Effects of Light Pollution on Animal Daily Rhythms and Seasonality: Ecological Consequences

Abstract

The ongoing increase in light pollution and, mainly, that of short wavelength light emission, results not only in the human pineal MLT suppression, but also affects that of animals in their “natural” ecosystems. It also affects animals’ daily rhythms, seasonality and behavioral patterns such as foraging (aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial) due to changes in the distribution patterns of their prey. The disruption of navigation by animals, such as young sea turtles’ navigation into sea-water, is also affected by urban illumination and sky glowing around cities at night. As LAN has an effect on the entrainment of our biological clock, by disrupting daily rhythms, it results in mal-functioning of the immune and physiological systems. Because these features are common to humans and animals, their similarity makes it possible to use animals for testing and developing models for sustainable nighttime illumination.

Our diurnal bias has allowed us to ignore the obvious, that the world is different at night and that natural patterns of darkness are as important as the light of day to the functioning of ecosystem.

Rich and Longcore (2005)