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Adams CA, Clair CCS, Knight EC, Bayne EM. Behaviour and landscape contexts determine the effects of artificial light on two crepuscular bird species. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2024; 39:83. [PMID: 38550967 PMCID: PMC10965584 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01875-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Context Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing worldwide, with many ecological effects. Aerial insectivores may benefit from foraging on insects congregating at light sources. However, ALAN could negatively impact them by increasing nest visibility and predation risk, especially for ground-nesting species like nightjars (Caprimulgidae). Objectives We tested predictions based on these two alternative hypotheses, potential foraging benefits vs potential predation costs of ALAN, for two nightjar species in British Columbia: Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) and Common Poorwills (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii). Methods We modeled the relationship between ALAN and relative abundance using count data from the Canadian Nightjar Survey. We distinguished territorial from extra-territorial Common Nighthawks based on their wingboom behaviour. Results We found limited support for the foraging benefit hypothesis: there was an increase in relative abundance of extra-territorial Common Nighthawks in areas with higher ALAN but only in areas with little to no urban land cover. Common Nighthawks' association with ALAN became negative in areas with 18% or more urban land cover. We found support for the nest predation hypothesis: the were strong negative associations with ALAN for both Common Poorwills and territorial Common Nighthawks. Conclusions The positive effects of ALAN on foraging nightjars may be limited to species that can forage outside their nesting territory and to non-urban areas, while the negative effects of ALAN on nesting nightjars may persist across species and landscape contexts. Reducing light pollution in breeding habitat may be important for nightjars and other bird species that nest on the ground. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01875-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Ann Adams
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB Canada
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 1474 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Colleen Cassady St. Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Elly C. Knight
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, 1-107 Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies (CCIS), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Erin M. Bayne
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB Canada
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2
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Trigos-Peral G, Maák IE, Schmid S, Chudzik P, Czaczkes TJ, Witek M, Casacci LP, Sánchez-García D, Lőrincz Á, Kochanowski M, Heinze J. Urban abiotic stressors drive changes in the foraging activity and colony growth of the black garden ant Lasius niger. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170157. [PMID: 38242447 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Changes in habitat characteristics are known to have profound effects on biotic communities and their functional traits. In the context of an urban-rural gradient, urbanisation drastically alters abiotic characteristics, e.g., by increasing environmental temperatures and through light pollution. These abiotic changes significantly impact the functional traits of organisms, particularly insects. Furthermore, changes in habitat characteristics also drive changes in the behavioural traits of animals, allowing them to adapt and thrive in new environments. In our study, we focused on the synanthropic ant species Lasius niger as a model organism. We conducted nocturnal field observations and complemented them with laboratory experiments to investigate the influence of night warming (NW) associated with Urban Heat Islands (UHI), light pollution (ALAN), and habitat type on ant foraging behaviour. In addition, we investigated the influence of elevated temperatures on brood development and worker mortality. Our findings revealed that urban populations of L. niger were generally more active during the night compared to their rural counterparts, although the magnitude of this difference varied with specific city characteristics. In laboratory settings, higher temperatures and continuous illumination were associated with increased activity level in ants, again differing between urban and rural populations. Rural ants exhibited more locomotion compared to their urban counterparts when maintained under identical conditions, which might enable them to forage more effectively in a potentially more challenging environment. High temperatures decreased the developmental time of brood from both habitat types and increased worker mortality, although rural colonies were more strongly affected. Overall, our study provides novel insights into the influence of urban environmental stressors on the foraging activity pattern and colony development of ants. Such stressors can be important for the establishment and spread of synanthropic ant species, including invasive ones, and the biotic homogenization of anthropogenic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Trigos-Peral
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - I E Maák
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - S Schmid
- University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - P Chudzik
- Han University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - M Witek
