Can bryophyte groups increase functional resolution in tundra ecosystems?

Funding Information: This study was supported by a grant to SL from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie, Grant No. 797446 and by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, Grant no. 0135-00140B. Funding from the Academy of Finland (grant 322266), National Science Foundation (1504224, 1836839, PLR-1504381 and PLR-1836898), Independent Research Fund Denmark (9040-00314B), Moscow State University, (project No 121032500089-1), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, ArcticNet, Polar Continental Shelf Program, Northern Science Training Program, Polar Knowledge Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Tomsk State University competitiveness improvement program and the Russian Science Foundation (grant No 20-67-46018) are gratefully acknowledged. Matthias Ahrens provided valuable insights on the cushion growth form, and we are most thankful. We thank Gaius Shaver and two anonymous reviewers for providing valuable critique and input to earlier versions of this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © the author(s) or their institution(s).The relative contribution of bryophytes to plant diversity, primary productivity, and ecosystem functioning increases towards colder climates. Bryophytes respond to environmental changes at the species level, but because bryophyte species are relatively difficult to identify, they are often lumped into one functional group. Consequently, bryophyte function remains poorly resolved. Here, we explore how higher resolution of bryophyte functional diversity can be encouraged and implemented in tundra ecological studies. We briefly review previous bryophyte functional classifications and the roles of bryophytes in tundra ecosystems and their susceptibility to environmental change. Based on shoot morphology and colony organization, we then propose twelve easily distinguishable bryophyte functional groups. To illustrate how bryophyte functional groups can help elucidate variation in bryophyte effects and responses, we compiled existing data on water holding capacity, a key bryophyte trait. Although plant functional groups can mask potentially high interspecific and intraspecific variability, we found better separation of bryophyte functional group means compared with previous grouping systems regarding water holding capacity. This suggests that our bryophyte functional groups truly represent variation in the functional roles of bryophytes in tundra ecosystems. Lastly, we provide recommendations to improve the monitoring of bryophyte community changes in tundra study sites.Peer reviewe

Can bryophyte groups increase functional resolution in tundra ecosystems?

The relative contribution of bryophytes to plant diversity, primary productivity, and ecosystem functioning increases towards colder climates. Bryophytes respond to environmental changes at the species level, but because bryophyte species are relatively difficult to identify, they are often lumped into one functional group. Consequently, bryophyte function remains poorly resolved. Here, we explore how higher resolution of bryophyte functional diversity can be encouraged and implemented in tundra ecological studies. We briefly review previous bryophyte functional classifications and the roles of bryophytes in tundra ecosystems and their susceptibility to environmental change. Based on shoot morphology and colony organization, we then propose twelve easily distinguishable bryophyte functional groups. To illustrate how bryophyte functional groups can help elucidate variation in bryophyte effects and responses, we compiled existing data on water holding capacity, a key bryophyte trait. Although plant functional groups can mask potentially high interspecific and intraspecific variability, we found better separation of bryophyte functional group means compared with previous grouping systems regarding water holding capacity. This suggests that our bryophyte functional groups truly represent variation in the functional roles of bryophytes in tundra ecosystems. Lastly, we provide recommendations to improve the monitoring of bryophyte community changes in tundra study sites

Simulations and Analysis of the Optimum Uniformity for Pedestrian Road Lighting Focusing on Energy Performance and Spill Light in the Roadside Environment

Road lighting uniformity is an essential lighting quality parameter for motorists and pedestrians and varies with lighting design parameters. Increased road lighting uniformity may result in benefits, such as increased reassurance and perceived safety for pedestrians or an increased overall visual perception. However, no previous study has investigated how road lighting uniformity varies with lighting design scenarios or how the uniformity of various lighting design scenarios affects other essential parameters, such as energy performance and obtrusive light. This study aimed to investigate: (I) how uniformity varies with different road lighting design scenarios, and (II) how uniformity correlates with energy performance and risk for increasing spill light. The study is limited to pedestrian roads. We performed photometric calculations in ReluxDesktop for more than 1.5 million cases with single-sided pole arrangements and for various geometries of road width, pole distance, pole height, overhang, and luminaire tilt. The results were analyzed with a set of five relevant metrics that were calculated and analyzed together with uniformity. For the evaluation, we used the minimum luminaire power needed to achieve an average illuminance of 10 lx, the power density indicator (DP), edge illuminance ratio (REI), and we introduced two new indicators for spill light on the ground in the border areas: the extended edge illuminance ratio (extended REI) and the spill flux ratio (RSF). The results show that increased uniformity levels may significantly increase energy consumption and spill light, but that both these impacts can be relatively controlled if uniformity is kept under certain limits. The investigated cases also demonstrated that improper lighting planning significantly increases adverse effects, such as spill light

