Giving Compass' Take:

• Research indicates how sensory pollution from light, noise, and chemicals can be harmful to animals. 

• How can communities take steps to reduce sensory pollution in certain areas in an effort to increase animal protections?

• Learn what you can do about wild animal suffering. 

The framework reveals the presence of “sensory danger zones,” in which sensory pollutants overlap with animal activity.

“From a conservation biology point of view, we don’t know how to mitigate the effects of sensory pollution if we don’t know what the pathway of harm is,” says Neil Carter, assistant professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan.

Human activity has affected animal habitat in almost every conceivable way. Road systems cut through habitat, and lights at night mimic or cover up the moon and stars. Chemicals from industry or farming leach into water systems or waft over flowers in need of pollination.

In their study, Carter and coauthors give an example of New York City’s annual 9/11 memorial tribute. The tribute coincides with birds’ annual migration from northern regions to wintering grounds in Central and South America. Because birds use “celestial cues” during their migration, the 44 spotlights that form two pillars of light can attract up to 15,000 birds in a single night.

The effects of light, sound, and chemical pollutants can mean reduced survival and reproduction for many organisms, but the researchers say studies that link sensory pollutants to population decline are rare. Their work to define these mechanisms can be the first step in developing strategies to mitigate the negative effects of sensory pollutants, which may underlie population decline.

Some of these solutions can be as simple as shields that direct streetlight downward or building berms around roads to reduce road noise, Carter says.

“Night lighting and anthropogenic sound are not localized to certain habitats and certain countries. It’s a global phenomenon,” he says. “Clarifying these mechanisms can help develop solutions to biodiversity loss and anthropogenic impacts worldwide.”

Read the full article about sensory pollution can harm animals at Futurity.