9 9 ecology of darkness
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Photo credit: Christopher V. Sherman
ECOLOGY OF DARKNESSTexas Master Naturalist Hill Country Chapter
September 9, 2015
Bridget Schneider Langdale
Milky Way over Pedernales Falls State Park
Life on Earth Depends on
Natural Darkness
• Wildlife and Ecosystems
• Human Health
• Crime, Safety, the changing light industry
• “YOU can prevent Light Pollution”
The Bortle Scale: A measure of light pollution
LIGHT POLLUTION
* Rhythm of day/night* DNA encoding
ReproductionNourishmentSleepProtection
Endangered and at RISK…..
WILDLIFE & ECOSYSTEMS
BIRDS
• Migration• (use moon & stars)• Crash/exhaustion• 450 species effected• Seabirds also
• Offshore drilling• Fisherman lights
REPTILES: Sea Turtles
FROGS*Tree Frogs…stop calling/less reproducing*Affects DNA synthesis & production of hormones* How much fat stored for winter and production of eggs
FIREFLIES*Mating disrupted
MOTHS:*vulnerable to predators
Photo courtesy Steve Irvine
Competition: These moths are stuck in the light. They aren’t out competing to get the best places to raise young. They aren’t avoid predators. They aren’t finding food to sustain their lives and outlive the competition. Photo by Steve Irvine
AMPHIBIANS*Salamanders….less eating time*Saccus Vasculousus/brain tissue….length of day/time for spawning
MAMMALS:
Annual Rhythms: Photoperiodism, the functional or behavioral response of an organism to changes of duration in daily, seasonal, or yearly cycles of light and darkness. Deer Oct-Nov-Dec: The shorter days trigger certain hormones causing the deer to go into “rut”. Hormone levels drop off in Jan triggered by shorter winter days. Feb-March: Bucks grow antlers due to an increase in hormones triggered by the more intense light and longer days.
Predation: Predators use the light to find prey. Predators might be at an advantage because of artificial light. On the other hand, some of their nighttime prey reduce their activity when the moon is full or when artificial lights make them think the moon is full. They may have more time to find food but their immune systems still need the darkness to keep them healthy.
Photoperiodism - Annular rhythms: Trees located under street lights often don’t sense it’s time to stop producing chlorophyll.
Photoperiodism: Determining the proper time to flower is important to ensure the reproductive success of plants. Flowering in many plant species is controlled by photoperiodism. And, the right pollinators may also be present or not based on the light / dark ratio.
PERMANENT FULL MOON (by humans…) 5 Species Threatened by LIGHT POLLUTION
5: Sea Turtles4: Fireflies3: Atlantic Salmon2: Tree Frogs1: Monarch Butterflies
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
Humans have outgrown dependence on the stars…
Wildlife/our environment have not.
Awareness. Make a Change. Help out wildlife. Restore your appreciation for the night sky.
HUMAN HEALTH ISSUES
MISSING THE DARKHealth Effects of Light Pollution on Humans
Increasing risks of:
• Obesity• Depression• Sleep Disorders• Type 2 Diabetes• Breast cancer• …..more
Sleep and Melatonin
• We need ‘restorative sleep’….6+ hours of dark• Biggest issue is …Melatonin and Blue Light
• Melatonin production– Keeps us healthy– Antioxidant properties– Induces sleep– Boosts immune system– Lowers cholesterol– Helps thyroid, pancreas, ovaries, testes and adrenal glands
Electronics Blue Wavelength, tricks our brains into thinking it is daylight.
Circadian Rhythm: Daylight/darkness
Sunlight: various wavelengthslots of blueKeeps us alert
BlueLight in Offices: reduce fatigue, improve mood, performance….
Evening: Pineal Gland secretes Melatonin…Quality/Quantity of sleep
Lower BLUE light
COLOR TEMPERATURE APPS.Adapts your electronic screen to the time of day…cool light during the day and warm light at night.
F.Lux for laptops, iPhones, iPadsLux for AndroidTwilight….smartphones or tablets
Navigation Sea Turtles - Dung Beetles - Birds
Reproduction Frogs - Flowers - Fireflies
Circadian Rhythms Rats - All Living things - Humans
Photoperiodism Flowers - Deer - Fish Spawning – Leaves Turning
Competition Moths – Seal
Predation Fox - Squirrel
General Habitat Destruction Snake
ECOLOGY ISSUES
Crime, Safety, the changing light industry
Wasting Energy and Money
Do you feel safe?
Glare Kills VisibilityGood Visibility = Safety & Security!
Photos courtesy of Cliff Hass.
Entrance Safety
Light Trespass
Will Light Clutter Attract Tourists?
Aim Lights Down
Good vs. Bad lighting: What do you look for?
Full Cutoff & Fully Shielding the Light Source
….the changing light industry…
WATTS – LUMENS…• Watts: measurement of power consumed • Lumen: measure of the total amount of visible
light emitted
….the changing light industry……..COLOR
• Color: use only warm-white bulbs• Color Temperature: 3500K or lower
• Glare, sky glow, and light clutter• Tennis court with GOOD lighting. See how its only going where it is needed?
Basic Guidelines
1. Fixtures shielded/no light above horizon (exception of landscape & holiday)
2. No Light Trespass (light source not seen)
3. Lumens: add up…under 100,000 per acre
4. Color…less than 3500K
5. Timers, Motion Detectors, Dimmers
6. Turn off if not using
Photo by Lauren Cook
BE WISEAlmost every living thing on our planet depends on the cycle of natural light and natural darkness. We disrupt our natural circadian rhythm when we fly across time zones. We may get “jet lag”. Wildlife and fish experience this same disorientation of time when there is too much artificial light at night. Behavior governing mating, migration, sleep, finding food and other behaviors are determined by the length of nighttime.
Life on earth depends on natural darkness.
Water, air, and soil pollution can take generations and massive changes in our culture to reverse.
LIGHT POLLUTION can be turned around. Maintain safe, functional levels of light
you can help
H HOW?
Photos © Todd Carlson
** Start with your own property * Talk to your neighbors * Work with your community
AWARENESS – EDUCATE COMMUNICATE
Dark Sky ProclamationsDark Sky Ordinances
TEXAS IS BECOMING THE LEADER
• Mason• Llano• Fredericksburg• Blanco• Pedernales Electric Co-op• CTEC…replace broken fixtures
IDA Recognition in Texas• Dripping Springs• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area• Copper Breaks State Park
Educate:• Individual land owner• Rural Communities• Subdivisions. Master planned areas.• Unincorporated townships.• City Councils• County Commissioners & Judges• Developers. Builders. Remodelers.• New businesses• Neighbor to Neighbor
• *Star Parties & MOON Tours
Amateur Astronomy GroupsMason Star Gazers (MSG) “PDF”
Low Mounted Full Cutoff Light
AWARENESS – EDUCATE COMMUNICATE
Dark Sky ProclamationsDark Sky Ordinances
TEXAS IS BECOMING THE LEADER
• Mason• Llano• Fredericksburg• Blanco• Pedernales Electric Co-op• CTEC…replace broken fixtures
IDA Recognition in Texas• Dripping Springs• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area• Copper Breaks State Park
Educate:• Individual land owner• Rural Communities• Subdivisions. Master planned areas.• Unincorporated townships.• City Councils• County Commissioners & Judges• Developers. Builders. Remodelers.• New businesses• Neighbor to Neighbor
• *Star Parties & MOON Tours
Amateur Astronomy GroupsMason Star Gazers (MSG) “PDF”
IDA RECOGNITION DARK SKY REGION?
AWARENESS – EDUCATE COMMUNICATE
Dark Sky ProclamationsDark Sky Ordinances
TEXAS IS BECOMING THE LEADER
• Mason• Llano• Fredericksburg• Blanco• Pedernales Electric Co-op• CTEC…replace broken fixtures
IDA Recognition in Texas• Dripping Springs• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area• Copper Breaks State Park
Educate:• Individual land owner• Rural Communities• Subdivisions. Master planned areas.• Unincorporated townships.• City Councils• County Commissioners & Judges• Developers. Builders. Remodelers.• New businesses• Neighbor to Neighbor
• *Star Parties & MOON Tours
Amateur Astronomy GroupsMason Star Gazers (MSG) “PDF”
AWARENESS – EDUCATE COMMUNICATE
Dark Sky ProclamationsDark Sky Ordinances
TEXAS IS BECOMING THE LEADER
• Mason• Llano• Fredericksburg• Blanco• Pedernales Electric Co-op• CTEC…replace broken fixtures
IDA Recognition in Texas• Dripping Springs• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area• Copper Breaks State Park
Educate:• Individual land owner• Rural Communities• Subdivisions. Master planned areas.• Unincorporated townships.• City Councils• County Commissioners & Judges• Developers. Builders. Remodelers.• New businesses• Neighbor to Neighbor
Amateur Astronomy GroupsMason Star Gazers (MSG) “PDF”
Star Parties & MOON Tours
….all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the plants in their course, and this fragile earth, our island
home.
“ZINGER with a Train”Recent Meteor Shower in early August 2015
Advice from the
NIGHT SKY
See the Big Picture
Be a Star
Keep Looking Up
Don’t be Afraid of the Dark
Stay Full of Wonder
Expand Your Horizons
Turn Off the Lights! Ilan Shamir
Bridget Langdale aka: MOON RABBIT
bsl@rabbit66.com325-805-1176
www.darksky.org (International Dark Sky Association)www.hillcountryalliance-org/HCA/NightSkies
Special thanks to Cindy Luongo Cassidy
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