London, May 24 (IANS) Street lighting is changing insect ecosystems in towns and cities, The Independent reported.
Groups of invertebrates living near artificial lights include more predators and scavengers, a study has found.
The effect could be impacting the survival rates of different species, with long-term consequences for birds and mammals that rely on them for food, the newspaper said Wednesday.
Scientists conducted the study in the market town of Helston, west Cornwall.
Tom Davies, from the University of Exeter, led the research reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
He said: “Our research shows for the first time the changes that light pollution is making to entire communities of invertebrates. We now need to examine what impact this is having on other communities and how this may be affecting important ecosystem services and whether we should change the way we light urban spaces.”
