Christian C. Voigt

The Dark Side of Light: A Transdisciplinary Research Agenda for Light Pollution Policy

Although the invention and widespread use of artificial light is clearly one of the most important human technological advances, the transformation of nightscapes is increasingly recognized as having adverse effects. Night lighting may have serious physiological consequences for humans, ecological and evolutionary implications for animal and plant populations, and may reshape entire ecosystems. However, knowledge on the adverse effects of light pollution is vague. In response to climate change and energy shortages, many countries, regions, and communities are developing new lighting programs and concepts with a strong focus on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. Given the dramatic increase in artificial light at night (0 - 20% per year, depending on geographic region), we see an urgent need for light pollution policies that go beyond energy efficiency to include human well-being, the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and inter-related socioeconomic consequences. Such a policy shift will require a sound transdisciplinary understanding of the significance of the night, and its loss, for humans and the natural systems upon which we depend. Knowledge is also urgently needed on suitable lighting technologies and concepts which are ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable. Unless managing darkness becomes an integral part of future conservation and lighting policies, modern society may run into a global self-experiment with unpredictable outcomes.

Global Conservation Significance of Ecuador's Yasuní National Park

Background The threats facing Ecuadors Yasuní National Park are emblematic of those confronting the greater western Amazon, one of the worlds last high-biodiversity wilderness areas. Notably, the countrys second largest untapped oil reserves—called “ITT”—lie beneath an intact, remote section of the park. The conservation significance of Yasuní may weigh heavily in upcoming state-level and international decisions, including whether to develop the oil or invest in alternatives. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted the first comprehensive synthesis of biodiversity data for Yasuní. Mapping amphibian, bird, mammal, and plant distributions, we found eastern Ecuador and northern Peru to be the only regions in South America where species richness centers for all four taxonomic groups overlap. This quadruple richness center has only one viable strict protected area (IUCN levels I–IV): Yasuní. The park covers just 14% of the quadruple richness centers area, whereas active or proposed oil concessions cover 79%. Using field inventory data, we compared Yasunís local (alpha) and landscape (gamma) diversity to other sites, in the western Amazon and globally. These analyses further suggest that Yasuní is among the most biodiverse places on Earth, with apparent world richness records for amphibians, reptiles, bats, and trees. Yasuní also protects a considerable number of threatened species and regional endemics. Conclusions/Significance Yasuní has outstanding global conservation significance due to its extraordinary biodiversity and potential to sustain this biodiversity in the long term because of its 1) large size and wilderness character, 2) intact large-vertebrate assemblage, 3) IUCN level-II protection status in a region lacking other strict protected areas, and 4) likelihood of maintaining wet, rainforest conditions while anticipated climate change-induced drought intensifies in the eastern Amazon. However, further oil development in Yasuní jeopardizes its conservation values. These findings form the scientific basis for policy recommendations, including stopping any new oil activities and road construction in Yasuní and creating areas off-limits to large-scale development in adjacent northern Peru.

Cross-hemisphere migration of a 25 g songbird

The northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a small (approx. 25 g), insectivorous migrant with one of the largest ranges of any songbird in the world, breeding from the eastern Canadian Arctic across Greenland, Eurasia and into Alaska (AK). However, there is no evidence that breeding populations in the New World have established overwintering sites in the Western Hemisphere. Using light-level geolocators, we demonstrate that individuals from these New World regions overwinter in northern sub-Sahara Africa, with Alaskan birds travelling approximately 14 500 km each way and an eastern Canadian Arctic bird crossing a wide stretch of the North Atlantic (approx. 3500 km). These remarkable journeys, particularly for a bird of this size, last between one to three months depending on breeding location and season (autumn/spring) and result in mean overall migration speeds of up to 290 km d−1. Stable-hydrogen isotope analysis of winter-grown feathers sampled from breeding birds generally support the notion that Alaskan birds overwinter primarily in eastern Africa and eastern Canadian Arctic birds overwinter mainly in western Africa. Our results provide the first evidence of a migratory songbird capable of linking African ecosystems of the Old World with Arctic regions of the New World.

In vivo comparison of bioactive glass particles in rabbits

Bioglass particles of the compositions 45s5, 52s and 55s were implanted in the distal femoral epiphysis of rabbits. Animals were sacrificed at 7, 28, and 84 d postoperatively and specimens investigated using light microscopy and histomorphometry. Bone bonding occurred in a zentripetal fashion and fastest for 45s5. Bone formation was hampered at the core of the implantation bed where bone bonding showed a peak at 28d and diminished at 84d (except for 55s). This went along with a significant increase in numerous multinuclear giant cells (MNGC). Implantation model, particle size and surface-area-to-volume ratio are discussed as possible parameters determining bone regeneration.

