Considering ultraviolet radiation in experimental biology: a neglected pervasive stressor

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a pervasive factor that has shaped the evolution of life on Earth. Ambient levels of UVR mediate key biological functions but can also cause severe lethal and sublethal effects in a wide range of organisms. Furthermore, UVR is a powerful modulator of the effects of other environmental factors on organismal physiology, such as temperature, disease, toxicology and pH, among others. This is critically important in the context of global change, where understanding the effects of multiple stressors is a key challenge for experimental biologists. Ecological physiologists rarely afford UVR discussion or include UVR in experimental design, even when it is directly relevant to their study system. In this Commentary, we provide a guide for experimental biologists to better understand if, when, and how UVR can be integrated into experimental designs to improve the ecological realism of their experiments.