<
https://theconversation.com/artificial-light-at-night-can-change-the-behaviour-of-all-animals-not-just-humans-183028>
"As the Moon rises on a warm evening in early summer, thousands of baby turtles
emerge and begin their precarious journey towards the ocean, while millions of
moths and fireflies take to the air to begin the complex process of finding a
mate.
These nocturnal behaviours, and many others like it, evolved to take advantage
of the darkness of night. Yet today, they are under a increasing threat from
the presence of artificial lighting.
At its core, artificial light at night (such as from street lights) masks
natural light cycles. Its presence blurs the transition from day to night and
can dampen the natural cycle of the Moon. Increasingly, we are realising this
has dramatic physiological and behavioural consequences, including altering
hormones associated with day-night cycles of some species and their seasonal
reproduction, and changing the timing of daily activities such as sleeping,
foraging or mating.
The increasing intensity and spread of artificial light at night (estimates
suggest 2-6% per year) makes it one of the fastest-growing global pollutants.
Its presence has been linked to changes in the structure of animal communities
and declines in biodiversity."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
