Prior studies of how artificial light at night (ALAN) alters the abundances of herbivores, predators, and other trophic groups have yielded evidence of the alteration of energy and nutrient flows through ecosystems. Because the impacts of ALAN on arthropod assemblages may be context‐dependent, there is a need for more experimental work across a range of habitat types and time frames. To examine longer‐term impacts of ALAN on community and trophic structure, we experimentally manipulated ALAN in a grassland ecosystem and compared arthropod abundance and trophic structure between plots exposed to ALAN and plots exposed only to ambient light over two years. In 2015, arthropod density was 61% higher in plots with ALAN added than in plots with no ALAN added, but this difference was not statistically significant. In 2016, arthropod densities were nearly identical between plots with ALAN added and plots not exposed to ALAN. Contrasting with prior research on ground‐dwelling arthropods, we found no evidence that the effects of ALAN on abundance differed between herbivores and predators inhabiting the canopy of grassland vegetation. To better understand the ecological consequences of ALAN, we recommend experimental manipulation of ALAN in a variety of habitat types followed by repeated sampling of trophic structure over time frames that span multiple generations for the species within the focal community.

中文翻译：

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多年实验表明，夜间人造光对节肢动物的营养结构或丰度没有影响

先前关于夜间人造光（ALAN）如何改变食草动物，捕食者和其他营养类物种丰富度的研究已经提供了通过生态系统的能量和养分流向变化的证据。由于ALAN对节肢动物组合的影响可能取决于环境，因此需要在各种栖息地类型和时间范围内进行更多的实验工作。为了检验ALAN对群落和营养结构的长期影响，我们在草地生态系统中实验性地对ALAN进行了处理，并比较了两年内暴露于ALAN的地块和仅暴露于环境光的地块之间的节肢动物丰度和营养结构。2015年，添加ALAN的地段节肢动物密度比未添加ALAN的地段节肢动物密度高61％，但这种差异在统计上并不显着。在2016年，添加ALAN的地块和未暴露于ALAN的地块之间的节肢动物密度几乎相同。与先前关于地面节肢动物的研究相反，我们没有发现证据表明ALAN对栖息于草地植被冠层的食草动物和掠食者之间的丰度影响有所不同。为了更好地了解ALAN的生态后果，我们建议在各种生境类型中进行ALAN的实验性操作，然后在整个时间范围内对焦点群落中物种的多个世代进行营养结构的重复采样。我们没有发现证据表明居住在草地植被冠层的食草动物和捕食者之间，ALAN对丰度的影响有所不同。为了更好地了解ALAN的生态后果，我们建议在各种生境类型中进行ALAN的实验性操作，然后在整个时间范围内对焦点群落中物种的多个世代进行营养结构的重复采样。我们没有发现证据表明居住在草地植被冠层的食草动物和捕食者之间，ALAN对丰度的影响有所不同。为了更好地了解ALAN的生态后果，我们建议在各种生境类型中进行ALAN的实验性操作，然后在整个时间范围内对焦点群落中物种的多个世代进行营养结构的重复采样。