ALAN vs. predators: invertebrate hunters in NZ forests driven away by light pollution

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-06-26 09:29

New Zealand

Photo by Callum Hill on Unsplash

Artificial light at night (ALAN) could be disturbing predatory invertebrates in New Zealand forests, potentially disrupting their role as natural pest controllers. In experiments carried out at Maungatautari Ecological Island, researchers found that light pollution reduced the number of invertebrate predators by up to threefold. The average annual increase of ALAN in Aotearoa is 3.2% - faster than the global average of 2.2% - and the authors say that protecting dark refuges is becoming increasingly important.

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Research Elsevier, Web page

Journal/
conference: Biological Conservation

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Victoria University of Wellington, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Wildland Consultants Ltd, Hoskin Group,

Funder: This research was funded by a Rutherford Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to BF (RFT-NMI2201-PD) and supported by NMIT-PBRF funding to BF and EC.

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