Chapter 5 Threats
habitat, and serves as a food source. Therefore, any change in vegetation could indirectly affect animal populations.
5.11.4 Excess Energy – Anticipated Impacts The most common expression of excess energy is light pollution. It alters and interferes with the timing of necessary biological activities, especially for crepuscular and nocturnal species by exposing them to predators and reducing the time they have to find food, shelter, or mates, and to reproduce. Excessive lighting has been shown to alter the nesting behavior of sea turtles, causing females to cluster nests in areas shaded from lights, which leads to competition for nesting sites and damage to previously laid eggs (Salmon et al. 1995a) . Once the nestlings hatch, light pollution causes them to become disoriented and have difficulty finding their way to the ocean, thus increasing predation and mortality (Salmon et al. 1995b) . Nocturnal animals are adapted to seeing in low light conditions; consequently, lights at night can blind these animals causing disruptions to migrations and local movements. Increased mortality due to roadkill at night is common for species such as Opossum and skunks. Some salamanders show reduced night foraging behavior in the presence of artificial lights. Of course, light pollution has a dramatic effect on insects, killing or affecting countless numbers. Their altered behavior, in turn, affects animals that feed on them, such as bats and birds like the Common Nighthawk and Whip-poor-will. Light pollution can send bird migrations off course, which can cause mortality. There are instances of spring migrants such as warblers becoming disoriented by lights in a fog and flying into a building, killing hundreds of the birds. 5.11.5 SGCN Priority Species The Taxa Team evaluation considered the level of threat pollution and contaminants represent to SGCN priority species. Lists of the SGCN and other priority species this threat is expected to have a very high or high impact on can be found in Appendix 5, Table 5.11-1 1 Species at Risk of Impacts From Pollution and Contaminants.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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