Seminar: Effects of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Aquatic and Riparian Communities
Datum:
Ort:
WSL Birmensdorf, Hörsaal and online
Organisiert von:
Biodiversity Center, WSL
Vortrag:
Alessandro Manfrin, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau
Moderation:
Rebecca Oester, WSL
Sprache(n):
English
Veranstaltungstyp:
Vorträge und Kolloquien
Zielpublikum:
Anyone interested in the topics
Abstract ¶
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a widespread and increasing anthropogenic disturbance, with global emissions rising 3–6% annually. Despite its prevalence, its ecological impacts on freshwater systems and adjacent terrestrial habitats remain poorly understood, especially in the presence of co-occurring stressors. We investigated ALAN effects across multiple biological groups and across ecosystems, from periphyton to aquatic insects and terrestrial arthropods. White LED lighting reduced periphyton biomass by ~60% with potential cascading consequences for primary production, nutrient cycling, and the nutritional quality of basal resources. ALAN affected aquatic insect emergence and dispersal in terrestrial ecosystems, acting as both an attractive ecological trap and a barrier that can inhibit movement across dark–light boundaries. Aquatic and terrestrial insects were attracted to street lighting nearby streams, with Chironomidae responding over distances up to 1800 m. Altered insect dispersal modified prey availability in riparian areas, which in turn affected the abundance and composition of ground-dwelling arthropods, such as spiders, ultimately leading to shifts in their diets. Recently, in a mesocosm experiment, ALAN reduced crayfish nocturnal activity but did not alter predation on emerging insects. Overall, our results highlight ALAN as a pervasive driver of ecological change across aquatic and terrestrial boundaries, with significant consequences for biodiversity and trophic interactions.
About the speaker ¶
Dr. Alessandro Manfrin is a biologist with a PhD in river science (Freie Universität Berlin, Leibniz-Institute IGB, Queen Mary University London). He is currently a postdoctoral coordinator of the DFG-funded RTG SystemLink at the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, which investigates how top-down and bottom-up processes in riparian food webs are affected by in-stream stressors, including aquatic micropollutants, invasive species, and hydrological alterations. His research spans freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, combining field and laboratory studies from primary producers to aquatic insects and terrestrial arthropods. He has expertise in large-scale data analysis, statistical and theoretical modelling, as well as stable isotope and molecular techniques.
How to join ¶
Our public seminars are hybrid, with the option to attend in-person or online.
The Microsoft Teams meeting link will be published closer to the date.
Biodiversity Seminars ¶
The WSL Biodiversity Seminar Series are organized by the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center. Every two weeks, we aim to host a seminar speaker who presents research or outreach on topics relevant to the biodiversity community at WSL. The seminars are public and are usually broadcast online.
To find out more about the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center and a complete list of events, please visit our website.
Please send an email to events-biodiversity(at)wsl.ch if you would like to be updated on the activities of the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center.