Data from: Response of bats to light with different spectra: light-shy and agile bat presence is affected by white and green, but not red light

Artificial light at night has shown a remarkable increase over the last decades. Effects are reported for many species groups, and include changes in presence, behaviour, physiology, and life-history traits. Among these, bats are strongly affected, and how bats species react to light is likely to vary with light colour. Different spectra may therefore be applied to reduce negative impacts. We used a unique setup of eight field sites to study the response of bats to three different experimental light spectra in an otherwise dark and undisturbed natural habitat. We measured activity of three bat species groups around transects with light posts emitting white, green, and red light with an intensity commonly used to illuminate countryside roads. The results reveal a strong and spectrum-dependent response for the slow-flying Myotis and Plecotus and more agile Pipistrellus species, but not for Nyctalus and Eptesicus species. Plecotus and Myotis species avoided white and green light, but were equally abundant in red light and darkness. The agile, opportunistically feeding Pipistrellus species were significantly more abundant around white and green light, most likely because of accumulation of insects, but equally abundant in red illuminated transects compared to dark control. Forest-dwelling Myotis and Plecotus species and more synanthropic Pipistrellus species are thus least disturbed by red light. Hence, in order to limit the negative impact of light at night on bats, white and green light should be avoided in or close to natural habitat, but red lights may be used if illumination is needed.夜间人工光（Artificial light at night）在过去数十年间呈现出显著增长。诸多类群的物种均已被报道受到其影响，具体表现为分布、行为、生理以及生活史特征的改变。其中，蝙蝠（bats）受其影响尤为显著，且不同蝙蝠物种对光照的反应可能随光色而异，因此可通过采用不同光谱的光照来降低其负面影响。本研究依托8个野外样地的独特实验设置，在完全黑暗且未受干扰的自然生境中，探究蝙蝠对三种不同实验光照光谱的响应。我们在安装有白光、绿光及红光路灯的样带周边测量了三类蝙蝠类群的活动强度，这些路灯的光照强度与乡村道路照明常用的强度一致。研究结果显示，飞行缓慢的鼠耳蝠属（Myotis）、长耳蝠属（Plecotus）以及更为灵活的伏翼属（Pipistrellus）物种对光照的响应显著且依赖于光谱类型，但山蝠属（Nyctalus）和棕蝠属（Eptesicus）的物种则无此类响应。长耳蝠属与鼠耳蝠属物种会避开白光与绿光，但在红光环境及完全黑暗环境中的种群丰度并无显著差异。以机会主义取食为特点的伏翼属物种在白光与绿光环境周边的种群丰度显著更高，这大概率是由于昆虫在此类环境中聚集所致；但在红光照明的样带与黑暗对照组中，其丰度并无明显差异。因此，栖息于森林的鼠耳蝠属与长耳蝠属物种，以及偏与人居环境共生的伏翼属物种受红光的干扰最小。综上，为降低夜间人工光对蝙蝠的负面影响，在自然生境内部或其邻近区域应避免使用白光与绿光；若确需开展照明，则可选用红光。