Effects of street lighting technologies on the success and quality of pollination in a nocturnally pollinated plant

Macgregor, Callum J.; Pocock, Michael J.O. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4375-0445; Fox, Richard; Evans, Darren M.. 2019 Effects of street lighting technologies on the success and quality of pollination in a nocturnally pollinated plant. Ecosphere, 10 (1), e02550. 16, pp. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2550

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Abstract/Summary

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasingly important driver of global change. Lighting directly affects plants, but few studies have investigated indirect effects mediated by interacting organisms. Nocturnal Lepidoptera are globally important pollinators, and pollen transport by moths is disrupted by lighting. Many street lighting systems are being replaced with novel, energy‐efficient lighting, with unknown ecological consequences. Using the wildflower Silene latifolia, we compared pollination success and quality at experimentally lit and unlit plots, testing two major changes to street lighting technology: in lamp type, from high‐pressure sodium lamps to light‐emitting diodes, and in lighting regime, from full‐night (FN) to part‐night (PN) lighting. We predicted that lighting would reduce pollination. S. latifolia was pollinated both diurnally and nocturnally. Contrary to our predictions, flowers under FN lighting had higher pollination success than flowers under either PN lighting or unlit controls, which did not significantly differ from each other. Lamp type, lighting regime, and distance from the light all significantly affected aspects of pollination quality. These results confirm that street lighting could affect plant reproduction through indirect effects mediated by nocturnal insects, and further highlight the possibility for novel lighting technologies to mitigate the effects of ALAN on ecosystems.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2550
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2150-8925
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	artificial light at night, environmental change, flowers, Lepidoptera, light pollution, moths
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	19 Mar 2019 17:15 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522598

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