Mortalidad de aves marinas producida por luces artificiales terrestres

Artificial lights at night cause high mortality of seabirds, one of the most endangered groups of birds globally. Fledglings of burrow-nesting seabirds, and to a lesser extent adults, are attracted to and then grounded (i.e., forced to land) by lights when they fly at night. We reviewed the current state of knowledge of seabird attraction to light to identify information gaps and propose measures to address the problem. Although species in families such as Alcidae and Anatidae can be grounded by artificial light, the most affected seabirds are petrels and shearwaters (Procellariiformes). At least 56 species of Procellariiformes, more than one-third of them (24) threatened, are subject to grounding by lights. Seabirds grounded by lights have been found worldwide, mainly on oceanic islands but also at some continental locations. Petrel breeding grounds confined to formerly uninhabited islands are particularly at risk from light pollution due to tourism and urban sprawl. Where it is impractical to ban external lights, rescue programs of grounded birds offer the most immediate and employed mitigation to reduce the rate of light-induced mortality and save thousands of birds every year. These programs also provide useful information for seabird management. However, these data are typically fragmentary, biased, and uncertain and can lead to inaccurate impact estimates and poor understanding of the phenomenon of seabird attraction to lights. We believe the most urgently needed actions to mitigate and understand light-induced mortality of seabirds are estimation of mortality and effects on populations; determination of threshold light levels and safe distances from light sources; documentation of the fate of rescued birds; improvement of rescue campaigns, particularly in terms of increasing recovery rates and level of care; and research on seabird-friendly lights to reduce attraction.RESUMEN: Las luces artificiales nocturnas causan una mortalidad alta de aves marinas, uno de los grupos de aves en mayor peligro de extinción a nivel mundial. Los polluelos de aves marinas que anidan en madrigueras, y en menor medida los adultos, son atraídos y forzados a aterrizar por las luces cuando vuelan de noche. Revisamos el estado actual del conocimiento sobre la atracción de las aves marinas por la luz para identificar vacíos de información y proponer medidas para resolver el problema. Aunque las especies de familias como Alcidae y Anatidae pueden ser forzadas a aterrizar por la luz artificial, las aves marinas más afectadas son los petreles y las pardelas (Procellariiformes). Por lo menos 56 especies de Procellariiformes, más de un tercio (24) de ellas amenazadas, son propensas al aterrizaje atraídas por las luces. Las aves marinas forzadas a aterrizar han sido halladas en todo el mundo, principalmente en islas oceánicas, pero también en algunas localidades continentales. Los sitios de anidación de los petreles confinados anteriormente a islas deshabitadas están particularmente en riesgo de sufrir contaminación lumínica debido al turismo y al crecimiento urbano. En donde no es práctico prohibir las luces externas, los programas de rescate de las aves accidentadas ofrecen la mitigación más inmediata y empleada para reducir la tasa de mortalidad inducida por la luz y salvar a miles de aves cada año. Estos programas también proporcionan información útil para el manejo de aves marinas. Sin embargo, estos datos están típicamente fragmentados, sesgados y son inciertos, y pueden llevar a estimaciones inexactas del impacto y a un entendimiento pobre del fenómeno de la atracción de las aves marinas por la luz. Creemos que las acciones necesarias de mayor urgencia para mitigar y entender la mortalidad de aves marinas producida por la luz son: la estimación de la mortalidad y los efectos sobre la población; la determinación de umbrales de niveles de luz y de distancias seguras a las fuentes de luz; el estudio del destino de las aves rescatadas; la mejora de las campañas de rescate, particularmente en términos de incrementar las tasas de recogida y el nivel de cuidado; y la investigación sobre las características de la luz para reducir la atracción de las aves marinas.This research was supported by a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (Project ID: 330655 FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IOF)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Best Management Practices to Protect Endangered and Native Birds at Solar Installations in Hawai`i

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.Solar Energy facilities in Hawaiʻi are a growing major source of low carbon emission energy generation as the state strives to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses to prevent the worst predictions of global climate change. It is incumbent upon developers of these facilities to consider wildlife impacts and take measures to mitigate for them. While the technology is relatively new there are evolving best management practices that should be undertaken. We identify five endangered waterbird species, three listed seabird species, and one raptor of conservation concern, that have been or may be at risk from solar energy generation facilities in Hawaiʻi. In addition, there are migratory species: fifteen waterbirds and seventeen shorebirds that may be vulnerable. We review relevant literature for impacts and consequences of wildlife interactions with solar energy facilities and recommend best management practices to minimize wildlife impacts. Design considerations for minimizing wildlife impacts are identified, and must be implemented and followed by monitoring to identify and quantify downed wildlife incidents and further development of effective mitigation strategies

