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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Impact of Excessive Artificial Light at Night
(ALAN) on Species Diversity of Plants
and Epigeic Insects
1
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Botany and Plant Ecology,
Plac Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
2
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Plant Protection,
Plac Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
3
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute, Department of Weed Science,
Orzechowa 61, 50-540 Wrocław, Poland
Submission date: 2025-06-11
Final revision date: 2025-10-14
Acceptance date: 2025-11-08
Online publication date: 2026-02-18
Publication date: 2026-10-23
Corresponding author
Iwona Gruss
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Plant Protection, Plac Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of Plant Protection, Plac Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(5):6257-6264
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study examined the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) emitted by a lit greenhouse
complex in Poland on plant communities and surface-dwelling arthropods. The effects of ALAN were
investigated at three different distances from the light source within agricultural ecosystems. Insect
populations were sampled using Barber traps, while plant communities were assessed using the Braun-
Blanquet method. The findings showed that ALAN did not cause significant overall changes in plant
community composition. However, ordination analysis suggested species-specific shifts in response to
light pollution, indicating that some plants may adapt differently depending on their proximity to the
light source. ALAN caused a notable decrease in arthropod diversity, as measured by the Margalef
index; however, not in taxa abundance. These results, based on a single growing season, highlight the
potential ecological risks of nighttime lighting for insect biodiversity and emphasise the need for longterm
studies to understand its effects fully.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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