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Out of the Dark: Establishing a Large-Scale Field Experiment to Assess the Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Species and Food Webs

Author

Listed:
  • Stephanie I. J. Holzhauer

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
    Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Eberswalder Straße 90, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany)

  • Steffen Franke

    (Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany)

  • Christopher C. M. Kyba

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
    Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
    Institute for Space Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Carl-Heinrich-Becker Weg 6-10, 12165 Berlin, Germany)

  • Alessandro Manfrin

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
    Department of Biology-Chemistry-Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraβe 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany)

  • Reinhard Klenke

    (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany)

  • Christian C. Voigt

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany)

  • Daniel Lewanzik

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
    Acoustic and Functional Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany)

  • Martin Oehlert

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany)

  • Michael T. Monaghan

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany)

  • Sebastian Schneider

    (Technische Universität Berlin, Energy and Automation Technology, Lighting Technology, Einsteinufer 19, 10587 Berlin, Germany)

  • Stefan Heller

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany)

  • Helga Kuechly

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
    LUP GmbH, Große Weinmeisterstraße 3a, 14469 Potsdam, Germany)

  • Anika Brüning

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany)

  • Ann-Christin Honnen

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany)

  • Franz Hölker

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301/310, 12587 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most obvious hallmarks of human presence in an ecosystem. The rapidly increasing use of artificial light has fundamentally transformed nightscapes throughout most of the globe, although little is known about how ALAN impacts the biodiversity and food webs of illuminated ecosystems. We developed a large-scale experimental infrastructure to study the effects of ALAN on a light-naïve, natural riparian ( i.e. , terrestrial-aquatic) ecosystem. Twelve street lights (20 m apart) arranged in three rows parallel to an agricultural drainage ditch were installed on each of two sites located in a grassland ecosystem in northern Germany. A range of biotic, abiotic, and photometric data are collected regularly to study the short- and long-term effects of ALAN on behavior, species interactions, physiology, and species composition of communities. Here we describe the infrastructure setup and data collection methods, and characterize the study area including photometric measurements. None of the measured parameters differed significantly between sites in the period before illumination. Results of one short-term experiment, carried out with one site illuminated and the other acting as a control, demonstrate the attraction of ALAN by the immense and immediate increase of insect catches at the lit street lights. The experimental setup provides a unique platform for carrying out interdisciplinary research on sustainable lighting.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephanie I. J. Holzhauer & Steffen Franke & Christopher C. M. Kyba & Alessandro Manfrin & Reinhard Klenke & Christian C. Voigt & Daniel Lewanzik & Martin Oehlert & Michael T. Monaghan & Sebastian Sch, 2015. "Out of the Dark: Establishing a Large-Scale Field Experiment to Assess the Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Species and Food Webs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-24, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:11:p:15593-15616:d:59186
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tilottama Ghosh & Sharolyn J. Anderson & Christopher D. Elvidge & Paul C. Sutton, 2013. "Using Nighttime Satellite Imagery as a Proxy Measure of Human Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-32, November.
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    1. Nona Schulte-Römer & Josiane Meier & Etta Dannemann & Max Söding, 2019. "Lighting Professionals versus Light Pollution Experts? Investigating Views on an Emerging Environmental Concern," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Radoslava Kanianska & Jana Škvareninová & Stanislav Kaniansky, 2020. "Landscape Potential and Light Pollution as Key Factors for Astrotourism Development: A Case Study of a Slovak Upland Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-16, October.

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