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - L P Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - D Sánchez-García
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Á Lőrincz
- University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - J Heinze
- University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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3
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Evens R, Lathouwers M, Pradervand JN, Jechow A, Kyba CCM, Shatwell T, Jacot A, Ulenaers E, Kempenaers B, Eens M. Skyglow relieves a crepuscular bird from visual constraints on being active. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165760. [PMID: 37506901 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night significantly alters the predictability of the natural light cycles that most animals use as an essential Zeitgeber for daily activity. Direct light has well-documented local impacts on activity patterns of diurnal and nocturnal organisms. However, artificial light at night also contributes to an indirect illumination of the night sky, called skyglow, which is rapidly increasing. The consequences of this wide-spread form of artificial night light on the behaviour of animals remain poorly understood, with only a few studies performed under controlled (laboratory) conditions. Using animal-borne activity loggers, we investigated daily and seasonal flight activity of a free-living crepuscular bird species in response to nocturnal light conditions at sites differing dramatically in exposure to skyglow. We find that flight activity of European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) during moonless periods of the night is four times higher in Belgium (high skyglow exposure) than in sub-tropical Africa and two times higher than in Mongolia (near-pristine skies). Moreover, clouds darken the sky under natural conditions, but skyglow can strongly increase local sky brightness on overcast nights. As a result, we find that nightjars' response to cloud cover is reversed between Belgium and sub-tropical Africa and between Belgium and Mongolia. This supports the hypothesis that cloudy nights reduce individual flight activity in a pristine environment, but increase it when the sky is artificially lit. Our study shows that in the absence of direct light pollution, anthropogenic changes in sky brightness relieve nightjars from visual constraints on being active. Individuals adapt daily activities to artificial night-sky brightness, allowing them more time to fly than conspecifics living under natural light cycles. This modification of the nocturnal timescape likely affects behavioural processes of most crepuscular and nocturnal species, but its implications for population dynamics and interspecific interactions remain to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Evens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Michiel Lathouwers
- Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and Toxicology, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; University of Namur, Department of Geography, Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE), Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Jean-Nicolas Pradervand
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Regional Office Valais, Rue du Rhône 11, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Jechow
- Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin
| | | | - Tom Shatwell
- Department of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alain Jacot
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Regional Office Valais, Rue du Rhône 11, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Eddy Ulenaers
- Agentschap Natuur en Bos, Regio Noord-Limburg, Herman Teirlinck Havenlaan 88 bus 75, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Ornithology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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4
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Kobisk A, Kwiatkowski MA. Effects of anthropogenic light on anuran calling site. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 333:122005. [PMID: 37330191 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The natural environment can be negatively impacted by a variety of human activities, including the production of artificial light at night. Recent studies suggest that pollution from anthropogenic light alters animal behavior. Despite being highly nocturnal, little attention has been given to anurans and the effects artificial light at night has on their behavior. This study investigated whether artificial light influenced male call site selection in east Texas anurans. Ambient light levels were quantified at five sites that varied in urbanization and artificial light levels. Calling males were located and ambient light was then measured at the male's call location. Light levels at those call locations were compared to the general light environment as measured at random locations in the area. There was a consistent pattern where males at the brightest sites called from locations darker than the general light environment. However, male call locations at the brightest sites were generally brighter than those at the darker sites suggesting that, while male anurans avoid illuminated areas for calling, males in more urbanized populations may be unable to do so. As such, male anurans at sites with higher light pollution may experience a form of habitat loss where preferred darker habitat is not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Kobisk
- Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, P.O. Box 13003, Nacogdoches, TX, 75962, USA
| | - Matthew A Kwiatkowski
- Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, P.O. Box 13003, Nacogdoches, TX, 75962, USA.
