ORCID
- Thomas W. Davies: 0000-0002-4673-9893
Abstract
1. The growing global prevalence of energy efficient broad spectrum lighting threatens to disrupt an array of visually guided ecological processes. Broad spectrum lighting likely better enables the discrimination of colour, yet it is potential to increase the conspicuousness of camouflaged prey at night remains little explored.2. Using a well-established visual model, we quantified the impacts of four spectrally distinct narrow and broad spectrum lighting technologies on the conspicuousness of three different polymorphic colour variations of intertidal littorinid snail, as viewed by three model predators.3. Modern broad spectrum lighting technologies increased the conspicuousness of prey compared to 20th-century narrow spectrum lighting. This effect was most prominent in the yellow colour morphs due to greater contrast with their natural fucoid seaweed background.4. Synthesis and applications. Our results provide evidence that the global transition to broad spectrum lighting will decrease the efficacy of camouflage at night in nature, potentially altering selective predation, population dynamics and the genetic structure of polymorphic populations. These findings highlight the need for further consideration in environmental management and planning, to ensure habitats are protected from unnecessary exposure to artificial light.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2022-03-25
Publication Title
Journal of Applied Ecology
Volume
59
ISSN
0021-8901
Acceptance Date
2022-02-06
Deposit Date
2022-07-02
Embargo Period
2022-04-09
Funding
This work was supported by the Natural Environment ResearchCouncil (grant number NE/S003533/2 awarded to T.W.D. and T.S.).
Keywords
ALAN, artificial light spectra, camouflage, colour polymorphism, pollution, receptor noise limited model
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
First Page
1324
Last Page
1333
Recommended Citation
McMahon, O., Smyth, T., & Davies, T. (2022) 'Broad spectrum artificial light at night increases the conspicuousness of camouflaged prey', Journal of Applied Ecology, 59, pp. 1324-1333. Available at: 10.1111/1365-2664.14146
