From the University of Exeter , some buggy science. Next thing you know, PETA will be campaigning to have us shut off street lighting to “save the insects”. I’m surprised it has taken them this long to figure out that bugs like street lights. Perhaps like moths drawn to a flame, these scientists were drawn to a grant to study this. The results are another “could may, might” effect on the entire food chain. Something MUST be done. /sarc
Street lighting is transforming communities of insects and other invertebrates, according to research by the University of Exeter. Published today (23 May 2012) in the journal Biology Letters, the study shows for the first time that the balance of different species living together is being radically altered as a result of light pollution in our towns and cities.
Believed to be increasing by six per cent a year globally, artificial lighting is already known to affect individual organisms, but this is the first time that its impact on whole communities has been investigated.
This study shows that groups of invertebrates living near to artificial lights include more predators and scavengers. This could be impacting on the survival rates of different species, having a knock-on effect on birds and mammals that rely on these species for food. The effects could be affecting entire ecosystems and even humans.
The research team based their study in the market town of Helston in West Cornwall. They placed pitfall traps directly under and between street lamps that were 35 metres apart for a number of days and nights. This allowed them to compare, not only results for day and night, but also differences between areas under and away from street lights.
They collected 1,194 individuals covering 60 species. They discovered that total numbers were more abundant under street lights, where they also found more predatory and scavenging species, such as ground beetles and harvestmen. This was the case during the day, as well as at night, suggesting that the effect on communities is ongoing.
Lead author Dr Tom Davies of the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campus said: “Our study shows that light pollution could be having a dramatic effect on wildlife in our towns and cities. We need to be aware of how the increase in artificial lighting is impacting on the delicate ecosystems on which we all rely. Our research shows, for the first time, the changes that light pollution is making to entire communities of invertebrates. We now need to examine what impact this is having on other communities and how this may be affecting important ecosystem services and whether we should change the way we light urban spaces.”
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What’s the solution, turn off the lights? (I wouldn’t be surprised…)
Could anybody find an adress for this article? I only found articles in 2012 from February (nr 1), April (nr 2) and June (nr 3) but not May.
I would like to present this study for people who have collected insects with light traps during the recent 50 years.
Larry fullstop Hulden at Helsinki fullstop Fi
“This could be impacting on the survival rates of different species, having a knock-on effect on birds and mammals that rely on these species for food.”
Apparently the researcher was standing close enough to the streetlight to scare birds away.
If a doctor shined his light into the ear of one of these morons, I’d bet it would show on the far wall! Good lord!!!
Some fourty years ago I was based in South West Africa on the the north bank of the Orange River. As we cooled off after sunset with our ice cold beers the local insects came to feed on us. As we found this unpleasant we decided to do something. This involved suspending a very bright lamp over an open topped oildrum filled with water with a spoonfull of cooking oil to reduce surface tention. This was placed on the desert sand about fifty yards from us and left us rather more comfortable with the much reduced attention from the insects. So I can confirm insects tend to be attracted to the brightest light in the locality. Unfortunately it never occurred to us to catalogue or count the insects in the water next morning. All I can say is that the quantity was impressive.
I suggest a study that would determine the number of injuries (or death) to humans by reducing the amount of light. Then we could let scientists decide the right amout of light we should have (sarc).
kramer says (May 23, 2012 at 9:48 am): “What’s the solution, turn off the lights? (I wouldn’t be surprised…)”
I think a better question is…”What’s the problem?” 🙂
There’s a bat that activates the security light on my carport. I am pretty convinced that the little blighter is doing it on purpose.
( just wait till I get him and show him the bill )
Then along comes a crop farmer spraying insecticide and wipes out billions of bugs so hundreds of acres of land have zero insects. Now that is something we should be worried about.
Talking of bugs…
A note to Michael Mann. London’s chestnut trees are having a really bad time this year due various infestations, and many only have 10 – 20 % of the leaves they normally have.
If you (Michael Mann) take cores from these trees in the future, they will tell you that 2012 was the coldest ever year throughout the whole world – the coldest since the last Ice Age.