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Viljoen A, Oosthuizen MK. Dim light at night affects the locomotor activity of nocturnal African pygmy mice ( Mus minutoides) in an intensity-dependent manner. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230526. [PMID: 37072046 PMCID: PMC10113032 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents are integral components of ecosystems as they provide several important ecosystem services. Despite their importance as prey, pollinators and seed distributors, African rodents are largely understudied. The effect of anthropogenic changes such as artificial light at night extends past urban areas to peri-urban and rural habitats, and can have profound effects on entire ecosystems. We investigated the effect of dim light at night (dLAN) on the locomotor activity rhythms of the African pygmy mouse (Mus minutoides). Pygmy mice showed a dramatic, intensity-dependent reduction in their locomotor activity when subjected to dLAN, which was accompanied by a delay in the activity onset. We also considered masking responses with a dark pulse (DP) during the day and a light pulse at night. All animals became inactive in response to a light pulse during the night, whereas approximately half of the animals showed activity during a DP in the day. Our results suggest that the African pygmy mouse is highly sensitive to light and that their activity is strongly masked by light. In their natural environment, vegetation could shield pygmy mice against high light levels; however, other anthropogenic disturbances can alter the behaviour of these animals and could affect their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Viljoen
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - M. K. Oosthuizen
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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Dickerson AL, Hall ML, Jones TM. Effects of variation in natural and artificial light at night on acoustic communication: a review and prospectus. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
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Dickerson AL, Jones TM, Moore KB, Hall ML. Male‐specific nocturnal song functions similarly to day song in a diurnal bird species. Ethology 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashton L. Dickerson
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany
| | - Therésa M. Jones
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Kaya B. Moore
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
- Bardee Sunshine North Victoria Australia
| | - Michelle L. Hall
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
- Bush Heritage Australia Melbourne Victoria Australia
- School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
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Velasque M, Denton JA, Briffa M. Under the influence of light: How light pollution disrupts personality and metabolism in hermit crabs. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120594. [PMID: 36370979 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbances are known to cause significant physiological and behavioural changes in animals and, thus, are the critical focus of numerous studies. Light pollution is an increasingly recognised source of disturbance that has the potential to impact animal physiology and behaviour. Here, we investigate the effect of constant light on a personality trait and metabolic rate in the European hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. We used Bayesian mixed models to estimate average behavioural change (i.e. sample mean level behavioural plasticity) and between- and within-individual variation in boldness in response to laboratory light. Hermit crabs experiencing constant light were consistently less bold and had a higher metabolic rate than those kept under a standard laboratory light regime (12:12 h light/dark). However, there was no effect of light on individual consistency in behaviour. As boldness is associated with coping with risk, hermit crabs exposed to light pollution at night may experience increased perceived predation risk, adjusting their behaviour to compensate for the increased conspicuousness. However, reduced boldness could lead to lower rates of foraging and this, in combination with elevated metabolic rate, has the potential for a reduction in energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Velasque
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom; Genomics & Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology, Okinawa, Japan; The Experimental Evolutionary Biology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| | - J A Denton
- The World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
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Lafitte A, Sordello R, Legrand M, Nicolas V, Obein G, Reyjol Y. A flashing light may not be that flashy: A systematic review on critical fusion frequencies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279718. [PMID: 36584184 PMCID: PMC9803175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Light pollution could represent one of the main drivers behind the current biodiversity erosion. While the effects of many light components on biodiversity have already been studied, the influence of flicker remains poorly understood. The determination of the threshold frequency at which a flickering light is perceived as continuous by a species, usually called the Critical Fusion Frequency (CFF), could thus help further identify the impacts of artificial lighting on animals. OBJECTIVE This review aimed at answering the following questions: what is the distribution of CFF between species? Are there differences in how flicker is perceived between taxonomic classes? Which species are more at risk of being impacted by artificial lighting flicker? METHODS Citations were extracted from three literature databases and were then screened successively on their titles, abstracts and full-texts. Included studies were critically appraised to assess their validity. All relevant data were extracted and analysed to determine the distribution of CFF in the animal kingdom and the influence of experimental