The Effects of Light Pollution on The Foraging Habits of Bats
Abstract
Light pollution refers to the artificial light created by humans that is often excessively bright and disrupts the natural darkness during the night. For nocturnal animals like bats, this excess light could interfere with their natural foraging habits. Since bats prey on insects through the use of echolocation, some species are more drawn to lights to forage since more insects are readily available, while others avoid lights and consequently have reduced foraging areas. In East Tennessee, bats help control insect numbers and artificial lights may be affecting their ability to thrive. During this research, areas that have lots of light, low light and no light will be set up with bat call recorders to determine the frequency of bat foraging in each of those areas. It is expected that the foraging activity will vary between different areas of lighting intensities since some bats may experience increased activity since there is an increase in the amount of prey under bright streetlights while others may experience reduced activity due to echolocation interference or light avoidance. The data collected will be used to help determine the relationship between artificial light and bat foraging behavior. This relationship can contribute to bat conservation and light management strategies to help mitigate the effects of light pollution on bats and the ecosystems they support.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 10:00 AM
Room Number
272
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Research-in-Progress
Presentation Category
Science, Technology and Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Richard Carter
The Effects of Light Pollution on The Foraging Habits of Bats
272
Light pollution refers to the artificial light created by humans that is often excessively bright and disrupts the natural darkness during the night. For nocturnal animals like bats, this excess light could interfere with their natural foraging habits. Since bats prey on insects through the use of echolocation, some species are more drawn to lights to forage since more insects are readily available, while others avoid lights and consequently have reduced foraging areas. In East Tennessee, bats help control insect numbers and artificial lights may be affecting their ability to thrive. During this research, areas that have lots of light, low light and no light will be set up with bat call recorders to determine the frequency of bat foraging in each of those areas. It is expected that the foraging activity will vary between different areas of lighting intensities since some bats may experience increased activity since there is an increase in the amount of prey under bright streetlights while others may experience reduced activity due to echolocation interference or light avoidance. The data collected will be used to help determine the relationship between artificial light and bat foraging behavior. This relationship can contribute to bat conservation and light management strategies to help mitigate the effects of light pollution on bats and the ecosystems they support.