Light pollution

Artificial light at night, that is mainly generated by urban areas and roads. Light is scattered and reflected back to the ground far away from urban centers thus effectively exposing large areas. By modifying the photoperiod, this phenomenon alter physiology, behaviour and activity, and interactions between organisms. Owing to its multifarious effect, artificial light at night is now recognized has a global potential hazard for human health, wildlife, and ecosystems. However, we still largely lack biological data to assess the effects in natural populations and spatial model of theses effects. This project investigate these issues and focuses on amphibians as model organisms by combinining in situ measurements, controlled experiments in the lab, and GIS modelling.

Related publications

Touzot M., Dumet A., Secondi J., Lengagne T., Henri H., Desouhant E., Duchamp C., Mondy N. (2023) light at night triggers slight transcriptomic effects on melatonin signalling but not synthesis in tadpoles of two anuran species.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 280: 111386.
Secondi J., Scriba M.F., Mondy N., Lengagne T. (2022) Artificial light at night decreases the pupillary light response of dark-adapted toads to bright light. Integrative Zoology. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12693.
Touzot M., Lefebure T., Lengagne T., Secondi J., Dumet A., Konecny-Dupre L., Veber P., Navratil V., Duchamp C., Mondy N. (2022) Transcriptome-wide deregulation of gene expression by artificial light at night in tadpoles of common toads. Science of the Total Environment 818: 151734.
Sordello R., Busson S., Cornuau J.H., Deverchère P., Faure B., Guetté B., Hölker F., Kerbiriou C., Lengagne T., Le Viol I., Longcore T., Moeschler P., Ranzoni J., Ray N., Reyjol Y., Roulet Y., Schroer S., Secondi J., Valet N., Vanpeene S., Vauclair S. (2022) A plea for a worldwide development of dark infrastructure for biodiversity – practical examples and ways to go forward. Landscape and Urban Planning 219: 104332.
Segrestin J., Mondy N., Boisselet C., Guigard L., Lengagne T., Poussineau S., Secondi J., Puijalon S.(2021) Effects of artificial light at night on the leaf functional traits of freshwater plants. Freshwater Biology. doi: 10.1111/fwb.13830.
Mondy N., Boisselet C., Poussineau S., Vallier F., Lengagne T., Secondi J., Romestaing C., Geay M., Puijalon S. (2021) Herbivory increases on freshwater plants exposed to artificial light at night. Aquatic Botany. doi: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2021.103447.
Secondi J, Mondy H, Gippet JMW, Touzot M, Gardette V, Guillard L, Lengagne T (2021) Artificial light at night alters activity, body mass and corticosterone level in a tropical anuran. Behavioral Ecology.32: 932-940.
Touzot M, Lengagne T, Secondi J, Desouhant E, Théry M, Dumet A, Duchamp C, Mondy N. 2020. Artificial light at night alters the sexual behaviour and fertilisation success of the common toad. Environmental Pollution 253. 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113883.
Secondi J., Davranche A, Mondy N, Théry M, Lengagne T. 2020. Assessing the effects of artificial light at night on biodiversity across latitude – current knowledge gaps. Global Ecology and Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/geb.13037.
Touzot M., Teulier L., Lengagne T., Secondi J., Théry M., Libourel P-A., Guillard L., Mondy N. 2019. Artificial light at night disturbs the activity and energy allocation of common toad during the breeding period. Conservation Physiology 7: coz002.
Secondi J., Dupont V., Davranche A., Mondy N., Lengagne T., Théry M. 2017. Variability of surface and underwater nocturnal spectral irradiance with the presence of clouds in urban and peri-urban wetlands. PLoS ONE 12: e0186808.