Adaptive Behavioural Responses of Nocturnal Mammals to Urbanization and Light Pollution in Semi Urban Landscapes

Abstract

Nocturnal mammals rely on darkness for their movement, foraging, predator avoidance, and shelter usage, and are now facing new challenges due to urbanization and artificial light at night, which are altering semi-urban habitats. The adaptations of nocturnal mammals in behavioral response to urbanization and light pollution in a semi-urban environment with agricultural fields, scrublands, forest edges, wetlands, village roads, settlements, and peri-urban extension areas were studied. The study area was divided into three artificial light zones (low, moderate, and high) from the perspective of light intensity, distance from roads, and settlement influence. Camera trapping, night transects, GPS-based habitat mapping, lux measurements, and satellite night-light data were all used to collect data. The behavioral observations were activity timing, movement frequency, foraging events,               road-crossing behavior, avoidance of illuminated areas, and habitat-use intensity. Results indicated that the most detections occurred in low-light conditions (320 detections), moderate-light conditions (219 detections), and high-light conditions (102 detections). Activity patterns also changed in brighter habitats, with the peak time of activity at the high-light areas being predominantly after midnight, especially between 00:00 and 02:00. Sensitive species were more inclined to avoid illuminated areas, and the adaptable species were partially tolerant and flexible in their behavior. The results indicate the importance of providing dark refuges, vegetation corridors, reducing night lighting, directing lights away from wildlife, and planning semi-urban development in a wildlife-friendly way for the conservation of nocturnal mammals