Phenological effects of artificial light at night on urban trees: A case study on microclimate and light pollution

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Dátum

2026

Názov časopisu

ISSN časopisu

Názov zväzku

Vydavateľ

Elsevier GmbH : Jena

ISBN

ISSN

1618-8667
1610-8167

Abstrakt

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a pervasive but understudied stressor for urban trees, significantly affecting their phenology. The study investigates the impact of ALAN on autumn leaf colouring (LC10 % and LC100 %) in Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides, and Betula pendula in urban settings during 2016 and 2023. Using Linear Mixed Models, we analyzed phenological timing in illuminated (L) versus non-illuminated (N) crown parts, considering meteorological factors. Our results show that ALAN significantly delays the initial leaf colouring (LC10 %), suggesting an extension of the growing season. However, this effect did not significantly vary across species or crown parts, indicating a broad initial sensitivity. For complete leaf colouring (LC100 %), ALAN's direct influence diminished, with meteorological conditions emerging as primary drivers. Both species-specific traits and microclimatic differences within the crown consistently proved highly significant for both phenophases, highlighting inherent variability. Crucially, although ALAN's overall effect on species-specific senescence timing was not statistically distinct, species that naturally senesce later (e.g., Betula pendula) experienced disproportionately greater ALAN-induced delays in LC100 %. This strong positive correlation between natural senescence onset and ALAN-induced delay for complete leaf colouring underscores a critical vulnerability for late-season species. These findings emphasise the complex interplay between ALAN, meteorological factors, and species-specific responses in urban tree phenology. Understanding these dynamics is vital for sustainable urban trees management, guiding species selection and lighting design to mitigate negative impacts on tree health and urban ecosystem services.

Popis

In: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. Jena : Elsevier GmbH, 2026. ISSN 1618-8667. No. 116 (2026), pp. [1-11].

Kľúčové slová

ekosystémové služby, ecosystem services, fenológia listov, leaf phenology, svetelné znečistenie, mestské lesníctvo, urban forestry

Výstup z projektu

VEGA 1/0086/26 Fenológia drevín ako indikátor odozvy ekosystémov na zmenu klímy - rizikové faktory a časová variabilita VEGA 1/0443/23 Dopady extrémov súvisiacich s klímou na lesné ekosystémy a krajinu v podmienkach prebiehajúcich zmien prostredia APVV-18–0347 Zmeny klímy a prírodné riziká: zraniteľnosť a adaptačné kapacity lesných ekosystémov Západných Karpát

Citácia

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CC BY-NC Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0. International
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess