Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting [Paperback]

Catherine Rich (Editor), Travis Longcore (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1559631295 | ISBN-13: 978-1559631297 | Edition: 1

While certain ecological problems associated with artificial night lighting are widely known-for instance, the disorientation of sea turtle hatchlings by beachfront lighting-the vast range of influences on all types of animals and plants is only beginning to be recognized. From nest choice and breeding success of birds to behavioral and physiological changes in salamanders, many organisms are seriously affected by human alterations in natural patterns of light and dark.

Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting is the first book to consider the environmental effects of the intentional illumination of the night. It brings together leading scientists from around the world to review the state of knowledge on the subject and to describe specific effects that have been observed across a full range of taxonomic groups, including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, and plants.

Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting provides a scientific basis to begin addressing the challenge of conserving the nighttime environment. It cogently demonstrates the vital importance of this until-now neglected topic and is an essential new work for conservation planners, researchers, and anyone concerned with human impacts on the natural world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is very readable and should be of interest to a wide audience, ranging from professional biologists and managers to students. ... Conservation practitioners will find strong support for the need to incorporate artificial night lighting into impact assessments and conservation planning.

(Lyn G. Branch The Quarterly Review of Biology )

Anyone interested in how human civilization affects natural environments will want to see this book; the literature reviews will be a treasure-trove for biologists beginning to learn about the problems.

(Robert L. Crawford The Auk )

"It should be a primary source for anyone dealing with work related to lights and their impacts on living organisms. It’s on my primary source reading list."

(Albert M. Manville II The Condor )

"This is a book with a mission and a soul. At the front of each part is an extract of prose from one of a variety of authors that make us remember that nights are meant to be dark, beautiful and exciting. It is an academic book, but one that is written and presented in such a way that it will appeal to anyone with an interest in ecology."

(Paul Elliott Biological Conservation )

"A powerful compendium. Surely eye opening for many ecologists. ... Recommended for wildlife ecologists and anyone fighting light pollution."

(Sarah O'Malley Northeastern Naturalist )

"The adverse effects of night lighting on the environment have only come to the attention of scientists during the last fifty years. This intriguing book, edited by Catherine Rich and Travis Longcore, brings together historic accounts and recent scientific findings in a broad spectrum of writings on the significant influence of night light on plants and animals. Divided into six parts according to taxonomic groups, the text documents seminal studies showing that overabundant artificial lighting has played a role in the lives of plants and animals by disrupting regular rhythms and creating serious hazards for fauna. In conclusion, the editors offer a thought-provoking reminder, "...as we light the world to suit our needs and whims...doing so may come at the expense of other living beings ... ."

(Marilyn K. Alaimo Chicago Botanic Garden )

Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting is an excellent reference that will undoubtedly raise awareness of the need to conserve energy, do proper impact assessments, and turn the lights down.

(David Hill Science )

About the Author

CATHERINE RICH is executive officer of The Urban Wildlands Group.

TRAVIS LONGCORE is science director of The Urban Wildlands Group.

Product Details

• Paperback: 458 pages
• Publisher: Island Press; 1 edition (December 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559631295
• ISBN-13: 978-1559631297
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here are examples not only of effects on plants, insects and animals but how to mitigate them, December 13, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting (Paperback)

A reader might anticipate from its title that ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ARTIFICIAL NIGHT LIGHTING holds a in-depth technical focus on night lighting's impact on nature - but it goes beyond chronicling science to consider how human activities from lighting affects animals and plants in a variety of ways. 'Photopollution' exists nearly everywhere thanks to mankind's activities: here are examples not only of effects on plants, insects and animals but how to mitigate them. Sections seek a readable approach by pairing vignettes of events and experiences of nighttime creatures with plenty of science and analysis of the physiological and behavioral effects of light pollution. It's these vignettes which make this book accessible not only to college-level students of science, nature and ecology but the general non-scientist public library browser, as well.

Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review: "Artificial Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting", August 20, 2009

By 

Alex Hall (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting (Paperback)

Review first posted on my blog (includes pictures):[...]

What I expected: A dry account of scientific literature on the title's namesake.

What I got: Way more than that.

Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting, edited by Catherine Rich and Travis Longcore, is one of the most readable, yet thorough, summaries of a specific topic within science writing that I have read to date. Beyond paraphrased accounts of the drastically-underappreciated scientific studies examining the ecological consequences of artificial night lighting, each section of the book begins with a brief account of a relevant naturalist's anecdotal experiences observing organisms in their nocturnal environment and ends with a succinct, meaningful conclusion as to where we should go from now.

It should be obvious to anyone who has lived within 50 miles of a modern urbanized human society (that means you!) that urban glow lights up the sky unnaturally. ECoANL cites a paper by Cinzano et al. (2001) which calculated "18.7% of the terrestrial surface of the Earth experiences night sky brightness that is polluted by astronomical standards." This impressive figure continues to include 61.8% of the United States and 85.3% of the European Union.

The impact of turning our planet into a giant night light is startling.

In addition to being an interesting and informative read, ECoANL was an essential jumping-off point when conducting research on the effects of artificial night lighting on anurans (frogs and toads).

Topics included in ECoANL: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians (the reason why I picked it up in the first place), Fishes, Invertebrates, and Plants

On top of being a beautiful literature synthesis (at a good price), the main editors suggest reasonable and practical solutions to understanding and reducing the impact of artificial night lighting.

Overall: 5/5 - A model novel in the scientific writing community

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EVERY environmentalist and biologist should READ THIS BOOK, May 16, 2008

By 

astrokye (Lake Wales Ridge, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting (Paperback)

This book is fantastic! Any person whom (professionally or by amateur interest) considers themselves an advocate for the environment, nature and/or planet Earth needs to know what is in this book. This is a CRITICALLY overlooked subject, effecting everything that lives on this planet.