Artificial light at night decreases leaf herbivory in typical urban areas.
Front Plant Sci
; 15: 1392262, 2024.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39161952
ABSTRACT
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is exerting growing pressure on natural ecosystems, but its impact on biological interactions remains unclear. This study aimed to assess how ALAN influences leaf functional traits and herbivory in two prevalent street tree species (Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott and Fraxinus pennsylvanica) through field surveys and paired experiments in the urban areas of Beijing, China. We found that ALAN led to increased leaf toughness and decreased levels of leaf herbivory. Additionally, ALAN showed species-specific effects on leaf nutrients, size as well as defense substances. The findings illustrate that ALAN can significantly alter some key functional traits and ecological processes (nutrient cycling, energy flow). In general, we suggest that high ALAN intensity will be detrimental to the energy flow from urban plants to higher trophic levels, posing a potential threat to the maintenance of biodiversity (e.g., arthropod diversity, bird diversity) in urban ecosystems.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Front Plant Sci
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
China
Pais de publicación:
Suiza