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Context <p>Artificial light at night (ALAN) threatens nocturnal wildlife by fragmenting the nocturnal landscape. ALAN affects the commuting and foraging behaviour of insectivorous bats, but responses are species-specific and few studies have investigated how far the impacts of ALAN extend from light sources.</p> Objectives <p>We investigated how the flight activity of insectivorous bats changed with distance from light sources to quantify the species-specific distance of impact of ALAN.</p> Methods <p>Using acoustic detectors, the activity of two species with contrasting morphology and flight behaviour – the little bent-wing bat (<i>Miniopterus australis</i>) and the white-striped free-tailed bat (<i>Austronomus australis)</i> – was compared along 10 artificially illuminated transects to paired control transects. Detectors were placed at 0, 10, 25 and 50&#xa0;m distances, starting at an LED illuminated pathway at treatment transects and in a dark area at control transects.</p> Results <p><i>Miniopterus australis</i> had reduced activity even at 50&#xa0;m from light sources where illuminance levels were low (approximately 0.14&#xa0;lx), indicating that the distance of impact of ALAN on this species extends beyond 50&#xa0;m. <i>Austronomus australis</i> was more active at illuminated transects at 10 and 25&#xa0;m, but not 0 or 50&#xa0;m, indicating that this species’ activity is unaffected at very bright and low illuminances, but may benefit from intermediate illuminances.</p> Conclusions <p>Single light sources can have far-reaching impacts and alter the use of habitats by light-sensitive insectivorous bats. ALAN should be minimised within urban bushlands to support their viability as habitat for these species. Further research is needed to determine the distance from ALAN at which <i>M. australis</i> activity recovers to normal levels.</p>

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Artificial light influences urban habitat use by insectivorous bats

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月27日

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  • Rani Davis,
  • Berndt J. Van Rensburg,
  • Joanna Haddock,
  • Simone Blomberg,
  • Buddhi Dayanandra,
  • Christina Buelow,
  • Greg Ford,
  • April E. Reside

摘要

Context

Artificial light at night (ALAN) threatens nocturnal wildlife by fragmenting the nocturnal landscape. ALAN affects the commuting and foraging behaviour of insectivorous bats, but responses are species-specific and few studies have investigated how far the impacts of ALAN extend from light sources.

Objectives

We investigated how the flight activity of insectivorous bats changed with distance from light sources to quantify the species-specific distance of impact of ALAN.

Methods

Using acoustic detectors, the activity of two species with contrasting morphology and flight behaviour – the little bent-wing bat (Miniopterus australis) and the white-striped free-tailed bat (Austronomus australis) – was compared along 10 artificially illuminated transects to paired control transects. Detectors were placed at 0, 10, 25 and 50 m distances, starting at an LED illuminated pathway at treatment transects and in a dark area at control transects.

Results

Miniopterus australis had reduced activity even at 50 m from light sources where illuminance levels were low (approximately 0.14 lx), indicating that the distance of impact of ALAN on this species extends beyond 50 m. Austronomus australis was more active at illuminated transects at 10 and 25 m, but not 0 or 50 m, indicating that this species’ activity is unaffected at very bright and low illuminances, but may benefit from intermediate illuminances.

Conclusions

Single light sources can have far-reaching impacts and alter the use of habitats by light-sensitive insectivorous bats. ALAN should be minimised within urban bushlands to support their viability as habitat for these species. Further research is needed to determine the distance from ALAN at which M. australis activity recovers to normal levels.