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Bennett, V. J., & Hale, A. M. (2014). Red aviation lights on wind turbines do not increase bat-turbine collisions. Animal Conservation, 17(4), 354–358.
Abstract: Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why bat–wind turbine collisions occur; however, most of these hypotheses have yet to be tested and with high numbers of bat fatalities reported annually at wind resource facilities globally, there is a real need to understand this phenomenon. In this study, we tested whether aviation lighting influenced the number of bat fatalities at wind turbines. Thus, at a utility-scale wind facility in north-central Texas, we explored whether bat fatalities were higher at wind turbines with red flashing aviation lighting compared with turbines without such lighting. Over a 5-year period, we recorded fatalities at wind turbines as part of a long-term fatality monitoring programme. During standardized searches, we collected 916 bat carcasses representing all six species known to be present at the site. We found that bat fatalities were higher at wind turbines without aviation lighting compared with those with; a pattern that was driven by one species, Lasiurus borealis, and there was no significant difference between fatalities at wind turbines with or without aviation lighting for any other species. Our study demonstrates that wind turbines should continue to be fitted with synchronized, flashing red aviation lights, as this form of lighting does not appear to be one of the potential causes of bat fatalities at wind resource facilities. We therefore support further research that explores possible alternative causes of bat–wind turbine interactions. More specifically, we reiterate that there is still a pressing need to determine the aspects of bat ecology that result in individuals coming into contact with wind turbines.
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Bukalev, A. V., Vinogradova, I. A., Zabezhinskii, M. A., Semenchenko, A. V., & Anisimov, V. N. (2013). Light pollution increases morbidity and mortality rate from different causes in female rats. Adv Gerontol, 3(3), 180–188.
Abstract: The influence of different light regimes (constant light, LL; constant darkness, DD; standard light regime, LD, 12 hours light/12 hours darkness; and natural lighting of the northwest of Russia (NL) on non-tumor pathology revealed in the post-mortem examination of female rats has been studied. It was found that keeping 25-days-old animals under LL and NL conditions led to an increase in the number of infectious diseases and the substantially faster development of spontaneous tumors (2.9 and 3.3 diseases per one rat, respectively), variety of nontumor pathology found in dead rats, compared with the animals in standard (standard light) regime (1.72 diseases per one rat). Light deprivation (DD) led to a substantial reduction in the development of new growth, as well as nontumor and infectious diseases (1.06 diseases per one rat), compared to the same parameters in a standard light regime.
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Downs, N. C., Beaton, V., Guest, J., Polanski, J., Robinson, S. L., & Racey, P. A. (2003). The effects of illuminating the roost entrance on the emergence behaviour of Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Biological Conservation, 111(2), 247.252.
Abstract: In an attempt to increase the accuracy of roost emergence counts for a monitoring programme, the exits of two Pipistrellus pygmaeus roosts were illuminated with light of different colours and intensities. Light intensity affected bat emergence more than light colour. At one roost there was no significant difference in the bat emergence pattern between when the roost exit received no illumination and when it was illuminated with red light. The use of the latter is proposed to increase the accuracy of bat roost emergence counts.
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Erren, T. C., Pape, H. G., Reiter, R. J., & Piekarski, C. (2008). Chronodisruption and cancer. Naturwissenschaften, 95(5), 367–382.
Abstract: Research into health effects of chronodisruption (CD), a relevant disturbance of the circadian organization of physiology, endocrinology, metabolism and behaviour, is evolving at a rapid pace. With regard to malignancies, our synthesis of key experiments indicates that CD can play a causal role for cancer growth and tumor progression in animals. Moreover, our meta-analyses of 30 epidemiological studies evince that flight personnel and shift workers exposed to chronodisruption may have increased breast and prostate cancer risks: summary relative risks (RRs) for investigations of flight personnel and of shift workers suggested a 70 and 40% increase in the risk of breast cancer, respectively, and excess relative risks of prostate cancer in nine studies in flight personnel (40%) and in two studies in male shift workers. There was a remarkable indication of homogeneity of results from the individual studies that contribute to the average statistics. However, in view of doubts about whether the differing assessments of CD can really be regarded as valid reflections of the same causative phenomenon and the lack of control of covariates in the majority of studies, it is premature to conclude that the risk observations reflect a real, rather than spurious, association with CD. The challenge for future epidemiological investigations of the biologically plausible links between chronodisruption and human cancers is to conduct studies which appreciate details of transmeridian travelling, of shift work and of covariates for the development of the diseases.
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Jung, K., & Kalko, E. K. (2010). Where forest meets urbanization: foraging plasticity of aerial insectivorous bats in an anthropogenically altered environment. J. Mammal., 91(1), 144–153.
Abstract: Given worldwide rapid human population growth resulting in degradation or loss of habitats, it is important to understand how anthropogenic factors affect species presence and activity, and consequently, how well species tolerate or adapt to anthropogenically altered environments. This study, conducted in Panama, focuses on aerial insectivorous bats, a highly mobile and ecologically important, but largely understudied group. Acoustic monitoring was used to investigate habitat use in a tropical forest-town interface and microhabitat use around streetlights differing in wavelength (type of light) and accessibility (distance to vegetation). Plasticity in microhabitat use also was examined in relation to season and moonlight. We recorded a total of 25 aerial insectivorous bat species in the study area and found a subset of 20 species in town of which 18 frequently foraged around streetlights. Bat activity (passes/min) was lowest at the forest site, highest at streetlights, and intermediate in the dark areas of town. General bat activity at streetlights was concentrated at bluish-white lights compared to yellow-white and orange lights. However, bats revealed species-specific microhabitats with regard to light type, distance to vegetation, and relative light intensity. Season and moon phase affected microhabitat use around streetlights leading to microhabitat plasticity of individual species. Thus, in the forest-town interface most, but not all, aerial insectivorous bats were present in town and regularly foraged around streetlights, suggesting a species-specific tolerance for habitat alteration. Bats foraging at streetlights used microhabitats, and some species even changed microhabitats, according to season or moon phase. This indicates species-specific requirements for microhabitats and the importance of preserving habitat heterogeneity.
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