Understanding population level effects of artificial lighting on biodiversity - a novel interdisciplinary approach using bats as models

城市地区的扩张（城市化）是全球变化的主要驱动力，是物种灭绝的重要因素，也是对生物多样性的主要威胁。与城市化相关的人工照明已被确定为一个主要威胁，被列为全球生物多样性保护的十大新兴问题之一。人工照明在全球每年以2%的速度增长，人类居住的近四分之一的陆地表面受到人工照明的影响。研究表明，一些蝙蝠物种对人工照明敏感，这是由于它们的栖息地偏好，回声定位呼叫和物理特性。人口对人工照明的反应能力取决于整个景观中人工照明的变化性质和速度以及他们适应这种变化的能力。物种的适应能力是其生理特征的函数，物种的遗传多样性以及它们的运动能力。人工照明对动物的移动造成障碍，这可能会阻止种群繁殖，并可能对种群增长、适应能力和长期生存产生影响。尽管最近对人工照明对动物行为的影响有了更好的了解，但没有研究评估了对物种遗传组成，繁殖和健康的综合影响。我们将结合联合收割机生态学、基因组学和生理学技术，评估人工照明对棕色长耳蝙蝠（Plecotus auritus）的应激、遗传结构和繁殖成功率的影响。我们将进行实地实验，人工照亮蝙蝠栖息地，以确定对光线的遗传反应和光线对蝙蝠离开栖息地时行为的影响。我们还将在英格兰和威尔士的城市和农村地区暴露于不同水平的人工照明的地区诱捕蝙蝠，以确定照明对蝙蝠健康的影响，以及种群之间的遗传多样性。最后，我们将评估人工照明是否会破坏景观并影响蝙蝠种群之间的运动，并询问蝙蝠是否能够适应长期暴露于人工照明。该项目将解决具有全球重要性的科学和保护挑战，推动全球变化研究的科学界限。我们将填补我们对人工照明对种群水平影响的理解方面的空白，特别是对繁殖成功的影响，蝙蝠种群之间的联系，蝙蝠保护状况和适应潜力。我们将领导全球变化研究中的一个新主题“城市适应生物学”的创建，该主题旨在使用跨学科的方法和工具来评估城市化和相关威胁对物种适应能力的实时影响。该项目的关键是将项目结果应用于环境管理和政策。通过我们与政府机构（自然英格兰）和规划师（北萨默塞特委员会，萨默塞特理事会）的伙伴关系，我们将为规划师和保护管理人员提供政策简报和行业指导。我们将与照明专业人员协会和TRT照明有限公司合作，领导新兴照明技术对野生动物影响的研究。

The expansion of urban areas (urbanisation) is a key driver of global change, a significant factor in species extinctions and a major threat to biological diversity. Artificial lighting associated with urbanisation has been identified as a key threat, ranked within the top ten emerging issues in global biodiversity conservation. Artificial lighting is increasing globally by 2% per year and nearly one quarter of the world's land surface inhabited by humans is impacted by artificial lighting. Studies have shown that some bat species are sensitive to artificial lighting as a result of their habitat preferences, echolocation calls, and physical characteristics. The ability of populations to respond to artificial lighting depends on the nature and speed of change in artificial lighting across the landscape and their ability to adapt to such changes. Species ability to adapt is a function of their physiological characteristics, how diverse the species are genetically, and their movement ability. Artificial lighting creates barriers to animal movement which can prevent populations from breeding and may have implications for population growth, ability to adapt and long-term survival. Despite a better recent understanding of the impacts of artificial lighting on animal behaviour, no studies have assessed the combined impacts on species genetic make-up, breeding and fitness. We will combine ecological, genomic and physiological techniques to assess the effects of artificial lighting on stress, genetic structure and breeding success in the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), a light sensitive species that commonly roosts in buildings. We will carry out field experiments artificially illuminating bat roosts to identify the genetic responses to lights and the effects of light on bat behaviour when exiting roosts. We will also trap bats in areas exposed to different levels of artificial lighting across urban and rural areas in England and Wales to determine effects of lighting on bat fitness, and genetic diversity between populations. Finally we will assess whether artificial lighting fragments the landscape and affects movement between bat populations, and ask whether bats can adapt to long-term exposure to artificial lighting. This project will address scientific and conservation challenges of global importance, pushing the scientific boundaries within global change research. We will fill the gaps in our understanding of the population level impacts of artificial lighting, specifically, impacts on breeding success, connectivity between bat populations, bat conservation status and the potential for adaptation. We will lead the creation of a novel theme in global change research "urban adaptation biology" which seeks to assess the real-time impacts of urbanisation and associated threats on species ability to adapt using approaches and tools that span across academic disciplines.Key to this project is the application of project findings to inform environmental management and policy. Through our partnership with governmental bodies (Natural England) and planners (North Somerset Council, Somerset Council) we will produce a policy brief and industry guidance for planners and conservation managers. We will work with established industrial collaborators the Institution of Lighting Professionals and TRT Lighting Ltd, to lead research into the impact of emerging lighting technologies on wildlife.