Energy Estimation of Light Pollution (the Case Study of the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve in Moscow)

Aim. Methodology elaboration for determining and estimating the amount of the added light pollution energy to the landscapes of the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve.
Methodology. Landscape lighting technical characteristics in the nature reserve were analyzed. Light characteristics of the LEDs lighting devices were converted into energy units, reflecting artificially generated light energy flux into the reserve natural environment. This energy was compared with the influx of photosynthetically active radiation, including its influx at dusk, as well as at the beginning of the growing season and leaf fall. During these periods, changes in lighting caused a considerable impact on many internal landscape processes, especially noticeable in biota restructuration.
Results. Light pollution is regarded as a factor of anthropogenic landscape dynamics, since it is associated with the supply of photon and thermal energy from lighting devices. Quantitative values of the added energy influx from artificial lighting systems into landscapes were identified. This potentially affects their seasonal and diurnal rhythms, changes in biodiversity which are most often recorded as a result of light pollution, however, without revealing the internal mechanism of this phenomenon. In our experiment, the added energy share due to the artificial lighting flux from the total solar radiation in the summer was 3–6%, in winter – up to 70%. At the beginning and at the end of the growing season, the increase in total radiation due to the added energy amounted to 6.4% and 34.1%. During the growing season, it affected shifts in the start time of tree leaf blooming and leaf fall.
Research implications. The theoretical and/or practical significance lies in identification of physics of light pollution impact process underlining physiological changes in the plant and animal world. Assessment based on instrumental measurements allows us to raise the question of the artificial light added energy impact on natural processes rhythm, changes in biodiversity, soils, and exogenous geomorphological processes. The data obtained may be used to manage light pollution control and regulation in protected areas.

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