Morphological innovation, diversification and invasion of a new adaptive zone

How ecological opportunity relates to diversification is a central question in evolutionary biology. However, there are few empirical examples of how ecological opportunity and morphological innovation open new adaptive zones, and promote diversification. We analyse data on diet, skull morphology and bite performance, and relate these traits to diversification rates throughout the evolutionary history of an ecologically diverse family of mammals (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). We found a significant increase in diversification rate driven by increased speciation at the most recent common ancestor of the predominantly frugivorous subfamily Stenodermatinae. The evolution of diet was associated with skull morphology, and morphology was tightly coupled with biting performance, linking phenotype to new niches through performance. Following the increase in speciation rate, the rate of morphological evolution slowed, while the rate of evolution in diet increased. This pattern suggests that morphology stabilized, and niches within the new adaptive zone of frugivory were filled rapidly, after the evolution of a new cranial phenotype that resulted in a certain level of mechanical efficiency. The tree-wide speciation rate increased non linearly with a more frugivorous diet, and was highest at measures of skull morphology associated with morphological extremes, including the most derived Stenodermatines. These results show that a novel stenodermatine skull phenotype played a central role in the evolution of frugivory and increasing speciation within phyllostomids.

Tissue engineering of biphasic joint cartilage transplants

In isolated posttraumatic or idiopathic joint defects the chondral layers and adjacent subchondral spongy bone are usually destructed. For regeneration we suggest the in vitro formation of a cartilage-coated biomaterial carriers (biphases) in order to fill the correspondingjoint defects. In this study Biocoral, a natural coralline material made of calcium carbonate, and calcite, a synthetic calcium carbonate, were used as supports for the cultivation of bovine chondrocytes in a three-dimensional polymer fleece. The cell-polymer-structure was affixed to the biomaterial with a fibrin-cell-solution. The artificial cartilage formed a new matrix and fused with the underlying biomaterial. The results indicate a promising technical approach to anchor tissue engineered cartilage in joint defects.

Low turnover rates of carbon isotopes in tissues of two nectar-feeding bat species

SUMMARY Stable isotopes of carbon are commonly used to characterize dietary preferences in animals. Because turnover rates of carbon isotopes are related to metabolic rate, we wanted to determine the rates at which carbon isotopes are exchanged in tissues of two species of nectar-feeding bats (Leptonycteris curasoae and Glossophaga soricina), both of which have relatively high mass-specific metabolic rates. To test the hypothesis that isotope turnover is higher in nectar-feeding bats, because of their high mass-specific metabolic rates, than in other eutherian mammals, we conducted diet-switching experiments and chose three target tissues (hair, wing membrane and blood) to evaluate the isotopic turnover rates. We made the following predictions: (1) isotopic composition should change towards higherδ 13C-values due to the turnover of carbon isotopes of C3 origin with those of C4/CAM origin; (2) the turnover rates of carbon isotopes would differ between the three types of tissues in the following order of decreasing turnover rates: blood>wing membrane>hair; and (3) turnover rates of nectar-feeding bats should exceed those reported for other small mammals because of the high mass-specific metabolic rate of nectar-feeding bats. Compared to the initial diet, target tissues were enriched in heavy carbon isotopes by 2.8‰ in L. curasoae and by 2.6‰ in G. soricina. After changing the diet from C3 to C4/CAM origin we found an increase in abundance of 13C in blood and wing membrane in all experimental subjects. The estimated half life of carbon isotope turnover ranged from 100 to 134 days and did not differ significantly between blood and wing membrane, nor did it differ between the two species. The low turnover rate in wing membrane may reflect its specific composition and the relatively low temperature of this tissue, and long-lived erythrocytes in bat blood may be responsible for the low turnover rate of carbon isotopes in blood. The turnover rate of stable carbon isotopes in hair was low in L. curasoae and undetectable in G. soricina, which may be explained by the seasonal growth of the hair in these two species. Because both species are small (10 and 25 g, respectively) and nectar-feeding bats have higher mass-specific metabolic rates than bats in temperate regions or similar sized terrestrial mammals, our findings of low turnover rates were unexpected.

