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Impact of artificial light intensity on nocturnal insect diversity in urban and rural areas of the Asir province, Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT: Continuous urban developments have resulted in increased demand for street furniture, one of which is street light columns. Artificial light at night (ALAN) pose significant impacts on insect diversity in urban and rural areas. The ALAN is a significant driver of decline in insect diversity. This study evaluated the impact of light intensity and sky quality at night on insect diversity in rural and urban areas of the Asir province, Saudi Arabia. Insect traps were installed in both areas during night. Light intensity of nearby road lamps was measured using light meter, while sky quality was measured using sky quality meter. Rural areas exhibited low light intensity (10.33 flux/f.candle) and good sky quality (18.80 magnitude/arcsec2). Urban areas exhibited intense light (89.33 flux/f.candle) and poor sky quality (15.49 magnitude/arcsec2). Higher insect diversity was recorded for rural areas where insects belonging to seven orders (i.e., Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Neuroptera, and Dermaptera) were collected. However, insects of four orders (i.e., Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Neuroptera) were found in urban areas indicating low diversity. Lepidopteran insects were frequently recorded from rural areas indicating they are attracted to artificial light. It is concluded that excessive ALAN and poor sky quality at night disrupt insect biodiversity. Therefore, ALAN and sky quality must be considered responsible for decline in insect biodiversity along with other known factors.

SUBMITTER: Hakami AR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7707546 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Impact of artificial light intensity on nocturnal insect diversity in urban and rural areas of the Asir province, Saudi Arabia.

Hakami Abdulrahim Refdan AR Khan Khalid Ali KA Ghramh Hamed A HA Ahmad Zubair Z Al-Zayd Adil Ali Ahmad AAA

PloS one 20201201 12

Continuous urban developments have resulted in increased demand for street furniture, one of which is street light columns. Artificial light at night (ALAN) pose significant impacts on insect diversity in urban and rural areas. The ALAN is a significant driver of decline in insect diversity. This study evaluated the impact of light intensity and sky quality at night on insect diversity in rural and urban areas of the Asir province, Saudi Arabia. Insect traps were installed in both areas during n ...[more]

PMID: 33259480

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Project description:BackgroundThere is a disparity in outcomes between rural and urban emergency medical services (EMS) around the world. However, there is a scarcity of research that directly asks EMS staff in both rural and urban areas how service delivery could be improved. The aim of the present study is to gain insights from frontline workers regarding organisational factors that may underpin discrepancies between rural and urban EMS performance.Subject and methodsThe study was undertaken in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Potential participants were currently employed by Saudi Red Crescent EMS as either a technician, paramedic or an EMS station manager, and had a minimum of five years experience with the EMS. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken between October 2019 and July 2020 with first respondents to a call for participants, and continued until data saturation was reached. All interviews were conducted in Arabic and transcribed verbatim. The Arabic transcript was shared with each participant, and they were asked to confirm their agreement with the transcription. The transcribed interviews were then translated into English; the English versions were shared with bi-lingual participants for validation, while independent certification of the translations were performed for data from participants not fluent in English. A thematic analysis methodological approach was used to examine the data.ResultsThe final sample involved 20 participants (10 rural, 10 urban) from Saudi Red Crescent EMS. Data analyses identified key organisational factors that resulted in barriers and impediments for EMS staff. Differences and similarities were observed between rural and urban respondents, with identified issues including response and transportation time, service coordination, reason for call-out, as well as human and physical resourcing.ConclusionThe findings identified key issues impacting on EMS performance across both rural and urban areas. In order to address these problems, three changes are recommended. These recommendations include a comprehensive review of rural EMS vehicles, with a particular focus on the age; incentives to improve the numbers of paramedics in rural areas and more localised specialist training opportunities for rurally-based personnel; and the implementation of national public education program focusing on the role of the EMS.

Project description:A preliminary study was carried out on the insect fauna of Al-Baha Province, south-western part of Saudi Arabia. A total number of 582 species and subspecies (few identified only to the genus level) belonging to 129 families and representing 17 orders were recorded. Two of these species are described as new, namely: Monomorium sarawatensis Sharaf & Aldawood, sp. n. [Formicidae, Hymenoptera] and Anthrax alruqibi El-Hawagry sp. n. [Bombyliidae, Diptera]. Another eight species are recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia, namely: Xiphoceriana arabica (Uvarov, 1922) [Pamphagidae, Orthoptera], Pyrgomorpha conica (Olivier, 1791) [Pyrgomorphidae, Orthoptera], Catopsilia florella (Fabricius, 1775) [Pieridae, Lepidoptera], Anthrax chionanthrax (Bezzi, 1926) [Bombyliidae, Diptera], Spogostylum near tripunctatum Pallas in Wiedemann, 1818 [Bombyliidae, Diptera], Cononedys dichromatopa (Bezzi, 1925) [Bombyliidae, Diptera], Mydas sp. [Mydidae, Diptera], and Hippobosca equina Linnaeus, 1758 [Hippoboscidae, Diptera]. Al-Baha Province is divided by huge and steep Rocky Mountains into two main sectors, a lowland coastal plain at the west, known as "Tihama", and a mountainous area with an elevation of 1500 to 2450 m above sea level at the east, known as "Al-Sarat or Al-Sarah" which form a part of Al-Sarawat Mountains range. Insect species richness in the two sectors (Tihama and Al-Sarah) was compared, and the results showed that each of the two sectors of Al-Baha Province has a unique insect community. The study generally concluded that the insect faunal composition in Al-Baha Province has an Afrotropical flavor, with the Afrotropical elements predominant, and a closer affiliation to the Afrotropical region than to the Palearctic region or the Eremic zone. Consequently, we tend to agree with those biogeographers who consider that parts of the Arabian Peninsula, including Al-Baha Province, should be included in the Afrotropical region rather than in the Palaearctic region or the Eremic zone.

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Impact of artificial light intensity on nocturnal insect diversity in urban and rural areas of the Asir province, Saudi Arabia.

Publications

Impact of artificial light intensity on nocturnal insect diversity in urban and rural areas of the Asir province, Saudi Arabia.

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