TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hoffmann, Julia
A1  - Palme, Rupert
A1  - Eccard, Jana
T1  - Long-term dim light during nighttime changes activity patterns and space use in experimental small mammal populations
JF  - Environmental pollution
N2  - Artificial light at night (ALAN) is spreading worldwide and thereby is increasingly interfering with natural dark-light cycles. Meanwhile, effects of very low intensities of light pollution on animals have rarely been investigated. We explored the effects of low intensity ALAN over seven months in eight experimental bank vole (Myodes glareolus) populations in large grassland enclosures over winter and early breeding season, using LED garden lamps. initial populations consisted of eight individuals (32 animals per hectare) in enclosures with or without ALAN. We found that bank voles under ALAN experienced changes in daily activity patterns and space use behavior, measured by automated radio telemetry. There were no differences in survival and body mass, measured with live trapping, and none in levels of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites. Voles in the ALAN treatment showed higher activity at night during half moon, and had larger day ranges during new moon. Thus, even low levels of light pollution as experienced in remote areas or by sky glow can lead to changes in animal behavior and could have consequences for species interactions. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KW  - Myodes glareolus
KW  - Light pollution
KW  - Chronic stress
KW  - Survival success
KW  - Artificial light
KW  - LED
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.107
SN  - 0269-7491
SN  - 1873-6424
VL  - 238
SP  - 844
EP  - 851
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Oxford
ER  -