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Title: Johnny Noles, Biologist


1
Understanding the Effects of Light Pollution on
Wildlife
Johnny Noles, Biologist Chesapeake
Bay mysids_at_aol.com
2
INTRODUCTION This presentation was created to
provide International Dark Skies Association
(IDA) members and concerned citizens a general
information resource for discussion of light
pollution problems with emphasis on the effects
on wildlife. Feel free to use the whole or parts
of the presentation for educational
outreach. Beginning with the contents on the
following slide, The presentation begins with a
pictorial introduction highlighting outdoor
lighting and the basic effects of outdoor
lighting on wildlife. It further goes on to
compare light pollution with chemical pollution.
It emphasizes the shortcomings of government
regulations governing pollution. It provides an
example of how environmental agencies are even
responsible for the introduction of light
pollution through public environmental regulatory
programs. In the absence of light pollution
regulations, it identifies public interest
actions that have been initiated in the interest
of wildlife conservation. The presentation
concludes with general recommendations for
environmental agencies.
3
  • CONTENTS
  • I. Introduction
  • Pictorial Identification of Problem
  • Wildlife and Habitat Impact Issues
  • II. Understanding Light Pollution
  • Definition of Pollution
  • Observed Effects of Pollution
  • Comparing Light Pollution with Chemical
    Pollution
  • Light Pollution Regulation
  • Examples of How Environmental Agencies are
    Impacting the Environment with Light
  • Pollution
  • IV. Public Action Precedents in Wildlife
    Conservation and Light Pollution
  • Recommendations for Public Agencies

4
  • Virginia Wildlife Ecosystems Affected by Light
    Pollution
  • Chesapeake Bay
  • Coastal Barrier Islands
  • Mountain Ranges
  • Forests, rivers, streams, lakes
  • Urban habitats

What are the effects of light pollution on
wildlife and their habitats?
I. Introduction
5
Elements of Light Pollution Impacting Wildlife
Light Trespass Sky Glow Glare Clutter
I. Introduction
6
Compare Lighting from Natural and Artificial
Sources what the critters see
Natural night sky
sunrise
sunset
light pollution
I. Introduction
7
Wildlife Issue
Light pollution is trespassing into wildlife
habitat Wildlife Concerns From Exposure to
Light Pollution Habitat Disturbance
Wildlife Behavior Wildlife Survival
I. Introduction
8
NOCTURNAL WILDLIFE
yellow crowned night heron
owls
gray tree frog
spotted seatrout
bats
  • Active at night, roost by day.
  • Some species species are rare, threatened and
    endangered species.
  • Some species provide human and ecological health
    benefits.
  • Some species provide economic benefits
  • What are the effects of light pollution on their
    habitat and behavior?

I. Introduction
9
DIURNAL WILDLIFE
frogs
songbirds
waterfowl
dragonfly
squirrels
  • Active by day, roost at night.
  • Some species are rare, protected and endangered
    species.
  • Some species provide human and ecological health
    benefits.
  • Some species provide economic benefits.
  • What are the effects of light pollution on their
    habitat and behavior?

I. Introduction
10
  • Habitat Disturbance Observations
  • Disruption of natural day-night illumination
    cycle in natural areas.
  • Replacement of nocturnal (night) cycle by
    elevated levels of continuous artificial
    lighting over broad natural areas.
  • Greatest exposure of terrestrial habitats is
    mostly under tree canopy and over ground level
    areas which is the preferred zone of most
    terrestrial wildlife inhabitation.
  • Aquatic habitats subject to light trespass from
    upland and shoreline human habitation. Water
    surface reflections magnify light pollution.
  • Light pollution in wildlife habitats mimic
    extended daylight conditions causing wildlife
    behavior to be unnaturally modified.
  • Exposure of wildlife circadian rhythms to light
    pollution.
  • Wildlife biodiversity at risk in light polluted
    nocturnal habitats.
  • Diminished habitat function (e.g., shelter,
    protection, food).

I. Introduction
11
  • Understanding Light Pollution
  • Does it fit the definition of a pollutant?
  • What are the common effects of pollutants?
  • What similarities do chemical and light
    pollutants have in common?

II. Understanding Light Pollution
12
DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF POLLUTANT
  • Pollute - to make unfit for or harmful to
    living things.
  • Pollutant - something that pollutes a waste
    material that contaminates air, soil, or water.
  • Pollution - Contamination of air, soil, or
    water by the discharge of harmful substances.

