Tel Aviv University study in top 100 downloads of 2019
The study by Prof. Noga Kronfeld-Shor and Dr. Eran Amichai, both of the TAU Zoology, was downloaded 14,944 times during 2019, earning over 15,000 total downloads by 2020.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFPicture: Tel Aviv University students on campus.(photo credit: TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY)
A study disseminated by Tel Aviv University (TAU) was named in the top 100 most downloaded studies published in 2019, according to Scientific Reports. The list was compiled from over 19,871 studies, featuring research from around the world across multiple disciplines.The study by Prof. Noga Kronfeld-Shor and Dr. Eran Amichai, both of the TAU Zoology Department, was downloaded 14,944 times during 2019, earning over 15,000 total downloads by 2020. The study followed the effect of artificial light at night on the common swift bird, a bird that nests within the Western Wall in Jerusalem“A position in the top 100 most downloaded articles is an extraordinary achievement – your science is of real value to the research community,” Scientific Reports Chief Editor Richard White wrote the researchers.The Western Wall is home to a large community of swift birds, who flock to Israel every February to nest in the crevices of the wall. Light pollution has had a serious effect on swift birds in these types of situations, according to TAU researchers. Swift birds normally hunt during the day, while nesting at night."We think the article generated a lot of interest because it deals with a major environmental issue extensively researched in recent years: the impact of light pollution on animals," explains Prof. Kronfeld-Schor. "In our study, we sought to determine whether strong lighting throughout the night affects the routine of swifts nesting between the Western Wall stones, and we found that, indeed, it does. The swifts are active all night in the Western Wall colony versus daytime activity in other colonies we studied. The impact of this increased activity, however, bears further exploring.”The Western Wall replaced its lighting system in 2016, incorporated a more comprehensive system. Researchers hypothesized that the added hours of light would affect the activity hours of the bird, while allowing them access to nearly unlimited resources in moths and insects attracted to the lights.According to the study, the Western Wall swifts were more active during the nighttime hours, consistently consuming moths throughout the night - whereas the other three colonies not subjected to light pollution were inactive shortly after sunset."The effects of this kind of lighting can be both negative and positive, and for the most part they cannot be predicted,” concludes Prof. Kronfeld-Schor.
