A role for artificial night-time lighting in long-term changes in populations of 100 widespread macro-moths in UK and Ireland: a citizen-science study

Wilson, John F.; Baker, D. James; Cheney, Janet; Cook, Mike; Ellis, Martin B.; Freestone, Roger; Gardner, David P.; Geen, Graham R.; Hemming, Robin; Hodgers, Don; Howarth, Stephen; Jupp, Ade; Lowe, Norman; Orridge, Steve; Shaw, Margaret; Smith, Bob; Turner, Audrey; Young, Heather A.

doi:10.1007/s10841-018-0052-1

Cited by 44 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This indicates that light pollution plays an important role in the observed declines in moths. Other supporting evidence was found in the UK and Ireland, where light pollution accounted for 20% of variation in long‐term changes of moth abundance (Wilson et al, ). ALAN is also considered as a conservation threat for firefly populations worldwide (Firebaugh & Haynes, ).…”

Section: Implications For Insect Population Declines and Missing Evidmentioning

confidence: 69%

Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?

Grubisić

Grunsven

Kyba

et al. 2018

Annals of Applied Biology

162

108

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Drastic declines in insect populations, 'Ecological Armageddon', have recently gained increased attention in the scientific community, and are commonly considered to be the consequence of large-scale factors such as land-use changes, use of pesticides, climate change and habitat fragmentation. Artificial light at night (ALAN), a pervasive global change that strongly impacts insects, remains, however, infrequently recognised as a potential contributor to the observed declines. Here, we provide a summary of recent evidence of impacts of ALAN on insects and discuss how these impacts can drive declines in insect populations in light-polluted areas. ALAN can increase overall environmental pressure on insect populations, and this is particularly important in agroecosystems where insect communities provide important ecosystem services (such as natural pest control, pollination, conservation of soil structure and fertility and nutrient cycling), and are already under considerable environmental pressure. We discuss how changes in insect populations driven by ALAN and ALAN itself may hinder these services to influence crop production and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Understanding the contribution of ALAN and other factors to the decline of insects is an important step towards mitigation and the recovery of the insect fauna in our landscapes. In future studies, the role of increased nocturnal illumination also needs to be examined as a possible causal factor of insect declines in the ongoing 'Ecological Armageddon', along with the more commonly examined factors. Given the large scale of agricultural land use and the potential of ALAN to indirectly and directly impact crop production and biodiversity, a better understanding of effects of ALAN in agroecosystems is urgently needed. (Hallmann et al., 2017), popularly named 'Ecological Armageddon'. The authors used Malaise traps to collect data from 63 sites located within protected areas that are embedded in an agricultural landscape in two regions in Germany and found that biomass of flying insects decreased more than 75% over 27 years. This trend could not be explained by the changes in habitat, climate or land use (Hallmann et al., 2017), suggesting that another large-scale factor must therefore be involved. We suggest

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Section: Implications For Insect Population Declines and Missing Evidmentioning

confidence: 69%

Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?

Grubisić

Grunsven

Kyba

et al. 2018

Annals of Applied Biology

162

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Ecological traps that result in mortality or reproductive failure are predicted to lead to rapid population decline and ultimately extinction (Kokko & Sutherland, 2001;Robertson, Rehage, & Sih, 2013). Long-term records confirm that positively phototactic macro-moths (Langevelde, Braamburg-Annegarn, et al, 2017) in lit habitats (Wilson et al, 2018) have undergone disproportionate declines in abundance over the past 50 years.…”

Section: Desensitization Below)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis

Owens

Lewis

2018

Ecology and Evolution

266

201

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In recent decades, advances in lighting technology have precipitated exponential increases in night sky brightness worldwide, raising concerns in the scientific community about the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on crepuscular and nocturnal biodiversity. Long‐term records show that insect abundance has declined significantly over this time, with worrying implications for terrestrial ecosystems. The majority of investigations into the vulnerability of nocturnal insects to artificial light have focused on the flight‐to‐light behavior exhibited by select insect families. However, ALAN can affect insects in other ways as well. This review proposes five categories of ALAN impact on nocturnal insects, highlighting past research and identifying key knowledge gaps. We conclude with a summary of relevant literature on bioluminescent fireflies, which emphasizes the unique vulnerability of terrestrial light‐based communication systems to artificial illumination. Comprehensive understanding of the ecological impacts of ALAN on diverse nocturnal insect taxa will enable researchers to seek out methods whereby fireflies, moths, and other essential members of the nocturnal ecosystem can coexist with humans on an increasingly urbanized planet.

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“…It has long been known that artificial night lighting affects wildlife through attraction and disorientation (Allen, ), and recent research has documented the extent of the adverse consequences of artificial night lighting to include, for example, plant phenology (Somers‐Yeates et al., ), predator–prey relations (Minnaar, Boyles, Minnaar, Sole, & McKechnie, ), circadian rhythms (Dominoni, ), and nocturnal rest and recovery (Gaston, Bennie, Davies, & Hopkins, ). Importantly, light attraction and disorientation results in direct mortality of many groups of insects (Eisenbeis & Hänel, ), birds (Longcore et al., ), including seabirds (Rodríguez et al., ), and sea turtles (Salmon, ), contributing to species decline (Fox, ; Wilson et al., ). The degree of influence of outdoor electric lighting is determined by the direction, intensity, duration, and spectrum of the lights (Gaston, Davies, Bennie, & Hopkins, ; Longcore and Rich, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid assessment of lamp spectrum to quantify ecological effects of light at night

et al. 2018

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For many decades, the spectral composition of lighting was determined by the type of lamp, which also influenced potential effects of outdoor lights on species and ecosystems. Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps have dramatically increased the range of spectral profiles of light that is economically viable for outdoor lighting. Because of the array of choices, it is necessary to develop methods to predict the effects of different spectral profiles without conducting field studies, especially because older lighting systems are being replaced rapidly. We describe an approach to predict responses of exemplar organisms and groups to lamps of different spectral output by calculating an index based on action spectra from behavioral or visual characteristics of organisms and lamp spectral irradiance. We calculate relative response indices for a range of lamp types and light sources and develop an index that identifies lamps that minimize predicted effects as measured by ecological, physiological, and astronomical indices. Using these assessment metrics, filtered yellow-green and amber LEDs are predicted to have lower effects on wildlife than high pressure sodium lamps, while blue-rich lighting (e.g., K ≥ 2200) would have greater effects. The approach can be updated with new information about behavioral or visual responses of organisms and used to test new lighting products based on spectrum. Together with control of intensity, direction, and duration, the approach can be used to predict and then minimize the adverse effects of lighting and can be tailored to individual species or taxonomic groups.

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A role for artificial night-time lighting in long-term changes in populations of 100 widespread macro-moths in UK and Ireland: a citizen-science study

Cited by 44 publications

References 36 publications

Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?

Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?

The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis

Rapid assessment of lamp spectrum to quantify ecological effects of light at night

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