{"id":95133,"date":"2023-11-06T09:18:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T08:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/?p=95133"},"modified":"2023-11-06T09:18:42","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T08:18:42","slug":"even-low-levels-of-artificial-light-disrupt-ecosystems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/en\/environment\/even-low-levels-of-artificial-light-disrupt-ecosystems\/","title":{"rendered":"Even low levels of artificial light disrupt ecosystems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Light pollution at night is disturbing above- and belowground ecosystems with implications for ecosystem stability and human well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new collection of papers on artificial light at night show the impact of light pollution to be surprisingly far-reaching, with even low levels of artificial light disrupting species communities and entire ecosystems. Published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B<\/a>, the special theme issue, which includes 16 scientific papers, looks at the effects of light pollution in complex ecological systems, including soil, grassland, and insect communities. Led by researchers at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the collection notes the increasing ubiquity of light pollution, while emphasising the domino effect light pollution has on ecosystem function and stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night skies are becoming brighter as the use of artificial lighting spreads across the globe. With an estimated annual uptick of up to 10%, the prevalence of light pollution is disrupting the natural light cycles that have been largely consistent throughout the Earth\u2019s history. These light cycles are vitally important to organisms who rely on light as a source of energy and information. To date, studies looking at the impact of light pollution have largely focused on human health and individual species\u2019 responses, whereas investigating entire ecosystems, where species are linked through diverse interactions, has remained scarce. \u201cSpecies do not exist in isolation but rather interact in numerous ways\u201d, explains iDiv and the University of Jena\u2019s Dr Myriam Hirt, who led the compilation and editing of the theme issue together with Dr Remo Ryser. \u201cOur aim was to better understand how the brightening of the night sky affects entire ecosystems and the benefits they provide\u201d.
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Using the iDiv Ecotron, which consists of multiple controlled experimental-ecosystem chambers (so-called EcoUnits), several researchers simulated and altered light conditions at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key findings include the ability of artificial light to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n