Balancing Light and Wildlife in North America

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Historically, researchers treated light pollution as a largely harmful force because it disrupted natural rhythms, navigation cues, and predator–prey interactions. A broader and longer-running body of work, however, spans coastlines, forests, and urban and peri-urban landscapes, and it reveals a more nuanced picture. In many contexts, artificial illumination can interact with ecosystems in ways that may support certain species, especially when lighting is carefully situated and managed. The upshot is not a blanket approval of bright nights, but a clearer reminder that the ecological impact of light depends on where it is used, how bright it is, what spectrum it emits, and when it is on or off. In cities and their outskirts, researchers are documenting how different lighting scenarios affect when animals move, how they forage, and which routes they follow. This growing understanding invites planners, designers, and communities to think about lighting as a tool that can be aligned with wildlife health, particularly in places where night brightness is pronounced and persistent.

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