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Reducing light pollution improves connectivity for bats in urban landscapes

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Abstract

Context

Light pollution can alter animal movements and landscape connectivity. This is particularly true in urban landscapes where a need to incorporate conservation issues in urban planning is urgent.

Objectives

We investigated how potential light-reduction scenarios at conurbation scale change landscape connectivity for bats.

Methods

Through random stratified sampling and species distribution modelling, we assessed the relative importance of light pollution on bat presence probability and activity. We recorded bats during one entire night on each 305 sampling points in 2015. In 2016, we surveyed 94 supplementary points to evaluate models performance. We used our spatial predictions to characterize landscape resistance to bat movements. Then we applied a least-cost modelling approach to identify nocturnal corridors and estimated the impact of five light-reduction scenarios on landscape connectivity for two light non-tolerant bat species.

Results

We found that light pollution detected from satellite images was a good predictor of bat presence and activity up to 700 m radius. Our results exhibited contrasting responses to average radiance: M. daubentonii responded negatively, P. nathusii had a positive response for low values then a negative response after a threshold radiance value of 20 W.m−2.sr−1 and E. serotinus responded positively. Five and four light-reduction scenarios significantly improved landscape connectivity for M. daubentonii and P. nathusii respectively.

Conclusions

Light-reduction measures should be included in urban planning to provide sustainable conditions for bats in cities. We advocate for the use of our methodological approach to further studies to find the best trade-off between conservation needs and social acceptability.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Yohan Tison from “La Ville de Lille”, Sophie Wrobel and Claire Poitout from “Espaces Naturels Lille Métropole”, Matthieu Lageard from « Biotope » , Jean-François Julien and Alexandre Haquart for their field assistance, equipment lending and with acoustic identification. The project “TRAME NOIRE” was funded by the “conseil regional Nord-Pas-de-Calais” and by “Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS, PSL Research University, EPHE, UM, SupAgro, IRD, INRA, UMR 5175 CEFE, 34293, Montpellier, France

    Alexis Laforge, Yves Bas, Jocelyn Fonderflick & Aurélien Besnard

  2. Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels Midi-Pyrénées, 75 voie du TOEC, BP 57611, 31076, Toulouse, France

    Alexis Laforge

  3. INRA, UMR Dynafor, 1201 - Université de Toulouse - INPT - ENSAT, INPT - EI PURPAN, INRA, 24 Chemin de Borde Rouge- Auzeville, 31326, Castanet Tolosan, France

    Alexis Laforge

  4. Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France

    Julie Pauwels, Yves Bas & Christian Kerbiriou

  5. Biotope, Agence Nord-Littoral ZA de la Maie, Avenue de l’Europe, 62720, Rinxent, France

    Baptiste Faure

  6. Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle Ringgold standard institution, Station de Biologie Marine de Concarneau, Place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France

    Christian Kerbiriou

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  1. Alexis Laforge
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  2. Julie Pauwels
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  3. Baptiste Faure
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Laforge, A., Pauwels, J., Faure, B. et al. Reducing light pollution improves connectivity for bats in urban landscapes. Landscape Ecol 34, 793–809 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00803-0

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