Simulations and Analysis of the Optimum Uniformity for Pedestrian Road Lighting Focusing on Energy Performance and Spill Light in the Roadside Environment

Road lighting uniformity is an essential lighting quality parameter for motorists and pedestrians and varies with lighting design parameters. Increased road lighting uniformity may result in benefits, such as increased reassurance and perceived safety for pedestrians or an increased overall visual perception. However, no previous study has investigated how road lighting uniformity varies with lighting design scenarios or how the uniformity of various lighting design scenarios affects other essential parameters, such as energy performance and obtrusive light. This study aimed to investigate: (I) how uniformity varies with different road lighting design scenarios, and (II) how uniformity correlates with energy performance and risk for increasing spill light. The study is limited to pedestrian roads. We performed photometric calculations in ReluxDesktop for more than 1.5 million cases with single-sided pole arrangements and for various geometries of road width, pole distance, pole height, overhang, and luminaire tilt. The results were analyzed with a set of five relevant metrics that were calculated and analyzed together with uniformity. For the evaluation, we used the minimum luminaire power needed to achieve an average illuminance of 10 lx, the power density indicator (DP), edge illuminance ratio (REI), and we introduced two new indicators for spill light on the ground in the border areas: the extended edge illuminance ratio (extended REI) and the spill flux ratio (RSF). The results show that increased uniformity levels may significantly increase energy consumption and spill light, but that both these impacts can be relatively controlled if uniformity is kept under certain limits. The investigated cases also demonstrated that improper lighting planning significantly increases adverse effects, such as spill light

Ecological Impact of Artificial Light at Night: Effective Strategies and Measures to Deal with Protected Species and Habitats

When conserving or protecting rare or endangered species, current general guidelines for reducing light pollution might not suffice to ensure long-term threatened species’ survival. Many protected areas are exposed to artificial light at levels with the potential to induce ecological impacts with unknown implications for the ecosystems they are designated to protect. Consequently, it is recommended that precautionary methods for the avoidance and mitigation of light pollution in protected areas be integrated into their management plans. This paper’s aims are to present an overview of best practices in precautionary methods to avoid and mitigate light pollution in protected areas and to identify and discuss what ecosystems should be considered light-sensitive and how to prioritise species and habitats that need protection from artificial light, including examples of legislation covering ecological light pollution in the European Union and in Sweden. The important aspects to include when considering light pollution at a landscape level are listed, and a proposal for prioritisation among species and habitats is suggested. Sensitive and conservation areas and important habitats for particularly vulnerable species could be prioritised for measures to minimise artificial lighting’s negative effects on biodiversity. This may be done by classifying protected natural environments into different zones and applying more constrained principles to limit lighting. The light pollution sensitivity of various environments and ecosystems suggests that different mitigation strategies and adaptations should be used depending on landscape characteristics, species sensitivity and other factors that may determine whether artificial light may be detrimental. Issues of the currently used measurement methods for artificial light at night are reviewed. We also propose and discuss the principles and benefits of using standardized measurement methods and appropriate instrumentation for field measurements of artificial light concerning the environmental impact of light pollution

Research Note : Red light to mitigate light pollution: Is it possible to balance functionality and ecological impact?