Rapid assessment of lamp spectrum to quantify ecological effects of light at night

For many decades, the spectral composition of lighting was determined by the type of lamp, which also influenced potential effects of outdoor lights on species and ecosystems. Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps have dramatically increased the range of spectral profiles of light that is economically viable for outdoor lighting. Because of the array of choices, it is necessary to develop methods to predict the effects of different spectral profiles without conducting field studies, especially because older lighting systems are being replaced rapidly. We describe an approach to predict responses of exemplar organisms and groups to lamps of different spectral output by calculating an index based on action spectra from behavioral or visual characteristics of organisms and lamp spectral irradiance. We calculate relative response indices for a range of lamp types and light sources and develop an index that identifies lamps that minimize predicted effects as measured by ecological, physiological, and astronomical indices. Using these assessment metrics, filtered yellow-green and amber LEDs are predicted to have lower effects on wildlife than high pressure sodium lamps, while blue-rich lighting (e.g., K ≥ 2200) would have greater effects. The approach can be updated with new information about behavioral or visual responses of organisms and used to test new lighting products based on spectrum. Together with control of intensity, direction, and duration, the approach can be used to predict and then minimize the adverse effects of lighting and can be tailored to individual species or taxonomic groups.Peer Reviewe

From colony to fallout: Artificial lights pose risk to seabird fledglings far from their natal colonies

Abstract Seabirds are at risk of decline from multiple threats, including artificial light resulting in their grounding (“fallout”). Without evidence, it can be assumed that seabirds travel short distances from natal colonies to their fallout location, potentially to the closest light source. To test this, a case study on wedge‐tailed shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica, ʻUaʻu kani) fledging from the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi was conducted. To assess fallout locations in relation to natal colonies, we affixed identification bands to 4648 chicks at nine natal colonies prior to fledging from 2018 to 2022. Distances between fallout location and natal colony were mapped and fallout location characteristics (radiance, elevation, distances to nearest coastline, road, and colony) were analyzed for 27 banded fledglings that were discovered post‐fallout. The distance between the natal colony and fallout location was significantly greater than the distance between the nearest colony and the fallout location. Fallout often occurred on opposite coastlines from the natal colonies and at substantial distances (x¯ = 24.91 km), with one fallout event recorded on a different island from the natal colony. Our results demonstrate that all artificial lights, regardless of proximity to seabird colonies, may pose a threat to seabird fallout and that fallout is often occurring far from natal colonies and in inconsistent patterns. Collaborative, large‐scale, and multi‐island light management alteration, particularly during fledging periods, is critical in recovering Pacific Island seabird populations. Actions such as these will benefit not only light‐sensitive species such as seabirds and sea turtles but also human health and night‐sky viewing

Data from: Population divergence and gene flow in an endangered and highly mobile seabird

Seabirds are highly vagile and can disperse up to thousands of kilometers, therefore it can be difficult to identify the factors that promote isolation between populations. The endemic Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) is one such species. Today it is endangered, and known to breed only on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Kauai. Historical records indicate that a large population formerly bred on Molokai as well, but this population has recently been extirpated. Given the great dispersal potential of these petrels it remains unclear if populations are genetically distinct and which factors may contribute to isolation between them. We sampled petrels from across their range, including individuals from the extirpated Molokai population. We sequenced 524 bp of mitochondrial DNA, 741 bp from three nuclear introns, and genotyped 18 microsatellite loci in order to examine patterns of divergence in this species and to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms. Mitochondrial and nuclear data sets indicated significant genetic differentiation among all modern populations, but no differentiation was found between historic samples from Molokai and modern birds from Lanai. Population-specific non-breeding distribution or perhaps strong natal philopatry may reduce gene flow between populations. However, the lack of population structure between extirpated Molokai birds and modern birds on Lanai suggests that petrels may be able to overcome these barriers and disperse prior to complete extirpation. Hawaiian petrel populations should be managed as distinct units, except potentially for the dwindling population on Hawaii, which may require translocation to prevent extirpation in the near future

WelchMicrosHeredity

This file contains data for 15 microsatellite loci genotyped in modern Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) samples from the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands, USA. The file is in the three digit Genepop format. See the ReadMe file for additional details