I thought you had better know that.
http://www.londongardenstrust.org/index.htm?features/chestnut.htm
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Hmmm ….. Insects breath. Insects emit CO2. Maybe the problem isn’t man-made global warming but insect-made global warming? If we installed bug zappers under every outdoor light … problem solved!
We need an immediate and complete ban on after dark outside lighting and displays. Then widely broadcast how it will help prevent global warming so that people will realize how important it is to do so.
Very educational.
“Delicate ecosystems.” It’s always delicate ecosystems. Life is robust. Life is all about adaptation, which is a strength. Nature never has been and never will be weak or delicate.
Insects transfer energy from plants to predators – small mammals, birds, fish etc. If nocturnal insects spend their time circling lights instead of eating and mating, much fewer insects will be alive to make that transfer of energy. When I was growing up, I remember having to wash the car if it was driven at night because of all the insect goo that would cover it. I no longer have that problem – nor am I able to see many of the constellations I could back then.
fred berple @7.38 am:
They are already working on ‘disintegrating’ the roads in Gloucestershire in the UK. Every month there are more and more deep potholes on the small country roads, lots of gravel and stones lying about, water filling the holes (from all the rain we had in our recent very wet ‘drought’) and grass and other weeds taking up residence. All of this must be great for the worms I guess!
Good Gawd! This only differs from an elementary school bug project in that participants have already worked up remarks about ecological problems.
As a six-year-old I remember watching the bats zip through the cone of the corner streetlight, collecting bugs. I presume these are not deemed unwanted or unnatural predators?
I suggest we just extinguish all those man-made polluting devices. Then we can retreat behind locked doors, put on our night goggles, and watch the “natural” predators emerge and rejoice in the return to primal darkness.
Someone needs to give these idiots a remedial course in something called evolution.
This is what I like about Texas: No bugs!
This time of year with +30 mph winds from the south all the insect life is (quite literally) swept away! Lighting or no!
Where do they all go I wonder … someplace further north with the wind it would seem to be …
Funny you should mention that; IR motion detectors for streetlights are just around the corner; implemented more now in private applications where the bill-payer doesn’t want to pay for electricity all night long to illuminate an ’empty’, unused, devoid of human life parking lot …
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712093623.htm
http://www.gizmag.com/motion-sensing-streetlight-system/19199/
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Now even the University of Exeter is using “impact” as a verb.
Sigh.
We are most undeniably doomed.
Oddly the university of Exeter is sited in a stunning campus, on a large hill, acres and acres of trees and grass, some great old buildings, I wonder why the wanted to go an hour south to Helston ?? apart from the likelihood of being fed on by mosquitos, a la Canada, I would have thought their home base would have been as perfect! Also it seems somewhat childish and ill thought out!
So what we are meant to do is go to bed when it gets dark and get up when it gets light and not travel at night apart from walking and only if it’s a clear moon/starlit night! Simple, then all the bugs would be happy!
Can bugs be happy?
James Bull
1200 bugs ? That’s a pretty sorry total for a university level study. Please supply an analysis of the cost per bug versus the number of PHDs and grad students receiving grant welfare for this project.
I have another idea for a study, the common American toad, through a sheer act of genius, has also discovered that the bug buffet is conveniently located near almost every porch lamp. This brazen predator, probably made more aggressive due to climate change, might not only destroy the delicate balance of insomniac insects, but could even cause the axis of the earth to shift by lowering the center of gravity of the biosphere. Only a thorough analysis of toad droppings will allow a determination of the insect devastation. I think I could accomplish such a study for $247,789.69, plus a per diem and toad rental fees.
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I think most of the comments here are being too generous towards this study.
I read the materials and methods section, and guess what? They did not perform any control experiments by switching the street lights OFF at night. Neither did they report any control experiments by switching the street lights ON during the day time. Neither do the words “OFF” or “OUT” appear anywhere in the body of the article.
At this point, words fail me.