Forms of pollutants and examples
Gas carbon monoxide Liquid - oil
Solid - asbestos Light
streetlights Noise loud machinery
II. Understanding Light Pollution
13
  • COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • EFFECTS OF HARMFUL POLLUTANTS
  • Behavior
  • Growth
  • Reproduction
  • Survival
  • Death
  • Habitat Modification
  • Pollutant Environmental Fate
  • Population Effects

II. Understanding Light Pollution
14
Similarities between Chemical and Light Pollution
  • Organism LP
  • Impact Chemical Light
    Examples
  • Human Exposure yes yes urban/industrial settings
  • Wildlife Exposure yes yes urban/industrial
    settings
  • Abnormal behavior yes yes migrations,
    attraction/avoidance
  • Growth yes yes plants, cancer
    cells
  • Reproduction yes yes mammals, amphibians
  • Survival yes
    yes sea turtles, birds
  • Death yes
    yes sea turtles, birds
  • Sufficient data generated by studies on
    numerous chemicals.
  • Insufficient data repeated observations of
    incidences and correlation to presence of
    artificial lighting.

II. Understanding Light Pollution
15
Similarities between Chemical and Light Pollution
Chemical Light Examples
  • Habitat Modification yes
    yes coastal ecosystems
  • Population Effects yes yes
    sea turtles, birds
  • Pollutant Environmental Fate persistent
    persistent ubiquitous in urban/
  • or
    short-lived industrial
    environments
  • Ecological Imbalance yes
    yes coastal ecosystems
  • Environmental Restoration expensive
    cheap Florida coasts
  • Cedar River, WA
  • Restoration benefits long term
    immediate Florida coasts
  • Cedar River, WA
  • Chesapeake Bay
  • Sea turtle nesting habitats
  • See slide 18 for explanations
  • See slide 22 sockeye salmon habitat

II. Understanding Light Pollution
16
  • PUBLIC POLLUTION REGULATION
  • Chemical pollution tightly regulated by public
    law and multiple agencies
  • Light pollution is not regulated by
    environmental agencies. Most agencies and many
    environmental interest groups are dead asleep on
    the issue
  • The States of Florida has set the precedent to
    regulate outdoor lighting strictly for wildlife
    conservation purposes.

II. Understanding Light Pollution
17
PUBLIC POLLUTION REGULATION
  • Agencies put the burden on local governments
    to control light pollution.

WRONG APPROACH!!!!!
  • Light pollution needs the same attention as
    chemical pollution
  • Environmental agencies need to address light
    pollution as a regional ecosystem and wildlife
    conservation management approach.
  • Examples Chesapeake Bay Program
  • Florida Everglades Program
  • Great Lakes Program

II. Understanding Light Pollution
18
USAs First Outdoor Lighting Ordinance for
Wildlife Conservation
Endangered Sea turtles in Florida Life cycle
consist of birth on land, spending life in
ocean, returning to land only to nest
  • LIGHT POLLUTION IMPACTS
  • Beach nesting habitats exposed to bright
    outdoor shoreline lighting
  • Adults wont come ashore to nest
  • Hatchlings emerge from sand nests, normally
    orientate towards starlit ocean
  • Artificial lights on beaches, coastal roads,
    and buildings disorientate hatchlings and adults
    that crawl away from the beach towards inland
    light sources.
  • Migratory disruptions from light pollution leads
    to death from dehydration, wildlife, domestic
    animals and human predation, and vehicle
    collusions

II. Understanding Light Pollution
19
  • EXAMPLES OF AGENCIES
  • IMPACTING THE ENVIRONMENT
  • WITH LIGHT POLLUTION
  • WETLANDS PERMITTING
  • Army Corp of Engineers, State Environmental
    Agencies and local Wetlands Boards
  • Permits do not address lighting on piers and
    waterfront structures
  • Nontarget lighting trespassing into wetlands
    and upland wildlife habitat
  • Problem magnified by water surface reflections
  • Disturbance and modification of wildlife
    habitat and behavior
  • Failure to address light pollution through
    wetlands regulations fosters impacts on wildlife
    environment, boating safety, public aesthetics
    and effectiveness of existing wetlands protection
    efforts.
  • Examples of How Environmental Agencies are
    Impacting the Environment with Light Pollution

20
  • Light Pollution Impacts on Wildlife Through the
    Nationwide Wetlands Permitting Process
  • Potential for Water Quality Impacts
  • Unshielded pier and waterfront lighting
    penetrates the water column.
  • Artificial lighting promotes algal growth in
    surface waters
  • Algae feeding zooplankton uses natural light to
    migrate to deeper water for food. At night,
    they migrate to the surface. Artificial lights
    from piers and shore structures causes
    zooplankton to stay in deeper water when they
    should be feeding on the surface at night.
  • The disruption of zooplankton behavior and
    feeding cycles leads to algal blooms in the
    surface water.
  • Algal blooms associated with declining water
    quality conditions.
  • Light pollution-induced water quality effects
    are high for ponds, lakes, impoundments, and low
    flushing coastal watershed stream and river
    environments.
  • Examples of How Environmental Agencies are
    Impacting the Environment with Light Pollution

21
  • Public Action Precedents in Wildlife Conservation
    Involving Light Pollution
  • SEATURTLES - first identified light pollution
    indicator organism. Led to nations first public
    outdoor lighting ordinance in Florida for
    wildlife conservation purposes.
  • BIRDS FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program)
    Highly successful Canadian public program aimed
    at reducing birds kills from collusions with
    lighted city buildings. Program identifies
    numerous bird species at risk from light
    pollution. Visit www.flap.org
  • SW USA ENDANGERED CAT SPECIES - US Border
    Patrol proposes putting up bright lights along
    US-Mexico border inhabited by endangered cats.
    USFWS presses for Environmental Impact Statement
    (EIS).

IV. Public Action Precedents in Wildlife
Conservation and Light Pollution
22
Public Action Precedents in Wildlife Conservation
Involving Light Pollution
  • ENDANGERED CAT SPECIES - zoo breeding program
    observes Pallas cats reproductive difficulties
    in bright zoos. Pallas relocated to darker areas
    and reproduction activity returns to normal.
  • SPORT FISHES - Civil court case involving
    nocturnal seatrout species in Scotland.
    Fishermen claim seatrout fishing degraded by
    light pollution from adjacent property. Court
    supports sport fishermen with judgment supported
    by expert testimony on seatrouts nocturnal
    behavior.
  • In State of Washington, light trespassing into
    fish habitat from unshielded lights on Cedar
    River trails resulted in interference with
    sockeye salmon fry migration and an increase in
    predation pressures. Lights shielding by WA DOT
    reduced light trespass, enhanced habitat, and
    improved fish migratory passage.

IV. Public Action Precedents in Wildlife
Conservation and Light Pollution
23
Public Action Precedents in Wildlife Conservation
Involving Light Pollution
  • US NATIONAL PARK SERVICE is responding to public
    concerns about light pollution and loss of night
    sky aesthetics. National Park Service
    retrofitting existing lights with full cut off
    optics (FCO). Public night sky aesthetics
    restoration seen as a wildlife benefit
  • MIGRATORY BIRDS - mortalities from collusions
    with lighted buildings and towers has led to
    USFWS guidance on lighted towers.

IV. Public Action Precedents in Wildlife
Conservation and Light Pollution
24
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES
  • Environmental agencies (EPA, NOAA, USFWS,
    USACOE) and environmental interest groups (Sierra
    Club, Audubon Society, etc., ) need to take more
    concerted action on light pollution as an
    environmental problem of significant concern.
  • Define artificial lighting as an environmental
    contaminant and ecological stressor.
  • Environmental agencies must provide funding to
    conduct scientific studies to investigate light
    pollution impacts on the environment and
    wildlife.
  • Environmental agencies must develop strategies
    and environmental regulations to address light
    pollution and protection of wildlife habitats.
  • Develop the Chesapeake Bay, Florida Everglades
    Restoration and Great Lakes Programs as
    nationwide models to reduce light pollution
    impacts on wildlife.
  • Public and private environmental programs can
    initiate outreach service to provide local
    wetlands boards, environmental interests groups
    and private citizens with education, regulatory
    guidance and funding on light pollution
    reduction.
  • DOD installations could set public example of
    light pollution reduction as a means of enhancing
    wildlife habitat, public night sky aesthetics
    and energy savings through DOD environmental
    stewardship programs, ecosystem management
    initiatives, retrofitting needed existing
    outdoor lights with FCO lighting, and using
    electronic security technology to replace outdoor
    lighting as primary means of security.

V. Recommendations for Public Agencies
25
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • LOCAL AGENCIES
  • Wetlands Regulatory - Army Corps of Engineers,
    State Agencies and Local Wetlands Boards
  • Issue pier and marina permits with light
    pollution environmental assessment and shielded
    lighting requirements.
  • Ban mercury vapor, sodium vapor and halide
    lights on residential and public piers, marinas
    and other waterfront structures. Use properly
    placed hooded alternate low illumination lamps
    instead for walkways and safety areas.
  • No water surface reflections or indirect light
    trespass into surrounding habitat and adjacent
    properties.
  • Use lowly illuminated hazard warning (yellow
    coded) lights on long piers and bridges to warn
    boater traffic of potential navigation hazard.
  • Require all waterfront property owners to
    comply with the environmental mandate to reduce
    light pollution in the wetlands and waterways.
  • Provide waterfront property owners with grants
    or awards to eliminate or retrofit existing
    lights to implement light pollution control as a
    habitat enhancement, wildlife conservation,
    boating safety enhancement, and public
    aesthetics enhancement initiative.

V. Recommendations for Public Agencies
26
(No Transcript)
27
END of PRESENTATION
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