Experimental light at night has a negative long-term impact on macro-moth populations

Roy H A van Grunsven; Jurriën R van Deijk; Maurice Donners; Frank Berendse; Marcel E Visser; Elmar Veenendaal; Kamiel Spoelstra

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.083

Experimental light at night has a negative long-term impact on macro-moth populations

Curr Biol. 2020 Jun 22;30(12):R694-R695. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.083.

Authors

Roy H A van Grunsven¹, Jurriën R van Deijk², Maurice Donners³, Frank Berendse⁴, Marcel E Visser⁵, Elmar Veenendaal⁴, Kamiel Spoelstra⁶

Affiliations

¹ Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Dutch Butterfly Conservation, P.O. Box 506, 6700 AM Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: roy.vangrunsven@vlinderstichting.nl.
² Dutch Butterfly Conservation, P.O. Box 506, 6700 AM Wageningen, The Netherlands.
³ Signify, High Tech Campus 7, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
⁴ Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
⁶ Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 32574627
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.083

Abstract

Van Grunsven et al. experimentally test the long-term effects of artificial light on natural moth populations. In the initial two years there was no effect on populations, but in the latter three years population sizes were reduced compared with the dark controls. This shows that artificial light negatively affects moth populations.

Publication types

Letter
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Color
Conservation of Natural Resources
Light / adverse effects*
Lighting / adverse effects*
Moths / physiology
Moths / radiation effects*
Netherlands
Population Dynamics