Title
Reducing the blue spectrum of artificial light at night minimises insect attraction in a tropical lowland forest
Date Issued
01 March 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Deichmann J.L.
Ampudia Gatty C.
Andía Navarro J.M.
Alonso A.
Linares-Palomino R.
Longcore T.
Publisher(s)
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Abstract
New infrastructure development in previously natural environments is introducing light pollution to habitats at an unprecedented rate, which has the potential to be devastating for native insect assemblages. We evaluated insect attraction to three lamp types emitting different spectra of light (white, yellow-filtered and amber-filtered ~3000 K LED lamps) and an unlit control in a lowland forest site in the northern Peruvian Amazon previously naïve to artificial illumination. Lamp type was the only variable included in the most parsimonious models explaining morphospecies richness and abundance for all insects combined and for eight different insect orders. White lamps (3200 K) attracted far more insects, both morphospecies and individuals, including groups containing important vectors of pathogens, bacteria or parasites, than either yellow (2700 K) or amber (2200 K) lamps. Amber lamps attracted the fewest morphospecies and individuals overall but were the most attractive for a limited group of insects, including elaterid beetles (click beetles) and mycetophilid flies (fungus flies). While period of night was not a significant predictor of morphospecies richness or abundance, different assemblages of insects were collected during two different sampling periods (18:00–20:00 and 03:00–05:00). We strongly recommend that new infrastructure development projects introducing ALAN to light-naïve tropical forests use filtered amber LED lamps with no blue and minimal green light content in outdoor lighted areas. Similarly, operators should develop outdoor lighting plans that include overall reduction of nocturnal lighting and impact mitigation measures. These recommendations should also be used to retrofit existing infrastructure including roads and human settlements. Abstract en español: El desarrollo de nuevas infraestructuras en entornos previamente naturales está introduciendo contaminación lumínica en esos hábitats a una taza sin precedentes, la cual tiene el potencial de ser particularmente devastadora para las comunidades de insectos nativos. Evaluamos la atracción de insectos a tres tipos de lámparas que emiten diferentes espectros de luz (lámparas LED blancas de ~3000K sin filtro, con un filtro amarillo y con un filtro ámbar para limitar o eliminar los espectros azules de luz emitidos) y un control sin luz en un sitio de bosque bajo en el norte de la Amazonía peruana, previamente sin iluminación artificial. El tipo de lámpara fue la única variable incluida en los modelos más parsimonicos que explican la riqueza y abundancia de morfoespecies para todos los insectos combinados y para ocho órdenes diferentes de insectos. Las lámparas blancas (3200K) atrajeron muchos más insectos, morfoespecies e individuos, incluyendo grupos conocidos por contener vectores importantes de patógenos, bacterias o parásitos, que las lámparas de color amarillo (2700K) o ámbar (2200K). Las lámparas ámbar atrajeron la menor cantidad de morfoespecies e individuos en general, pero fueron las luces más atractivas para un grupo limitado de insectos, incluyendo a los escarabajos elatéridos (escarabajos clic) y las moscas micetofílidas (moscas de los hongos). Si bien el período de la noche no fue un predictor significativo de la riqueza o abundancia de morfoespecies, se colectaron diferentes ensamblajes de insectos durante los dos períodos de muestreo (18: 00-20: 00 y 03: 00-05: 00). Recomendamos enfáticamente que los nuevos proyectos de desarrollo de infraestructura que introduzcan ALAN a bosques sin luces artificiales utilicen luces LED con filtro ámbar sin espectro azul y muy poco espectro verde en áreas iluminadas al aire libre. Del mismo modo, los operadores deben desarrollar un plan de iluminación al aire libre que incluya la reducción general de la iluminación nocturna y métodos de mitigación de impactos. Estas recomendaciones también deben usarse para modernizar la infraestructura existente, incluidas las carreteras y los asentamientos humanos.
Start page
247
End page
259
Volume
14
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ecología Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85102716775
Source
Insect Conservation and Diversity
ISSN of the container
1752458X
Sponsor(s)
The authors thank the Indigenous Socio‐Environmental Monitors (MOSAI) and local indigenous community experts from the Wampis and Achuar nations for invaluable help with data collection in the field. The authors thank Dr. Robert Adams of C&W Energy Solutions for lamps used in this study and for sharing his extensive lighting expertise. The authors also thank Joe Wise of Solar Traffic Controls for the batteries and timers used in this study. The authors are grateful to Ernesto Yallico, Martín Alcalde, David Boch, Alexandra Ramírez, Cynthia Tello, Diana Vásquez, Diego Balbuena and Guiannina Aranda for support and assistance with exceedingly complicated field logistics. The authors thank CORPESA staff and GeoPark's HSE team for logistical support in the field and Erika Ali for research assistance. The authors thank Brett Seymoure and two anonymous reviewers for comments that helped improve the manuscript. This project was funded by GeoPark Perú. Research was conducted under permits RD N 116‐2018‐MINAGRI‐SERFOR‐DGGSPFFS and RD N 090‐2019‐MINAGRI‐SERFOR. This is contribution #61 of the Peru Biodiversity Program led by the Smithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability. The authors thank the Indigenous Socio-Environmental Monitors (MOSAI) and local indigenous community experts from the Wampis and Achuar nations for invaluable help with data collection in the field. The authors thank Dr. Robert Adams of C&W Energy Solutions for lamps used in this study and for sharing his extensive lighting expertise. The authors also thank Joe Wise of Solar Traffic Controls for the batteries and timers used in this study. The authors are grateful to Ernesto Yallico, Martín Alcalde, David Boch, Alexandra Ramírez, Cynthia Tello, Diana Vásquez, Diego Balbuena and Guiannina Aranda for support and assistance with exceedingly complicated field logistics. The authors thank CORPESA staff and GeoPark's HSE team for logistical support in the field and Erika Ali for research assistance. The authors thank Brett Seymoure and two anonymous reviewers for comments that helped improve the manuscript. This project was funded by GeoPark Perú. Research was conducted under permits RD N 116-2018-MINAGRI-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS and RD N 090-2019-MINAGRI-SERFOR. This is contribution #61 of the Peru Biodiversity Program led by the Smithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus