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closeLight pollution as a large scale factor
Posted by HaraldBardenhagen on 20 Oct 2017 at 15:02 GMT
I wonder why the study did not mention light pollution as a large scale factor of the decrease of insect biomass.
Light pollution is increasing since tens of years dramatically and there are a lot of studies in regard to the attraction of artificial light at night to nocturnal insects.
RE: Light pollution as a large scale factor
HaraldBardenhagen replied to HaraldBardenhagen on 21 Oct 2017 at 10:54 GMT
See this study: Artificial light at night decreases biomass and alters community
composition of benthic primary producers in a sub-alpine stream. http://onlinelibrary.wile...
Again, why is light pollution not mentioned in the study "More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas"?
RE: Light pollution as a large scale factor
acousinie replied to HaraldBardenhagen on 27 Oct 2017 at 17:31 GMT
I agree, light pollution could be a major factor of insect decline. See here a satelite view of lighting development in Europe from 1992 to 2010 : http://esamultimedia.esa....
""Insects are attracted by the lights and we often can see them fly around the public street lights all night instead of doing what they are due to do, like eating and reproducing. It is likely they die by exhaustion or burnt by the heat of those lights"". The problem could even increase with the development of LED lightings which are cheaper to let on all night and produce a very white light which seems even more attractive for them.