Nov 2, 2020 · Natural light cycles are being eroded over large areas of the globe by the direct emissions and sky brightening that result from sources of artificial night-time light. This is
Jun 18, 2020 · Modication of nighttime light levels by articial illumination (arti cial light at night; ALAN) is a rapidly fi fi fi increasing form of human disturbance that affects natural
Feb 4, 2025 · For example, we can drop our light intensity by ten-fold and our visual system still works quite well. The bottom line is that yes blue light technically has more effects that other
Apr 10, 2025 · Solar night lights can have a range of effects on plant growth. While solar lights are generally considered safe for plants, there are several ways in which they can negatively
Apr 15, 2023 · Along with the growth of light at night, the negative effects of excessive outdoor ALAN have been recognized by researchers and policymakers as "light pollution," which is
Apr 10, 2025 · Solar lights work at night by using energy stored in batteries during the day—even on cloudy days, they still charge using diffused sunlight. If you live in a region that sees more
Variation in the spectral composition of artificial nighttime lighting doubtless influences the nature and extent of the impacts on ecosystems. Much remains to be understood about these effects. However, broader spectrum lighting enables animals to detect objects that reflect light over more of the spectrum to which they are sensitive.
Artificial lighting has transformed the outdoor nighttime environment over large areas, modifying natural cycles of light in terms of timing, wavelength, and distribution.
Indeed, some cities, such as Shanghai, have achieved iconic status through intensive use of nighttime lighting to create a distinctive nighttime skyline. The Cities of Light Partnership (LUCI) actively promotes such lighting as a means of increasing tourism revenue in cities across Europe.
Human activities are almost exclusively associated with brightly lit environments. The last century has seen an unprecedented increase in the use of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN), with a current ongoing global increase rate of more than 6% per year (Hölker et al., 2010). This is dramatically affecting land as well as aquatic and open sea areas.
Examples of artificial lighting at night. (a) Aesthetic lighting of buildings, Prague, Czech Republic; (b) city centre lights of Brisbane, Australia; (c) lights of the city of Plymouth, UK; (d) car park lighting, St Ives, UK; (e) beach-side lighting St Ives, UK; and (f) ships’ lights in Falmouth Bay, UK. Photographs by J. Duffy and K.J. Gaston.
Humans have dramatically transformed the outdoor nighttime light environment. The introduction of artificial lighting, and particularly electric lighting, has disrupted natural cycles of light and darkness that had previously been rather consistent over long periods of geological and evolutionary time.
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