Ecological light pollution

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ecological-light-pollution

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary mechanism of impact?Disruption of photoperiodism and circadian rhythms in organisms
2. What is the affected biological processes?Navigation, foraging, reproduction, pollination, and predator-prey dynamics
3. Why does light pollution bother animals?It can confuse them, change their habits, and even hurt them by making them tired or causing them to get lost.
4. How does light pollution affect insects?Insects can get trapped by bright lights, heat up, and die, which hurts the plants that need them for pollination.

Photoperiodism: The physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night.
Anthropogenic: Originating in human activity.
Sky Glow: The diffuse brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas.