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Correspondence to Author: Conig Zhon, Akiharo Nakamuda, Xia ying Sung, Matoshi Katari. 

CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China.

Abstract:

Nighttime artificial light (ALAN) revealed a novel ecological component that affects organisms in a variety of ways. However, nothing is known about how ALAN affects understory plants. Through a two-year field light experiment in a tropical rubber plantation in south China, we assessed whether ALAN would have an impact on the leaf mass per area (LMA) of understory plants. We postulated that ALAN might have two effects on the understory: directly increasing LMA by adding light to aboveground plant parts, and indirectly altering soil nutrient composition by drawing insects, which lowers LMA. Two species were chosen: Melastoma candidum, which represents species that require light, and Colocasia gigantea, which represents plants that can withstand shadow. We assessed soil nutrients, canopy openness, LMA, and each person’s separation from light sources.
LMA and ALAN strength were shown to be negatively correlated in our Bayesian linear mixed model, suggesting that ALAN may have a more indirect effect on LMA by improving soil nutrient availability as opposed to directly functioning as a light resource. For Colocasia gigantea, this link was important, but not for Melastoma candidum. These findings imply that the effects of ALAN on the understory ecosystem may be intricate and species-specific. Our work emphasizes the necessity of ongoing investigation and knowledgeable anthropogenic ecosystem management.

Keywords:Colocasia Gigantea; Melastoma Candidum; Artificial Light At Night; Functional Traits; Leaf Mass Per Area; Specific Leaf Area; Understory

Citation:

Dr.Conig Zhon, Artificial Light At Night (Alan) Influences Understory Plant Traits Through Ecological Processes: A Two-Year Experiment In A Rubber Plantation In China. World Journal of Ecology 2025.