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Nadja Neumann

Protection of the night: new BfN thematic issue

The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), in close cooperation with the IGB research group "Light Pollution and Ecophysiology", has published a new special issue of the journal "Natur und Landschaft" on the topic of light pollution.

The sun sets and night falls on the experimental field on light pollution in the Westhavelland. | Photo: IGB

"Over the last 20 years, our knowledge of the effects of artificial light on biodiversity and humans has increased enormously. And new findings are still emerging, which urgently need to be incorporated into light management, in order to avoid or mitigate negative impacts on humans and the natural environment while at the same taking safety and visibility requirements into account," said IGB researcher Franz Hölker, when explaining the idea behind the publication.

The special issue provides information on the state of research, approaches to systematic lighting planning and legal requirements.

The contributions of Protection of the night

  • Light pollution – state of research and knowledge gaps
  • The protection of the night in nature conservation law – status quo and further development of protection regimes and concepts for protection against artificial light
  • Water bodies under artificial light – Effects of light of different wavelengths on the phototaxis of aquatic insects
  • Influence of night-time artificial lighting on pollinators and their pollination services
  • Urban lighting and bird collisions – a significant problem
  • Measurement and assessment of environmental light pollution – requirements for interdisciplinary light measurement
  • Protection of the night in practice: the example of the Rhön Star Park
  • Effects of night-time outdoor lighting on humans

About “Natur und Landschaft”

"Natur und Landschaft (Nature and Landscape), published by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, is the oldest journal on nature conservation and landscape management in the German-speaking world. Each issue contains peer-reviewed original articles with previously unpublished content by expert authors on current topics in nature conservation and landscape management.

The publication (only in German) can be downloaded from the BfN website >

Contact person

Franz Hölker

Programme Area Speaker
Research group
Light Pollution and Ecophysiology

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