Light pollution forces a change in dung beetle orientation behavior

Abstract

Increasing global light pollution1Cinzano P. Falchi F. Elvidge C.D. The first World Atlas of the artificial night sky brightness.Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2001; 328: 689-707Crossref Scopus (450) Google Scholar,2Falchi F. Cinzano P. Duriscoe D. Kyba C.C.M. Elvidge C.D. Baugh K. Portnov B.A. Rybnikova N.A. Furgoni R. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness.Sci. Adv. 2016; 2: e1600377Crossref PubMed Scopus (592) Google Scholar threatens the night-time darkness to which most animals are adapted. Light pollution can have detrimental effects on behavior,3Longcore T. Rich C. Ecological light pollution.Front. Ecol. Environ. 2004; 2: 191-198Crossref Scopus (846) Google Scholar, 4Gaston K.J. Davies T.W. Bennie J. Hopkins J. Reducing the ecological consequences of night-time light pollution: options and developments.J. Appl. Ecol. 2012; 49: 1256-1266Crossref PubMed Scopus (288) Google Scholar, 5Van Doren B.M. Horton K.G. Dokter A.M. Klinck H. Elbin S.B. 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Ecol. 2012; 49: 1256-1266Crossref PubMed Scopus (288) Google Scholar which can extend far beyond urban areas.1Cinzano P. Falchi F. Elvidge C.D. The first World Atlas of the artificial night sky brightness.Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2001; 328: 689-707Crossref Scopus (450) Google Scholar,2Falchi F. Cinzano P. Duriscoe D. Kyba C.C.M. Elvidge C.D. Baugh K. Portnov B.A. Rybnikova N.A. Furgoni R. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness.Sci. Adv. 2016; 2: e1600377Crossref PubMed Scopus (592) Google Scholar While some recent research used simulated light pollution to estimate how skyglow may affect orientation behavior,7Ugolini A. Boddi V. Mercatelli L. Castellini C. Moon orientation in adult and young sandhoppers under artificial light.Proc. Biol. Sci. 2005; 272: 2189-2194Crossref PubMed Scopus (29) Google Scholar, 8Papi F. Gagliardo A. Meschini E. Moon orientation in sandhoppers: effects of lighting treatments on the persistence of orientation ability.Mar. Biol. 2007; 150: 953-965Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar, 9Torres D. Tidau S. Jenkins S. Davies T. Artificial skyglow disrupts celestial migration at night.Curr. Biol. 2020; 30: R696-R697Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar the consequences of authentic light pollution for celestial orientation have so far been neglected. Here, we present the results of behavioral experiments at light-polluted and dark-sky sites paired with photographic measurements of each environment. We find that light pollution obscures natural celestial cues and induces dramatic changes in dung beetle orientation behavior, forcing them to rely on bright earthbound beacons in place of their celestial compass. This change in behavior results in attraction toward artificial lights, thereby increasing inter-individual competition and reducing dispersal efficiency. For the many other species of insect, bird, and mammal that rely on the night sky for orientation and migration, these effects could dramatically hinder their vital night-time journeys.

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