. Many studies have examined flight‐to‐light behaviour in adults and our meta‐analysis found that mercury vapour, metal halide, and compact fluorescent bulbs induce this more than LED and sodium lamps. However, we found that ALAN can also disrupt reproduction, larval development, and pupal diapause, with likely negative impacts on individual fitness, and that moths can be indirectly affected via hostplants and predators. These findings indicate that ALAN could also affect day‐flying insects through impacts on earlier life stages. Overall, we found strong evidence for effects of artificial light on moth behaviour and physiology, but little rigorous, direct evidence that this scales up to impacts on populations. Crucially, there is a need to determine the potential contribution of ALAN to insect declines, relative to other drivers of change. In the meantime, we recommend precautionary strategies to mitigate possible negative effects of ALAN on insect populations.

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Section: Mitigation Of the Disruptive Effects Of Outdoor Lightingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is light pollution driving moth population declines? A review of causal mechanisms across the life cycle

Boyes

Evans

Fox

et al. 2020

Insect Conserv Diversity

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“…Anthropogenic landuse change tends to homogenize environments across multiple scales including sensory environments [106,[134][135][136][137]. Widespread, homogeneous alterations of the sensory environments driven by anthropogenic change are thus expected to lead to widespread changes in senders and receivers, although strong constraints may exist for some taxa [120,138].…”

Section: Disruptions Through Environmental Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary novelty in communication between the sexes

et al. 2021

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The diversity of signalling traits within and across taxa is vast and striking, prompting us to consider how novelty evolves in the context of animal communication. Sexual selection contributes to diversification, and here we endeavour to understand the initial conditions that facilitate the maintenance or elimination of new sexual signals and receiver features. New sender and receiver variants can occur through mutation, plasticity, hybridization and cultural innovation, and the initial conditions of the sender, the receiver and the environment then dictate whether a novel cue becomes a signal. New features may arise in the sender, the receiver or both simultaneously. We contend that it may be easier than assumed to evolve new sexual signals because sexual signals may be arbitrary, sexual conflict is common and receivers are capable of perceiving much more of the world than just existing sexual signals. Additionally, changes in the signalling environment can approximate both signal and receiver changes through a change in transmission characteristics of a given environment or the use of new environments. The Anthropocene has led to wide-scale disruption of the environment and may thus generate opportunity to directly observe the evolution of new signals to address questions that are beyond the reach of phylogenetic approaches.

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“…In the main these concern quite generic changes to reduce the spatial and temporal occurrence of such lighting, limit its intensity and to limit the use of broader spectrum and blue-rich lighting 20 . Animal visual ecology is an increasingly important factor in these recommendations, as recent evidence from comparisons between emission spectra of artificial lights and behavioural responses or spectral sensitivities of different species suggest that broad-spectrum lights are most likely to disrupt ecological interactions 18,20,21 . By contrast, amber LEDs have been seen as less harmful 20 , and are being deployed with, still low but, increasing frequency.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, studies of the impacts of artificial nighttime lighting on visual ecology have focussed almost exclusively on matching the spectral output of different kinds of lamps, or that of the skyglow they give rise to, with indices of the action spectra of species' visual systems [18][19][20][21] . However, these offer limited insight into how different artificial lighting types will alter visual ecology in specific systems because they do not account for the critical interactions between emission spectra, surface reflectance, and the receiver's sensitivity to light at different quantal intensities and wavelengths.…”

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confidence: 99%

Artificial nighttime lighting impacts visual ecology links between flowers, pollinators and predators

et al. 2021

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The nighttime environment is being altered rapidly over large areas worldwide through introduction of artificial lighting, from streetlights and other sources. This is predicted to impact the visual ecology of many organisms, affecting both their intra- and interspecific interactions. Here, we show the effects of different artificial light sources on multiple aspects of hawkmoth visual ecology, including their perception of floral signals for pollination, the potential for intraspecific sexual signalling, and the effectiveness of their visual defences against avian predators. Light sources fall into three broad categories: some that prevent use of chromatic signals for these behaviours, others that more closely mimic natural lighting conditions, and, finally, types whose effects vary with light intensity and signal colour. We find that Phosphor Converted (PC) amber LED lighting – often suggested to be less harmful to nocturnal insects – falls into this third disruptive group, with unpredictable consequences for insect visual ecology depending on distance from the light source and the colour of the objects viewed. The diversity of impacts of artificial lighting on hawkmoth visual ecology alone argues for a nuanced approach to outdoor lighting in environmentally sensitive areas, employing intensities and spectra designed to limit those effects of most significant concern.

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Connecting spectral radiometry of anthropogenic light sources to the visual ecology of organisms

Cited by 24 publications

References 85 publications

Is light pollution driving moth population declines? A review of causal mechanisms across the life cycle

Is light pollution driving moth population declines? A review of causal mechanisms across the life cycle

Evolutionary novelty in communication between the sexes

Artificial nighttime lighting impacts visual ecology links between flowers, pollinators and predators

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