designs and species traits on CFF. RESULTS At first, 4881 citations were found. Screening and critical appraisal provided 200 CFF values for 156 species. Reported values of CFF varied from a maximum of between 300 Hz and 500 Hz for the beetle Melanophila acuminata D. to a mean of 0.57 (± 0.08) Hz for the snail Lissachatina fulica B. Insects and birds had higher CFF than all other studied taxa. Irrespective of taxon, nocturnal species had lower CFF than diurnal and crepuscular ones. CONCLUSIONS We identified nine crepuscular and nocturnal species that could be impacted by the potential adverse effects of anthropogenic light flicker. We emphasize that there remains a huge gap in our knowledge of flicker perception by animals, which could potentially be hampering our understanding of its impacts on biodiversity, especially in key taxa like bats, nocturnal birds and insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Lafitte
- PatriNat (Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)), Paris, France
- Association Française de l’Eclairage (AFE), Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Romain Sordello
- PatriNat (Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)), Paris, France
| | - Marc Legrand
- PatriNat (Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)), Paris, France
- Association Française de l’Eclairage (AFE), Paris, France
- Université Jean Monnet, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Virginie Nicolas
- Association des Concepteurs lumière et Eclairagistes (ACE), Paris, France
- Concepto, Arcueil, France
| | - Gaël Obein
- Association Française de l’Eclairage (AFE), Paris, France
- Laboratoire National de métrologie et d’Essais—Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (LNE-CNAM), Saint-Denis, France
| | - Yorick Reyjol
- PatriNat (Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)), Paris, France
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Tancredi S, Urbano T, Vinceti M, Filippini T. Artificial light at night and risk of mental disorders: A systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155185. [PMID: 35417728 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests a possible association between artificial light at night (LAN) exposure and physiological and behavioral changes, with implications on mood and mental health. Due to the increased amount of individuals' LAN exposure, concerns have been raised regarding harmful impact of light pollution on mental health at the population level. AIM To perform a systematic review of observational studies to investigate if light at night, assessed both indoor and outdoor, may be associated with an increased risk of mental diseases in humans. METHODS We reviewed the epidemiological evidence on the association between LAN exposure, assessed either via satellite photometry or via measurements of bedroom brightness, and mental disorders. We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases up to April 1, 2022. Studies were included if they assessed the link between indoor or outdoor artificial light at night and one or more mental disorders in human populations. RESULTS Nine eligible studies were included in this review: six studies had a cross-sectional design, two had a longitudinal design with a median follow-up of 24 months, and one was a case-cohort study. Overall, we found moderate evidence of a positive association between LAN exposure and depressive symptoms and to a lesser extent other mental disorders, though the number of studies was limited and potential residual confounding such as socioeconomic factors, noise, or air pollution may have influenced the results. CONCLUSIONS Although more robust evidence is needed, the epidemiological evidence produced so far seems to support an association between LAN and risk of depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Tancredi
- CREAGEN - Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Teresa Urbano
- CREAGEN - Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Vinceti
- CREAGEN - Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tommaso Filippini
- CREAGEN - Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Aulsebrook AE, Jechow A, Krop-Benesch A, Kyba CCM, Longcore T, Perkin EK, van Grunsven RHA. Nocturnal lighting in animal research should be replicable and reflect relevant ecological conditions. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220035. [PMID: 35291885 PMCID: PMC8923816 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, light is a key driver of animal behaviour and physiology. When studying captive or laboratory animals, researchers usually expose animals to a period of darkness, to mimic night. However, ‘darkness’ is often poorly quantified and its importance is generally underappreciated in animal research. Even small differences in nocturnal light conditions can influence biology. When light levels during the dark phase are not reported accurately, experiments can be impossible to replicate and compare. Furthermore, when nocturnal light levels are unrealistically dark or bright, the research is less ecologically relevant. Such issues are exacerbated by huge differences in the sensitivity of different light meters, which are not always described in study methods. We argue that nocturnal light levels need to be reported clearly and precisely, particularly in studies of animals housed indoors (e.g. ‘<0.03 lux’ rather than ‘0 lux’ or ‘dark’), and that these light levels should reflect conditions that the animal would experience in a natural context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Aulsebrook
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Andreas Jechow
- Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, GFZ German Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Christopher C M Kyba
- Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, GFZ German Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Travis Longcore
- UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Roy H A van Grunsven
- Dutch Butterfly Conservation, Mennonietenweg 10, 6702 AD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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