title: Effects of nocturnal illumination on life-history decisions and fitness in two wild songbird species.
abstract: The effects of artificial night lighting on animal behaviour and fitness are largely unknown. Most studies report short-term consequences in locations that are also exposed to other anthropogenic disturbance. We know little about how the effects of nocturnal illumination vary with different light colour compositions. This is increasingly relevant as the use of LED lights becomes more common, and LED light colour composition can be easily adjusted. We experimentally illuminated previously dark natural habitat with white, green and red light, and measured the effects on life-history decisions and fitness in two free-living songbird species, the great tit (Parus major) and pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) in two consecutive years. In 2013, but not in 2014, we found an effect of light treatment on lay date, and of the interaction of treatment and distance to the nearest lamp post on chick mass in great tits but not in pied flycatchers. We did not find an effect in either species of light treatment on breeding densities, clutch size, probability of brood failure, number of fledglings and adult survival. The finding that light colour may have differential effects opens up the possibility to mitigate negative ecological effects of nocturnal illumination by using different light spectra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands m.dejong@nioo.knaw.nl.
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jenny Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.affiliation: Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roy H A
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: van Grunsven
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kempenaers
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kamiel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spoelstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D056084:Genetic Fitness / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008029:Lighting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D020308:Songbirds / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Ficedula hypoleuca; Parus major; artificial light at night; fitness; life-history; light spectra