The vertical light-gradient and its potential impact on animal distribution and behavior
(2022) In Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10.- Abstract
The visual environment provides vital cues allowing animals to assess habitat quality, weather conditions or measure time of day. Together with other sensory cues and physiological conditions, the visual environment sets behavioral states that make the animal more prone to engage in some behaviors, and less in others. This master-control of behavior serves a fundamental and essential role in determining the distribution and behavior of all animals. Although it is obvious that visual information contains vital input for setting behavioral states, the precise nature of these visual cues remains unknown. Here we use a recently described method to quantify the distribution of light reaching animals’ eyes in different environments. The... (More)
The visual environment provides vital cues allowing animals to assess habitat quality, weather conditions or measure time of day. Together with other sensory cues and physiological conditions, the visual environment sets behavioral states that make the animal more prone to engage in some behaviors, and less in others. This master-control of behavior serves a fundamental and essential role in determining the distribution and behavior of all animals. Although it is obvious that visual information contains vital input for setting behavioral states, the precise nature of these visual cues remains unknown. Here we use a recently described method to quantify the distribution of light reaching animals’ eyes in different environments. The method records the vertical gradient (as a function of elevation angle) of intensity, spatial structure and spectral balance. Comparison of measurements from different types of environments, weather conditions, times of day, and seasons reveal that these aspects can be readily discriminated from one another. The vertical gradients of radiance, spatial structure (contrast) and color are thus reliable indicators that are likely to have a strong impact on animal behavior and spatial distribution.
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- author
- Nilsson, Dan E. LU ; Smolka, Jochen LU and Bok, Michael LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-08-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- animal behavior, behavioral choice, behavioral state, spatiotemporal distribution, vertical light-gradient, vision
- in
- Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
- volume
- 10
- article number
- 951328
- publisher
- Frontiers Media S. A.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85136565213
- ISSN
- 2296-701X
- DOI
- 10.3389/fevo.2022.951328
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 68d57ecf-09e1-4fa9-8dc4-b7d2cb1018a4
- date added to LUP
- 2022-10-18 08:48:21
- date last changed
- 2023-10-12 10:40:32
@article{68d57ecf-09e1-4fa9-8dc4-b7d2cb1018a4,
abstract = {{<p>The visual environment provides vital cues allowing animals to assess habitat quality, weather conditions or measure time of day. Together with other sensory cues and physiological conditions, the visual environment sets behavioral states that make the animal more prone to engage in some behaviors, and less in others. This master-control of behavior serves a fundamental and essential role in determining the distribution and behavior of all animals. Although it is obvious that visual information contains vital input for setting behavioral states, the precise nature of these visual cues remains unknown. Here we use a recently described method to quantify the distribution of light reaching animals’ eyes in different environments. The method records the vertical gradient (as a function of elevation angle) of intensity, spatial structure and spectral balance. Comparison of measurements from different types of environments, weather conditions, times of day, and seasons reveal that these aspects can be readily discriminated from one another. The vertical gradients of radiance, spatial structure (contrast) and color are thus reliable indicators that are likely to have a strong impact on animal behavior and spatial distribution.</p>}},
author = {{Nilsson, Dan E. and Smolka, Jochen and Bok, Michael}},
issn = {{2296-701X}},
keywords = {{animal behavior; behavioral choice; behavioral state; spatiotemporal distribution; vertical light-gradient; vision}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{08}},
publisher = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
series = {{Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}},
title = {{The vertical light-gradient and its potential impact on animal distribution and behavior}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.951328}},
doi = {{10.3389/fevo.2022.951328}},
volume = {{10}},
year = {{2022}},
}