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- Title
Long-Term Comparison of Attraction of Flying Insects to Streetlights after the Transition from Traditional Light Sources to Light-Emitting Diodes in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings.
- Authors
van Grunsven, Roy H. A.; Becker, Julia; Peter, Stephanie; Heller, Stefan; Hölker, Franz
- Abstract
Among the different light sources used for street lighting, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are likely to dominate the world market in the coming years. At the same time, the spectral composition of nocturnal illumination is changing. Europe and many other areas worldwide have implemented bans on energy-inefficient lamps, such as the still very common mercury vapor lamps. However, the impact of artificial light on insects is mostly tested with light-traps or flight-intercept traps that are used for short periods only. By comparing the numbers of insects attracted by street lamps before and after replacing mercury vapor light sources (MV) with light emitting diodes, we assessed the impact in more typical (urban and peri-urban) settings over several years. We found that LED attracted approximately half of the number of insects compared to MV lights. Furthermore, most insect groups are less drawn by LED than by MV, while Hymenoptera are less attracted by MV than by LED. Thus, the composition of the attracted communities differed between the light sources, which may impact ecosystem processes and functions. In green peri-urban settings more insects are attracted than in an urban setting, but the relative difference between the light sources is the same.
- Subjects
EUROPEAN Union; LIGHT sources; MERCURY vapor; LIGHT emitting diodes; INSECTS; LED lighting; STREET lighting; DIODES
- Publication
Sustainability (2071-1050), 2019, Vol 11, Issue 22, p6198
- ISSN
2071-1050
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/su11226198