Artificial nighttime light changes aphid-parasitoid population dynamics

• DOI: 10.1038/srep15232
• Publication Date: 2015-10-16T09:33:56Z
• Authors: Dirk Sanders; Rachel Kehoe; Katie Tiley; Jonathan Bennie; Dave Cruse; Thomas W. Davies; F. J. Frank van Veen; Kevin J. Gaston
• Keywords: Mesocosm; Trophic cascade

Abstract Artificial light at night (ALAN) is recognized as a widespread and increasingly important anthropogenic environmental pressure on wild species their interactions. Understanding of how these impacts translate into changes in population dynamics communities with multiple trophic levels is, however, severely lacking. In an outdoor mesocosm experiment we tested the effect ALAN plant-aphid-parasitoid community one plant species, three aphid specialist parasitoids. The treatment reduced abundance two by 20% over five generations, most likely consequence bottom-up effects, reductions bean biomass being observed. For Megoura viciae this was reversed under autumn conditions promoting continuous reproduction through asexuals. All parasitoid were negatively affected treatment, host numbers discuss induced possible behavioural changes. These results suggest that, addition to direct behaviour, can cascade food webs potentially far reaching effects wider ecosystem.