Light pollution could harm animal reproduction – Israeli research
Nocturnal chirping is one way for the male locust to call on females to come and mate with it.
Using four different types of light, including artificial light at night (ALAN), the researchers monitored dozens of crickets exposed throughout their lives (from egg to adulthood). They found that crickets exposed to 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of darkness exhibited cyclical activity rhythms of 24 hours: they started chirping when the lights went out and stopped when the lights were back on. Crickets that experienced partial lighting in dark times lost their natural rhythms and synchronization with their surroundings: 80% went through an individual internal cycle, and 5% lost all rhythm. Crickets exposed to constant light 24/7 developed their own cycles (71%) or lost rhythm (29%). The results indicated that increasing laboratory ALAN induces a loss of rhythmicity both at the individual and at the population level.
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Tel Aviv University. SHLOMI AMSALEM
“Our findings on ALAN-induced changes in call song patterns may potentially adversely affect female attraction and reproduction in this species,” said Keren Levy, principal investigator at TAU. “Our results are in agreement with many other studies demonstrating the severe impacts of low levels of ALAN on nature. We therefore ask you to help protect our environment and our environment by turning off the lights in your yards, car parks, and in whenever possible. Help us bring the night and the Milky Way back into our lives and allow nocturnal coexistence with the creatures around us. “