Diving seabirds share foraging space and time within and among species

Ecological theory predicts that animals with similar foraging strategies should not be able to co-exist without segregating either in space, time or diet. In communities, intra-specific competition is thought to be more intense than the competition among species, because of the lack of niche partitioning between conspecifics. Hence, while different seabird species can overlap in their foraging distribution, intra-specific competition can drive the neighboring populations of the same species to spatial segregation of foraging areas. To investigate ecological segregation within and among species of diving seabirds, we used a multi-species GPS-tracking approach of seabirds of four species on a small island in the Southwest Atlantic. The present study goes beyond previous work by analyzing simultaneous effects of species and colonies. We observed strikingly strong spatial foraging segregation among birds of the same species, breeding in colonies as close as 2 km from each other. Conspecifics from neighboring colonies used foraging places adjacent to their own colony, and there was little or no overlap with birds from the other colony. A zone with increased predator concentration was completely avoided during foraging trips, likely contributing to the spatial segregation. In addition to spatial segregation, we also observed intra-specific differences in other components of foraging behavior, such as time of day, dive depth and diet. These were most likely caused by optimal foraging of individuals in relation to habitat differences on a local scale, leading to a complex pattern of interactions with environmental covariates, in particular foraging daytime, foraging water layer temperature and depth, distance to coast and bathymetric depth of foraging areas. As mechanisms leading to the spatial segregation we propose a combination of optimal foraging and avoidance of predation.

Female-biased dispersal and patrilocal kin groups in a mammal with resource-defence polygyny.

In most mammals, dispersal rates are higher in males than in females. Using behavioural and genetic data of individually marked bats, we show that this general pattern is reversed in the greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata). Dispersal is significantly female biased and male philopatry in combination with rare male immigration causes a patrilineal colony structure. Female dispersal helps avoid father–daughter inbreeding, as male tenure exceeds female age at first breeding in this bat species. Furthermore, our data suggest that females may engage in extra-harem copulations to mate with genetically dissimilar males, and thus avoid their male descendants as mating partners. Acquaintance with the natal colony might facilitate territory takeover since male sac-winged bats queue for harem access. Given the virtual absence of male immigration and the possible lower reproductive success of dispersing males, we argue that enhancing the likelihood of settlement of male descendants could be adaptive despite local mate competition. We conclude that resource defence by males is important in promoting male philopatry, and argue that the potential overlap of male tenure and female first conception is the driving force for females to disperse.

Nutrient routing in omnivorous animals tracked by stable carbon isotopes in tissue and exhaled breath

Omnivorous animals feed on several food items that often differ in macronutrient and isotopic composition. Macronutrients can be used for either metabolism or body tissue synthesis and, therefore, stable C isotope ratios of exhaled breath (δ13Cbreath) and tissue may differ. To study nutrient routing in omnivorous animals, we measured δ13Cbreath in 20-g Carollia perspicillata that either ate an isotopically homogeneous carbohydrate diet or an isotopically heterogenous protein-carbohydrate mixture. The δ13Cbreath converged to the δ13C of the ingested carbohydrates irrespective of whether proteins had been added or not. On average, δ13Cbreath was depleted in 13C by only ca. −2‰ in relation to the δ13C of the dietary carbohydrates and was enriched by +8.2‰ in relation to the dietary proteins, suggesting that C. perspicillata may have routed most ingested proteins to body synthesis and not to metabolism. We next compared the δ13Cbreath with that of wing tissue (δ13Ctissue) in 12 free-ranging, mostly omnivorous phyllostomid bat species. We predicted that species with a more insect biased diet—as indicated by the N isotope ratio in wing membrane tissue (δ15Ntissue)—should have higher δ13Ctissue than δ13Cbreath values, since we expected body tissue to stem mostly from insect proteins and exhaled CO2 to stem from the combustion of fruit carbohydrates. Accordingly, δ13Ctissue and δ13Cbreath should be more similar in species that feed predominantly on plant products. The species-specific differences between δ13Ctissue and δ13Cbreath increased with increasing δ15Ntissue, i.e. species with a plant-dominated diet had similar δ13Ctissue and δ13Cbreath values, whereas species feeding at a higher trophic level had higher δ13Ctissue than δ13Cbreath values. Our study shows that δ13Cbreath reflect the isotope ratio of ingested carbohydrates, whereas δ13C of body tissue reflect the isotope ratio of ingested proteins, namely insects, supporting the idea of isotopic routing in omnivorous animals.