Flight-to-Light and the Decline in British Moths

在过去的40年里，英国大型蛾的数量急剧下降，占总数的三分之二，与人工夜间照明(例如路灯照明)水平的增加大体同步。虽然人们对这种联系有很多猜测，许多蛾物种无疑被路灯吸引，但对照明在这种下降中所起的作用仍然缺乏适当的评估。该项目将解决这一不足，提供能够更好地支持轻工业创新以减少对环境影响的科学。这名学生将使用分子技术来估计基因流，并识别一组与飞行到光行为有关的候选基因，以了解城市地区是否存在明显的进化转变。然后，这名学生将利用世界级的Rothamsted昆虫调查公司的500个捕光器网络开发一套模型，以估计污染和未污染地点之间的光影响。这是一个令人兴奋的机会，可以解决可能对轻工业产生深远影响的环境问题，并提供一流的科学。学生将在实地考察和实验室工作之间分配时间，主要将在Rothamsted Research工作，但将与埃克塞特的活动进行大量互动。对昆虫学感兴趣将是有利的，在统计建模和分子技术方面的技能将被看好。

The dramatic decline in abundances of macro-moths in Britain, two-thirds over the last 40 years, has been broadly synchronous with the increase in levels of artificial nighttime lighting (e.g. from streetlighting). Whilst there has been much speculation over the link, with many moth species undoubtedly being drawn to streetlights, a proper evaluation of the role of lighting in this decline has remained wanting. This project will address this shortfall, providing the science that will be better able to support innovations to the light industry to reduce environmental impacts. The student will use molecular techniques to estimate gene flow and identify a suite of candidate genes involved in the flightto- light behaviour to understand whether an evolutionary shift is apparent in urban areas. The student will then develop a set of models using the world-class Rothamsted Insect Survey's network of 500 light traps to estimate the effects of light between polluted and unpolluted sites. This is an exciting opportunity to work on an environmental problem that could have profound implications for the light industry as well as deliver first class science. The student will split their time between fieldwork and the laboratory and will largely be based at Rothamsted Research but will interact heavily with activities that will be based at Exeter. An interest in entomology would be advantageous and skills in statistical modelling and molecular techniques would be looked upon favourably.