Foster James J, Tocco Claudia, Smolka Jochen, Khaldy Lana, Baird Emily, Byrne Marcus J, Nilsson Dan-Eric, Dacke Marie
Zoology II, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35B, 223 62 Lund, Sweden.
Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35B, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa.
Curr Biol. 2021 Sep 13;31(17):3935-3942.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.038. Epub 2021 Jul 29.
Increasing global light pollution threatens the night-time darkness to which most animals are adapted. Light pollution can have detrimental effects on behavior, including by disrupting the journeys of migratory birds, sand hoppers, and moths. This is particularly concerning, since many night-active species rely on compass information in the sky, including the moon, the skylight polarization pattern, and the stars, to hold their course. Even animals not directly exposed to streetlights and illuminated buildings may still experience indirect light pollution in the form of skyglow, which can extend far beyond urban areas. While some recent research used simulated light pollution to estimate how skyglow may affect orientation behavior, the consequences of authentic light pollution for celestial orientation have so far been neglected. Here, we present the results of behavioral experiments at light-polluted and dark-sky sites paired with photographic measurements of each environment. We find that light pollution obscures natural celestial cues and induces dramatic changes in dung beetle orientation behavior, forcing them to rely on bright earthbound beacons in place of their celestial compass. This change in behavior results in attraction toward artificial lights, thereby increasing inter-individual competition and reducing dispersal efficiency. For the many other species of insect, bird, and mammal that rely on the night sky for orientation and migration, these effects could dramatically hinder their vital night-time journeys.
日益严重的全球光污染正威胁着大多数动物所适应的夜间黑暗环境。光污染会对动物行为产生有害影响，包括干扰候鸟、沙蚤和飞蛾的迁徙旅程。这尤其令人担忧，因为许多夜间活动的物种依靠天空中的罗盘信息，包括月亮、天空光偏振模式和星星，来确定方向。即使没有直接暴露在路灯和照明建筑物下的动物，也可能仍会受到以天空辉光形式出现的间接光污染影响，这种光污染的范围可能远远超出城市区域。虽然最近一些研究利用模拟光污染来估计天空辉光可能如何影响定向行为，但真实光污染对天体定向的影响迄今仍被忽视。在此，我们展示了在光污染和暗天区域进行的行为实验结果，并结合了对每个环境的摄影测量。我们发现，光污染会遮蔽自然天体线索，并导致蜣螂定向行为发生巨大变化，迫使它们依靠明亮的地面信标来取代天体罗盘。这种行为变化导致蜣螂被人造光吸引，从而增加个体间竞争并降低扩散效率。对于许多其他依靠夜空进行定向和迁徙的昆虫、鸟类和哺乳动物物种来说，这些影响可能会严重阻碍它们至关重要的夜间旅程。
