Artificial light at night (ALAN) pollution alters bat lunar chronobiology: insights from broad-scale long-term acoustic monitoring

作者：Han Li, Pauline Allen, Saige Boris, Samantha Lagrama, Jade Lyons, Christina Mills, Pauline Moussi, C.A. Mancuso Nichols, Carter Tacosik, McKenzie Tsaousis, Nyzaya Livingston Wilson, John F. Grider, Kevin A. Parker, Matina C. Kalcounis‐Rueppell · 发表于：Ecological Processes · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s13717-024-00491-y · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Bat Biology and Ecology Studies、Marine animal studies overview、Impact of Light on Environment and Health

Abstract Background The timing of behavior and habitat use of nocturnal animals can be influenced by the lunar cycle in nature. The prevalence of artificial light at night (ALAN) has been recognized as a source of environmental pollution. The interaction between ALAN and the lunar cycle on bat behavior is important for understanding anthropogenic effects on bats. We utilized a decade (2012–2022) of acoustic monitoring data collected in North Carolina, United States, to investigate the relationship between bat activity, lunar cycle, and light pollution. We examined whether the amount of lunar illumination affected species-specific nightly activity and whether hourly bat activity patterns varied between nights with different moon phases. We further investigated if the relationship between bat activity and the lunar cycle might be altered by light pollution. Results We found that seven bat species showed activity variation across nights in relation to the amount of moon illumination when ALAN was absent. In general, bats were less active on full moon nights compared to new moon nights. Light pollution interacted with the bat–lunar relationship in five of the seven species, masking the effect of the lunar cycle. We identified delayed bat activity patterns on nights with a full or waxing moon in seven species, and light pollution altered that pattern in four species. Overall, ALAN was associated with decreased bat activity independent of lunar cycle effects. Conclusions Our study ...