The widespread use of electric lighting has revolutionised society but brought unintended consequences, notably light pollution, impacting ecosystems and human circadian rhythms. Concerns about anthropogenic light at night (ALAN) have prompted innovative solutions, such as spectral tuning of light sources. In Europe, a recent focus involves the enforcement of red light in outdoor settings to minimise ALAN’s impact, particularly on bats. This mini review synthesises literature to provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of red light outdoors. There is a need for further examination of the potential ecological consequences of red light, considering challenges in lighting design functionality and broader impacts on diverse species

Uppdatering och nya effektsamband i effektmodellen för viltolyckor

Viltolyckor i Sverige är ett växande problem som leder till dödade och skadade personer, liksom skador på fordon och dödade djur. Viltolyckor har samhällsekonomiska kostnader som behöver kvantifieras för att man ska kunna räkna ut kostnadsnyttan av åtgärder som förebygger viltolyckor, såsom exempelvis viltstängsel eller passager. Effektmodellen för viltolyckor utvecklades under 1980-talet och ingår i EVA (effekter vid väganalyser) men är idag till vissa delar föråldrad på grund av utvecklingen som skett avseende trafiksäkerhet, viltolyckssammansättning, datasystem, kunskap och forskning. Den existerande effektmodellen bygger på risk för viltolyckor per km väg per län i tre trafikflödesklasser för älg och summerat ihop för rådjur/ren. Detta projekt har haft som mål att uppdatera effektmodellen för viltolyckor genom att inkludera aktuella data på viltolycksfördelningar och mörkertal, beakta flera viltslag (älg, rådjur, hjort och vildsvin) och involvera flera variabler som kan vara av betydelse för olyckorna: t.ex. viltets populationsstorlek, vägstandard, trafikarbete, hastighet, viltstängsel, landskapstyp och viltets populationsstorlek. Arbetet har delats upp i tre huvudsakliga delar. Den första delen omfattade att ta fram ny kunskap om sambanden mellan viltolyckor, trafikarbete, och viltpopulationer där också landskapsvariabler ingår samt kostnadsberäkningar baserat på olika typer av prognoser på längre sikt. En annan del omfattade att ta fram ny viltolycksstatistik baserat på GIS-analyser för uppdaterade effektsamband för viltolyckor (olycksfrekvens per km väg), ÅDT1 , vägstandard och stängsel samt nya skattningar av mörkertal. Den tredje delen omfattade att ta fram nya värden för skadeföljd och skadekonsekvenser för olika viltslag för 2010–2016. Resultaten från första delen av projektet visar att utifrån ett oförändrat jakttryck kommer viltolyckorna att öka med 12% från 2015 fram till 2030, mestadels på grund av en fördubbling av vildsvinsolyckor medan risken för olycka med älg och rådjur minskar något. Vid minskat jakttryck under samma period visar resultaten att det är teoretiskt möjligt att viltolyckorna istället kommer att öka med 50%. Beräknade kostnader för viltolyckor år 2030 (ASEK 6) varierar mellan 1 707 och 7 556 miljoner kronor beroende på antaganden om jakttryck och skadekostnader. Olyckor med rådjur svarar för den största delen av olyckorna under hela perioden, men olyckor med vildsvin ökar mest under samtliga scenarier. Prognos för kostnadsberäkningar av viltolyckor för Västra Götaland och Skåne inkluderas som exempel. Data från 2010–2016 visar att viltolyckorna ökat mer eller mindre konstant sen 2003 och att ökningen i olyckstal över åren sker med snabbare takt än ökningen i trafikarbetet. På mindre vägar tilltar olycksfrekvenser med ökande trafikarbete fram till en genomsnittlig trafikvolym av omkring 5 000 ÅDT. På större vägar avtar däremot olycksfrekvensen med stigande trafik. Olycksfrekvensen är högst på mellanstora vägar men avtar på trafiktunga vägar och på vägar med hög hastighet. Uppdaterade värden för skadeföljd och skadekonsekvens baserades på uttag ur STRADA2 och NVR3 2010–2016 och endast polisrapporterade olyckor (förutom för RPMI4 värden där även sjukhusrapporter ingick). Skadeföljden visar att dödade och skadade personer i älg- och rådjur/hjortolyckor har minskat och justeringar i de nya värdena har gjorts. För skadekonsekvenser föreslås nya värden för älgolyckor medan föregående värden behållits för rådjur/hjort och även föreslås för vildsvin. Nya värden för skadeföljd föreslås för rådjur/hjort och vildsvin. Slutligen diskuteras antagande i effektmodellen och resultat utifrån trafiksäkerhetsutvecklingen, relevanta viltolycksfrågor, samt några utvalda aspekter inför effektmodellens implementering.Wildlife-vehicle accidents in Sweden are a growing problem that causes killed and injured humans, damage to vehicles and killed animals. Wildlife-vehicle accidents have socioeconomic costs that need to be quantified to calculate the cost-benefits