Summary
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a ubiquitous feature of urbanization, and increases globally. Recent work, mainly conducted on terrestrial systems, reveals negative biological impacts of ALAN. If experienced in aquatic systems, ALAN may disrupt the delicate food web dynamics in urban ponds, with potentially detrimental consequences such as the occurrence of (toxic) algal blooms, which can cause serious harm to animals, including humans. Zooplankton, key components of freshwater systems, exert strong control over algal growth, but this crucially depends on their diel vertical migration (DVM) patterns (i.e. migrating to the bottom during day, and to the surface during night) – a dynamic known to be disrupted by ALAN. To date, very little is known about potential evolutionary adaptations in response to ALAN, whereas is has never been studied whether such adaptations can shape the ecology of ponds, e.g. top-down control of algae (so-called ‘eco-evolutionary feedbacks’). With the proposed project, I aim to study whether i) ALAN influences trait distributions and DVM of water flea zooplankton communities in urban ponds, ii) water fleas originating from these ponds have evolved genetic adaptations to ALAN in key ecologically relevant traits, and iii) ALAN-driven genetic trait changes influence the ecology of urban ponds (i.e. top-down control of algae). To achieve these aims, I will conduct a comprehensive field study, followed by laboratory common-garden experiments with ALAN-manipulation, and finally a field transplant DVM experiment. By integrating these results within an eco-evolutionary modelling framework, I will test for ecological consequences of evolutionary adaptations in one or multiple water flea species to ALAN. Given the rapid rate of urbanization, findings of the proposed research will be highly relevant in predicting the often-complex effects of (evolution towards) global change on ecosystems, with direct socioecological and socioeconomic consequences.
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| Web resources: | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101110658 |
| Start date: | 01-09-2024 |
| End date: | 31-08-2026 |
| Total budget - Public funding: | - 173 847,00 Euro |
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Original description
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a ubiquitous feature of urbanization, and increases globally. Recent work, mainly conducted on terrestrial systems, reveals negative biological impacts of ALAN. If experienced in aquatic systems, ALAN may disrupt the delicate food web dynamics in urban ponds, with potentially detrimental consequences such as the occurrence of (toxic) algal blooms, which can cause serious harm to animals, including humans. Zooplankton, key components of freshwater systems, exert strong control over algal growth, but this crucially depends on their diel vertical migration (DVM) patterns (i.e. migrating to the bottom during day, and to the surface during night) – a dynamic known to be disrupted by ALAN. To date, very little is known about potential evolutionary adaptations in response to ALAN, whereas is has never been studied whether such adaptations can shape the ecology of ponds, e.g. top-down control of algae (so-called ‘eco-evolutionary feedbacks’). With the proposed project, I aim to study whether i) ALAN influences trait distributions and DVM of water flea zooplankton communities in urban ponds, ii) water fleas originating from these ponds have evolved genetic adaptations to ALAN in key ecologically relevant traits, and iii) ALAN-driven genetic trait changes influence the ecology of urban ponds (i.e. top-down control of algae). To achieve these aims, I will conduct a comprehensive field study, followed by laboratory common-garden experiments with ALAN-manipulation, and finally a field transplant DVM experiment. By integrating these results within an eco-evolutionary modelling framework, I will test for ecological consequences of evolutionary adaptations in one or multiple water flea species to ALAN. Given the rapid rate of urbanization, findings of the proposed research will be highly relevant in predicting the often-complex effects of (evolution towards) global change on ecosystems, with direct socioecological and socioeconomic consequences.Status
SIGNEDCall topic
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01Update Date
31-07-2023
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