Millions for research to protect insects and biodiversity

Night-time lighting affects the behavior of nocturnal insects and can even pose a threat to the survival of some species. Now a new project at the University of Gävle will map the effects of road lighting and find solutions that protect insects without affecting road safety.

Road lighting affects nocturnal insects in several ways - they are attracted to the light, their behavioral patterns change, and in some cases they may die of exhaustion or become easier prey for predators. Scientists fear that increased night-time lighting may be one of the reasons for the rapid decline in insect species worldwide, which is serious as insects are important for ecosystem services such as pollination.

A new research project at the University of Gävle will in the coming years develop scientifically validated threshold values for light exposure - the minimum light level that affects insect behavior. The threshold values are needed to protect endangered species that by law must be protected from negative impact and to develop innovative lighting solutions that both protect insects and work for humans.

Testing new technology in Gävle

- "We have done indoor studies in a previous project, but we still know very little about how much light insects are actually exposed to in their natural environment. By combining laboratory experiments, field studies and controlled tests in real environments, we will develop guidelines that can be applied directly in lighting design," says Associate Professor Annika Jägerbrand, project manager at the University of Gävle.

The research project consists of three complementary parts. First, laboratory studies are carried out where the effects of light intensity and color temperature on insects are carefully examined. Then, field studies are conducted in locations such as Gävle and southern Sweden, where researchers investigate how different adaptive lighting solutions affect insects in real road environments. In the third phase, the effect of different lighting solutions on insects is tested, where the light intensity and color temperature can be adjusted.

4.5 million in research funding

The aim is to develop new design guidelines for street and road lighting that attract fewer insects and thus have less impact on insects, other species and ecosystems. By focusing on nocturnal, particularly light-sensitive insects, the adaptations will automatically protect less light-sensitive species as well.

- This project is unique because we are not only investigating the reactions of insects, but also how lighting can be adapted in practice. By using new technologies, such as IR-sensitive cameras, we can, for example, measure exactly how many insects are attracted to different types of lighting and then optimize the lighting to minimize the effects on the insects," explains Jägerbrand.

The research project is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration, the Bertil and Britt Svensson Foundation for Lighting Technology and the lighting company Fagerhult. The total funding amounts to SEK 4.5 million. Maria Nilsson Tengelin at RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden, and Petter Andersson at Calluna AB are also participating in the project.

- "We want to develop solutions that enable lighting to fulfill its function for people and traffic while being gentle on insects and other species that need protection," says Annika Jägerbrand.