The Effects of Light Pollution on Wildlife
By Diksha M
As you journey through a busy city, you must have noticed the varying ambience at different locations, from the bright neon lights at party halls, large piercing beams illuminating bustling streets, to the soft yellow lights of the quiet bungalows. You might not think much of it at the time, but these artificial lights have catastrophic consequences on the environment. Noise pollution isn’t the only discreet type of pollution we tend to overlook, an even more sneaky variant is light pollution.
Light pollution refers to the excess of artificial light present at an unnatural time of the day, which generally refers to nighttime. This excessive light can negatively impact the behavior of wildlife, the sleep cycle of human beings as well the fulfillment of essential processes of plants.
One of the main components which affect humans and most animals is the disruption of the circadian rhythm, which in turn affects biological processes.
Many animals who are guided by this rhythm also suffer due to changes in migration patterns and habitat formation caused by this excessive light. Sea turtles which are guided by the moonlight to reach the shore and lay eggs often lose their way and die because of their confusion between day and night. Insects such as moths and flies are attracted to this artificial light which often kills them instantly. This disrupts the food chain as they are prey for many other organisms thus causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. Additionally, underwater marine animals are affected by light emitted from lighthouses and other shore activities as they are wired to survive in dark, cool environments. Even birds are impacted by light pollution as it's been observed that they wake up earlier than sunrise due to light pollution, depriving them of adequate rest and their ability to hunt for prey.
The physiological processes of plants are facing severe hindrances due to light pollution. Photosynthesis, a process that takes place under direct sunlight, is getting disrupted as in most cases this artificial light being present at night time is often sufficient to evoke a response from them, altering their natural cycle. Due to their photoreceptors identifying the wrong kind of light, it affects their growth, and other activities such as resource allocation and production of food.
Some measures taken by various cities to combat light pollution include black out nights and awareness programs. The type and position of the lights in the environment are also being altered, such as making it face downward and ensuring there's a reduction in blue light. While these measures may help, it’s very important to contribute on an individual level by trying to avoid leaving on unnecessary lights and reducing the harshness of the ones in our homes.
Further Reading:
Bennie, J., Davies, T. W., Cruse, D., & Gaston, K. J. (2016). Ecological effects of artificial light at night on wild plants. Journal of Ecology, 104(3), 611–620. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12551
Light pollution. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/?hl=en_US
McKie, R. (2023, May 27). Stars could be invisible within 20 years as light pollution brightens night skies. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/27/light-pollution-threatens-to-make-stars-invisible-within-20-years
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