Light Pollution Threatens Global Biodiversity

Artificial nighttime lighting is rapidly increasing, with the night sky brightening by nearly 10% annually. Projections indicate that by 2052, half of Earth's land will be affected, disrupting biological processes from genes to ecosystems and suppressing melatonin in all vertebrate groups.

Research published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity highlights that light pollution shifts seasonal rhythms in plants, causing urban trees to bud earlier. It also alters animal behavior, including bird singing patterns and the spatial distribution of insects and fish. Experts emphasize that urgent management priorities are required to mitigate these far-reaching consequences on land and in aquatic habitats.

Editor's note: The brief is accurate but lacks the source's specific 36% melatonin suppression figure and the four-tiered mitigation approach, which are key details.