LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds

Abstract Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing globally, and changing in quality due to the installation of white LED street lighting. ALAN is a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet important knowledge gaps exist regarding the magnitude of impacts and how these vary between...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Deborah Carannante, Claudia Sara Blumenstein, James David Hale, Raphaël Arlettaz
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Wiley 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/f0a17e7eec72495e9ffd133f556caea2
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:f0a17e7eec72495e9ffd133f556caea2
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:f0a17e7eec72495e9ffd133f556caea22021-11-16T08:30:39ZLED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds2688-831910.1002/2688-8319.12053https://doaj.org/article/f0a17e7eec72495e9ffd133f556caea22021-04-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12053https://doaj.org/toc/2688-8319Abstract Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing globally, and changing in quality due to the installation of white LED street lighting. ALAN is a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet important knowledge gaps exist regarding the magnitude of impacts and how these vary between habitats and levels of exposure. The disturbance of aquatic habitats by ALAN is of particular concern as human settlements and activities are often located near waterbodies, and many aquatic species are sensitive to ALAN. Focusing on adult aquatic insects, an experimental approach was employed in the riparian zone of a structurally simplified river within a dark rural landscape. Two studies were used to (a) estimate the magnitude of the capture effect of white LED lamps and (b) to explore how captures at lamps vary with their distance from the river, and define any distance thresholds. Both studies sampled mayflies (Ephemeroptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera) and true flies (Diptera) repeatedly during mid‐to‐late summer using modified flight intercept traps positioned adjacent to portable LED lamps. In Study A, lit traps were paired with unlit controls. In Study B, lit traps were positioned at six distances up to a maximum of 80 m from the stream edge. For each of the three study orders, captures were significantly higher in the lit treatment compared to the dark control, with medium to large effect sizes. For all study orders, captures at lamps significantly reduced with increasing distance from the river edge. Rapid declines in captures were recorded for Trichoptera (from 10 m) and Ephemeroptera (40 m), with a more gradual decline in Diptera from 60 m that continued up to the maximum sample distance. Previous research indicates that LED lighting can be less attractive to flying insects than broader spectrum alternatives. However, this study demonstrates that the effects of white LED lamps on flying adult aquatic insects should not be dismissed and can extend far from aquatic habitats. As a precautionary approach, and until finer recommendations are available, we recommend that LED lamps should be excluded from a buffer zone of ca. 40–60 m around rivers.Deborah CarannanteClaudia Sara BlumensteinJames David HaleRaphaël ArlettazWileyarticleaquatic insectsdipteraeffect sizeEphemeropteralight pollutionriparian buffer zoneEnvironmental sciencesGE1-350EcologyQH540-549.5ENEcological Solutions and Evidence, Vol 2, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic aquatic insects
diptera
effect size
Ephemeroptera
light pollution
riparian buffer zone
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Ecology
QH540-549.5
spellingShingle aquatic insects
diptera
effect size
Ephemeroptera
light pollution
riparian buffer zone
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Ecology
QH540-549.5
Deborah Carannante
Claudia Sara Blumenstein
James David Hale
Raphaël Arlettaz
LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds
description Abstract Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing globally, and changing in quality due to the installation of white LED street lighting. ALAN is a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet important knowledge gaps exist regarding the magnitude of impacts and how these vary between habitats and levels of exposure. The disturbance of aquatic habitats by ALAN is of particular concern as human settlements and activities are often located near waterbodies, and many aquatic species are sensitive to ALAN. Focusing on adult aquatic insects, an experimental approach was employed in the riparian zone of a structurally simplified river within a dark rural landscape. Two studies were used to (a) estimate the magnitude of the capture effect of white LED lamps and (b) to explore how captures at lamps vary with their distance from the river, and define any distance thresholds. Both studies sampled mayflies (Ephemeroptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera) and true flies (Diptera) repeatedly during mid‐to‐late summer using modified flight intercept traps positioned adjacent to portable LED lamps. In Study A, lit traps were paired with unlit controls. In Study B, lit traps were positioned at six distances up to a maximum of 80 m from the stream edge. For each of the three study orders, captures were significantly higher in the lit treatment compared to the dark control, with medium to large effect sizes. For all study orders, captures at lamps significantly reduced with increasing distance from the river edge. Rapid declines in captures were recorded for Trichoptera (from 10 m) and Ephemeroptera (40 m), with a more gradual decline in Diptera from 60 m that continued up to the maximum sample distance. Previous research indicates that LED lighting can be less attractive to flying insects than broader spectrum alternatives. However, this study demonstrates that the effects of white LED lamps on flying adult aquatic insects should not be dismissed and can extend far from aquatic habitats. As a precautionary approach, and until finer recommendations are available, we recommend that LED lamps should be excluded from a buffer zone of ca. 40–60 m around rivers.
format article
author Deborah Carannante
Claudia Sara Blumenstein
James David Hale
Raphaël Arlettaz
author_facet Deborah Carannante
Claudia Sara Blumenstein
James David Hale
Raphaël Arlettaz
author_sort Deborah Carannante
title LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds
title_short LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds
title_full LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds
title_fullStr LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds
title_full_unstemmed LED lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: Impact magnitude and distance thresholds
title_sort led lighting threatens adult aquatic insects: impact magnitude and distance thresholds
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/f0a17e7eec72495e9ffd133f556caea2
work_keys_str_mv AT deborahcarannante ledlightingthreatensadultaquaticinsectsimpactmagnitudeanddistancethresholds
AT claudiasarablumenstein ledlightingthreatensadultaquaticinsectsimpactmagnitudeanddistancethresholds
AT jamesdavidhale ledlightingthreatensadultaquaticinsectsimpactmagnitudeanddistancethresholds
AT raphaelarlettaz ledlightingthreatensadultaquaticinsectsimpactmagnitudeanddistancethresholds
_version_ 1718426641709924352