Nearby night lighting, rather than sky glow, is associated with habitat selection by a top predator in human-dominated landscapes.

ABSTRACT: Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing in extent and intensity across the globe. It has been shown to interfere with animal sensory systems, orientation and distribution, with the potential to cause significant ecological impacts. We analysed the locations of 102 mountain lions (Puma concolor) in a light-polluted region in California. We modelled their distribution relative to environmental and human-disturbance variables, including upward radiance (nearby lights), zenith brightness (sky glow) and natural illumination from moonlight. We found that mountain lion probability of presence was highly related to upward radiance, that is, related to lights within approximately 500 m. Despite a general pattern of avoidance of locations with high upward radiance, there were large dif

SUBMITTER: Barrientos R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10613539 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature