Ecological Light Pollution “Artificial light that alters the natural patterns of light and dark in an ecosystem” Various forms of light pollution: Lighted buildings Street lights Car head lights Neon signs Effects the following aspects of a variety of animal and insect species: Behavior Communication Foraging Reproduction New York City (photo by broddi)broddi PowerPoint Created by: Christie Christakos

Behavior Ecological trap = the environment changes faster than a species has time to react and adapt to it Arthropods (dragonfly, lacewing beetles, wasps, and crickets) can misconstrue dark buildings, asphalt roads, glass windows, and cars for water because polarized light reflects off these surfaces (possibly causing their death) “Aquatic insects are the foundation of many food webs. Therefore, reductions in their numbers may alter entire ecosystems and the services they provide”. (Ecological Society of America 2009) Dragonfly (photo by BluAlien)BluAlien

Communication Lampyridae (fireflies or glow-worms) Use bioluminescent flashes as a form of sexual communication Artificial light reduces the males’ visibility of the females’ signal Predator-Prey Relationships unexpected change in artificial light levels benefits predators whose prey is attracted to light ex. Bats prey on insects, such as tympanate moths, which are attracted to light Researchers attribute light pollution as the main cause of the decrease of North American moths Lampyriade (photo by Say~cheese)Say~cheeseMoths attracted to light (photo by Mudeth)Mudeth

Reproduction Singing is a way for male birds to attract female birds Turdus Migratoius (photo by cosmicsailor)cosmicsailor Turdus migratorius (American Robin) begin to sing their “morning chorus” earlier in the day in areas with a low level of artificial light Foraging An unexpected change in light pollution leads to an increase in foraging time for species that forage during the day, which may increase predation (Longcore 2004)

What is NYC doing to reduce light pollution? National Dark Sky Week occurs on the week of the new moon in April since a full moon increases the light pollution (Barlow 2003) people are asked to reduce their artificial lighting usage and turn off any unnecessary lights as a way of appreciating the sky and raising awareness Energy Efficient Lighting Tactics Motion sensor lights in unoccupied rooms Reduction of neon signs and unshielded traffic lights Times Square (Photo by Toni Shi)Toni

Bibliography Barlow, Jennifer Natural Dark Sky Week. Longcore, Travis, and Catherine Rich. "Ecological light pollution." Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment 2, no. 4 (May 2004): Environment Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 7, 2009). Ecological Society of America Polarized Light Leads Animals Astray: 'Ecological Traps' Cause Animal Behaviors That Can Lead To Death.