Dataset Information

Response of bats to light with different spectra: light-shy and agile bat presence is affected by white and green, but not red light.

ABSTRACT: Artificial light at night has shown a remarkable increase over the past decades. Effects are reported for many species groups, and include changes in presence, behaviour, physiology and life-history traits. Among these, bats are strongly affected, and how bat species react to light is likely to vary with light colour. Different spectra may therefore be applied to reduce negative impacts. We used a unique set-up of eight field sites to study the response of bats to three different experimental light spectra in an otherwise dark and undisturbed natural habitat. We measured activity of three bat species groups around transects with light posts emitting white, green and red light with an intensity commonly used to illuminate countryside roads. The results reveal a strong and spectrum-dependent response for the slow-flying Myotis and Plecotus and more agile Pipistrellus species, but not for Nyctalus and Eptesicus species. Plecotus and Myotis species avoided white and green light, but were equally abundant in red light and darkness. The agile, opportunistically feeding Pipistrellus species were significantly more abundant around white and green light, most likely because of accumulation of insects, but equally abundant in red illuminated transects compared to dark control. Forest-dwelling Myotis and Plecotus species and more synanthropic Pipistrellus species are thus least disturbed by red light. Hence, in order to limit the negative impact of light at night on bats, white and green light should be avoided in or close to natural habitat, but red lights may be used if illumination is needed.

SUBMITTER: Spoelstra K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5454258 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Response of bats to light with different spectra: light-shy and agile bat presence is affected by white and green, but not red light.

Spoelstra Kamiel K van Grunsven Roy H A RHA Ramakers Jip J C JJC Ferguson Kim B KB Raap Thomas T Donners Maurice M Veenendaal Elmar M EM Visser Marcel E ME

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20170501 1855

Artificial light at night has shown a remarkable increase over the past decades. Effects are reported for many species groups, and include changes in presence, behaviour, physiology and life-history traits. Among these, bats are strongly affected, and how bat species react to light is likely to vary with light colour. Different spectra may therefore be applied to reduce negative impacts. We used a unique set-up of eight field sites to study the response of bats to three different experimental li ...[more]

PMID: 28566484

Similar Datasets

Project description:Red and blue light are traditionally believed to have a higher quantum yield of CO2 assimilation (QY, moles of CO2 assimilated per mole of photons) than green light, because green light is absorbed less efficiently. However, because of its lower absorptance, green light can penetrate deeper and excite chlorophyll deeper in leaves. We hypothesized that, at high photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), green light may achieve higher QY and net CO2 assimilation rate (A n) than red or blue light, because of its more uniform absorption throughtout leaves. To test the interactive effects of PPFD and light spectrum on photosynthesis, we measured leaf A n of "Green Tower" lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under red, blue, and green light, and combinations of those at PPFDs from 30 to 1,300 μmol⋅m-2⋅s-1. The electron transport rates (J) and the maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (V c,max) at low (200 μmol⋅m-2⋅s-1) and high PPFD (1,000 μmol⋅m-2⋅s-1) were estimated from photosynthetic CO2 response curves. Both QY m,inc (maximum QY on incident PPFD basis) and J at low PPFD were higher under red light than under blue and green light. Factoring in light absorption, QY m,abs (the maximum QY on absorbed PPFD basis) under green and red light were both higher than under blue light, indicating that the low QY m,inc under green light was due to lower absorptance, while absorbed blue photons were used inherently least efficiently. At high PPFD, the QY inc [gross CO2 assimilation (A g)/incident PPFD] and J under red and green light were similar, and higher than under blue light, confirming our hypothesis. V c,max may not limit photosynthesis at a PPFD of 200 μmol m-2 s-1 and was largely unaffected by light spectrum at 1,000 μmol⋅m-2⋅s-1. A g and J under different spectra were positively correlated, suggesting that the interactive effect between light spectrum and PPFD on photosynthesis was due to effects on J. No interaction between the three colors of light was detected. In summary, at low PPFD, green light had the lowest photosynthetic efficiency because of its low absorptance. Contrary, at high PPFD, QY inc under green light was among the highest, likely resulting from more uniform distribution of green light in leaves.

Project description:UnlabelledThe genomes of many photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic bacteria encode numerous phytochrome superfamily photoreceptors whose functions and interactions are largely unknown. Cyanobacterial genomes encode particularly large numbers of phytochrome superfamily members called cyanobacteriochromes. These have diverse light color-sensing abilities, and their functions and interactions are just beginning to be understood. One of the best characterized of these functions is the regulation of photosynthetic light-harvesting antenna composition in the cyanobacterium Fremyella diplosiphon by the cyanobacteriochrome RcaE in response to red and green light, a process known as chromatic acclimation. We have identified a new cyanobacteriochrome named DpxA that maximally senses teal (absorption maximum, 494 nm) and yellow (absorption maximum, 568 nm) light and represses the accumulation of a key light-harvesting protein called phycoerythrin, which is also regulated by RcaE during chromatic acclimation. Like RcaE, DpxA is a two-component system kinase, although these two photoreceptors can influence phycoerythrin expression through different signaling pathways. The peak responsiveness of DpxA to teal and yellow light provides highly refined color discrimination in the green spectral region, which provides important wavelengths for photosynthetic light harvesting in cyanobacteria. These results redefine chromatic acclimation in cyanobacteria and demonstrate that cyanobacteriochromes can coordinately impart sophisticated light color sensing across the visible spectrum to regulate important photosynthetic acclimation processes.ImportanceThe large number of cyanobacteriochrome photoreceptors encoded by cyanobacterial genomes suggests that these organisms are capable of extremely complex light color sensing and responsiveness, yet little is known about their functions and interactions. Our work uncovers previously undescribed cooperation between two photoreceptors with very different light color-sensing capabilities that coregulate an important photosynthetic light-harvesting protein in response to teal, green, yellow, and red light. Other cyanobacteriochromes that have been shown to interact functionally sense wavelengths of light that are close to each other, which makes it difficult to clearly identify their physiological roles in the cell. Our finding of two photoreceptors with broad light color-sensing capabilities and clearly defined physiological roles provides new insights into complex light color sensing and its regulation.

Dataset Information

Response of bats to light with different spectra: light-shy and agile bat presence is affected by white and green, but not red light.

Publications

Response of bats to light with different spectra: light-shy and agile bat presence is affected by white and green, but not red light.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets