Lighting & Wildlife

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Key Vocabulary

Light Pollution: brightening of the night sky caused by street lights and other man-made sources, which has a disruptive effect on natural cycles

Dark Sky: a place where the darkness of the night sky is relatively free of artificial light.

Wildlife: wild animals collectively; the native fauna (and sometimes flora) of a region

Anthropogenic: originating in human activity

Nocturnal: done, occurring, or active at night

Circadian Rhythm: physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle. They respond primarily to light and darkness in an organism's environment
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Which of the following is true about light pollution?
The human circadian rhythm (ex: sleeping at night, awake during the day) is disrupted
Disrupts the behavior of nocturnal animals
Can disorient sea turtle hatchlings, preventing them from reaching the ocean
All of the above
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All of the above are impacts of light pollution!"For billions of years, all life has relied on Earth’s predictable rhythm of day and night. It’s encoded in the DNA of all plants and animals - including humans! Humans have radically disrupted this cycle by lighting up the night. Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark rhythm to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators.Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at night has negative and deadly effects on many creatures including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects and plants." - https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/wildlife/ Image: https://www.curbed.com/2017/3/30/15097154/light-pollution-dark-sky-community-colorado
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Nocturnal wildlife....Select all that apply.
is active during the night, and inactive during the day.
has eyesight specially adapted for seeing in dark environments.
is active during the day, and inactive during the night.
is unable to hunt or feed at night because of the darkness.
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Nocturnal wildlife consists of living organisms that are more active at night, and less active during the day. They have special adaptations, like their vision, to see in darker environments!See here for more cool facts about nocturnal animal! https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reference/nocturnal-animals-explained/
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Glare, skyglow, light trespass, and clutter are all components of light pollution.
TrueFalse
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This is true! "Most of us are familiar with air, water, and land pollution, but did you know that light can also be a pollutant? The inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light – known as light pollution – can have serious environmental consequences for humans, wildlife, and our climate. Components of light pollution include: Glare – excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort Skyglow – brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas Light trespass – light falling where it is not intended or needed Clutter – bright, confusing and excessive groupings of light sources Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. Its sources include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. The fact is that much outdoor lighting used at night is inefficient, overly bright, poorly targeted, improperly shielded, and, in many cases, completely unnecessary. This light, and the electricity used to create it, is being wasted by spilling it into the sky, rather than focusing it on to the actual objects and areas that people want illuminated." - https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/ Image Below: Before and during the 2003 Northeast blackout, a massive power outage that affected 55 million people. Photo by Todd Carlson
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Which of the following are adaptations for nocturnal wildlife?Select all that apply.
Heightened sense of smell
Improved night vision
Heightened sense of hearing
Nocturnal wildlife does not need special adaptations.
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Image: https://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Nocturnal-Animals-An-Adaptation-for-Survival
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There is nothing that we can do to help reduce light pollution.
TrueFalse
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False! There are many things that we can do to help reduce or eliminate light pollution. Some ideas include using motion sensing lights that turn off when not needed, turning off lights you aren't using, using light-blocking curtains, and avoiding using the blue lights at night!Find more ways to help here! https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/light-pollution-solutions/ Infographic: https://www.darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Postcard-back-web.jpg
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