Effects of artificial light at night on avian behavior and physiology
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Authors
Alaasam, Valentina
Issue Date
2022
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
Behavior , Circadian Rhythms , Endocrinology , Light Pollution , Urbanization , Zebra Finch
Alternative Title
Abstract
As urbanization increases worldwide, the proliferation of artificial light at night (ALAN) is dramatically altering nighttime environments. ALAN disrupts natural light-dark patterns used by both humans and wildlife to synchronize behavior and biochemical processes with their environment. Exposure to ALAN has been linked to sleep disruption, physiological stress, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying these responses and potential long-term consequences, remain elusive. Consequences of ALAN may also be exacerbated by the spectral composition of light sources. Short wavelengths are more stimulatory to vertebrate visual systems and are becoming prominent in the environment since the recent transition to LEDs as a low-cost and energy-efficient alternative to previous outdoor light technologies. It is not fully understood how spectral composition of light plays a role in organismal responses. In this dissertation I address several of the most pressing knowledge gaps regarding the effects of ALAN on vertebrate behavior and physiology, using the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) as a model system. In Chapter 1, I asked whether ALAN affects sleep behavior and physiological stress, using two commonly available spectras of LED (Alaasam et al., 2018). In chapter 2, I investigated molecular mechanism by asking whether ALAN affects behavioral and physiological processes via alteration of circadian clock gene expression. In chapter 3 I test whether individuals can habituate to ALAN in long-term exposure, or incur long-term physiological consequences.
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 United States