Abstract
Electricity, the interaction between electrically charged objects, is widely known to be fundamental to the functioning of living systems. However, this appreciation has largely been restricted to the scale of atoms, molecules, and cells. By contrast, the role of electricity at the ecological scale has historically been largely neglected, characterised by punctuated islands of research infrequently connected to one another. Recently, however, an understanding of the ubiquity of electrical forces within the natural environment has begun to grow, along with a realisation of the multitude of ecological interactions that these forces may influence. Herein, we provide the first comprehensive collation and synthesis of research in this emerging field of electric ecology. This includes assessments of the role electricity plays in the natural ecology of predator-prey interactions, pollination, and animal dispersal, among many others, as well as the impact of anthropogenic activity on these systems. A detailed introduction to the ecology and physiology of electroreception - the biological detection of ecologically relevant electric fields - is also provided. Further to this, we suggest avenues for future research that show particular promise, most notably those investigating the recently discovered sense of aerial electroreception.
Highlights
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental forces of the universe
It has been shown that variations in the strength of the local atmospheric potential gradient (APG) result in alterations of the electrochemical conditions in soils and freshwater bodies (Hunting et al, 2019). This most likely occurs through electrostatically induced migration of charge carriers in relation to the direction and strength of local electric field conditions, which will be largely influenced by the APG
The electric field strengths involved in electroculture are generally higher than those experienced by plants in nature, it is possible that the observed yield increases shown in electroculture experiments are exaggerations of smaller effects still present and functional in nature, that could be caused by the APG or other non-anthropogenic electric field sources
Summary
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental forces of the universe. electromagnetic interactions inevitably influence the biotic world in a multitude of ways. Like transmembrane potentials, myogenic potentials do not produce significant currents in air, due to its low conductivity, but are able to propagate well in the aquatic environment In addition to these incidental electric fields produced by animals and plants, some fish actively generate electric fields with specialised organs. Whilst the cables are usually insulated and shielded to prevent current and electric field leakage, magnetic fields produced by the current in the cable are still emitted into the surrounding water, which subsequently can create electric fields in the water via electromagnetic induction These induced electric fields are thought to have magnitudes between 0.5 and 100 μV m−1 (Gill, Bartlett & Thomsen, 2012), which seemingly small compared to values in the terrestrial environment, are well within the detection ranges of most aquatic electroreceptive organisms (Peters, Eeuwes & Bretschneider, 2007). The consequence of this is that the electric fields around clothed humans, as well as many anthropogenic structures, are likely to be much higher in magnitude than those around sized animals or natural structures
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