of measures to prevent the accidents, for example game fencing or animal passages. The effect-model for wildlife-vehicle accidents was developed in the 1980s but is currently obsolete due to developments in road safety, changes in wildlife populations, data systems, knowledge and research. The existing effectmodel is based on the risk of accidents per km road per county in three traffic flow categories and divided into moose and summed up for deer and reindeer. This project aims at updating the effect-model for wildlife-vehicle accidents by including current data on wildlife collisions, considering various species of wildlife (elk, deer and wild boar) and several variables that may be of significance to the accidents: such as: population size, road standard, traffic load, vehicle speed, and landscape type. The work has mainly been divided into three parts. The first part involved the development of a model including wildlife accidents, traffic load and population size/growth and landscape variables, as well as cost estimates based on different model scenarios in long-term forecasts. Another part involved GIS analyzes of updated wildlife-vehicle accident statistics; accident rate per km road, AADT5 , road standard and fencing, and new estimates of unknown cases. The third part comprised presenting new values for damage and risk consequences (percentage probabilities for fatalities and personal injuries) for vehicle accidents in recent years. The results for the first part of the project show that wildlife-vehicle accidents will increase by 12% from 2015 to 2030, mainly due to a doubling of wild boar accidents, whereas the risk of accident with elk and deer decreases slightly. In the case of reduced hunting pressure, the results show that it is theoretically possible that wildlife accidents will instead increase by 50%. Estimated costs of game accidents in 2030 (ASEK 6) vary between 1 707 and 7 556 million SEK, depending on assumptions about hunting and injury costs. Accidents with deer are responsible for most of the accidents throughout the period, but accidents with wild boar increase most in all scenarios. Cost estimates of wildlife accidents for Västra Götaland and Skåne in a long-term forecast are included as examples. The GIS analyzes on data from 2010-2016 show that wildlife-vehicle accidents has increased constantly since 2003 and that the increase in accidents over the years occurs at a faster rate than the increase in traffic load. On minor roads accidents will increase synchronously with the traffic volume up to approximately 5 000 AADT. On larger roads, accident frequency will decline with increased traffic load. The accident frequency is highest on medium-sized roads but decreases on traffic-heavy roads and on high-speed roads. Updated values for damage consequences were based on data from STRADA6 and NVR7 2010-2016 and police reported accidents (except for calculating RPMI8 values). The results show that killed and injured persons in moose and roe deer/deer accidents have decreased and adjustments in the new values are suggested. For damage consequences, new values for moose accidents are suggested while previous values have been kept for deer and are proposed to use wild boar. Finally, assumptions in the effect-model and results based on road safety development, relevant wildlife issues, and some selected aspects regarding the implementation of the effect-model are discussed

More-than-human media architecture

We consider some of the planetary conditions and global circumstances that both research and practice of media architecture are embedded within, such as climate change, pollution, resource consumption, and loss of biodiversity. While there has been a notable increase in emphasis on participation and engagement in design and use, with the aim to increase the involvement of diverse and often marginalised citizens, a human-centred approach to media architecture comes with its own set of problems. In this paper, we want to draw the attention of the media architecture community to the fallacy of human exceptionalism and anthropocentrism. We present a critical review of examples of media architecture projects and installations that question our understanding of urban space as separate from nature, and designed primarily for humans and just humans. Informed by studies in disciplines such as science and technology studies, critical geography, urban planning, and interaction design, we use insights derived from our review to discuss ways towards a more-than-human approach to media architecture. We conclude by proposing for discussion nascent design considerations for media architecture to go beyond the needs of just humans and to consider new ways to appreciate and cater for our broader ecological entanglements with plants, animals, and the environment at large