Anthropogenic noise and light pollution decrease the repeatability of activity patterns and dampen expression of
Melissa Grunst1, Andrea Grunst1, Bert Thys2
1Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
The Science of the Total Environment
|October 1, 2024
Summary
Anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupt animal chronotypes, which are daily activity timing patterns. These disturbances reduce the consistency of individual behavior across seasons, potentially limiting adaptability.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral ecology
- Environmental toxicology
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Anthropogenic environmental change introduces novel disturbances affecting animal behavior and repeatability.
- Sensory pollutants like noise and artificial light at night (ALAN) may impact individual chronotypes.
- Evidence for long-term chronotype stability across life stages and seasons is limited, as are insights into interacting stressors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test for chronotypes across life-history stages and seasons in suburban great tits (Parus major).
- To examine the joint effects of noise pollution and ALAN on chronotype expression.
- To investigate the impact of noise, ALAN, and weather on mean activity timing.
Main Methods:
- Used emergence time from nest boxes as a proxy for activity onset in female great tits.
- Analyzed repeatability of emergence times across seasons and life-history stages.
- Assessed the interactive effects of noise, ALAN, and weather on emergence timing.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated repeatability of daily activity patterns (chronotypes) across life-history stages and seasons.
- Found interactive effects of anthropogenic disturbances and weather on mean population behavior.
- Observed that across-season repeatability of emergence times was significantly reduced under higher noise and/or light conditions.
Conclusions:
- Joint exposure to noise and ALAN erodes the expression of chronotypes by decreasing among-individual variance in behavior.
- Reduced behavioral repeatability in disturbed environments may limit the potential for chronotype to be a target of selection.
- This highlights the potential for sensory pollutants to impair behavioral adaptability in wildlife populations.
