Illuminate the City: How Artificial Light and Higher Temperatures Affect Urban Plant Growth
Urban flora blossoms prematurely and has an extended growth period.
Artificial light and higher temperatures play a crucial role in the growth patterns of plants in cities, altering the natural start and end of growing seasons.
Shining a Light on Artificial Light
Artificial light, prevalent in urban areas, such as streetlights, shop signs, and LED displays, extends the plant-growing period by mimicking the effects of natural light. The influence of artificial light at night (ALAN) overrides natural cues, causing city plants to sprout earlier than rural ones and maintain their foliage longer[1][3]. Consequently, spring begins earlier, and autumn is delayed in urban environments compared to the countryside due to artificial light exposure[1].
Sizzling City Temperatures
Higher temperatures in cities, attributable to the urban heat island effect, also exert an impact on plant growth. In urban areas, materials like asphalt and concrete absorb and retain heat, reducing the availability of green spaces, increasing energy consumption, and consequently creating hotter areas [2]. Although temperature does influence growth by boosting metabolic rates and hastening development, its impact is less noticeable compared to artificial light in extending urban growing seasons [3].
Flipping the Switch to LED
The widespread use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in place of outdated lighting technologies can bring both environmental advantages and potential drawbacks for plant growth. LEDs are more efficient and generate less heat, which has the potential to reduce the urban heat island effect when they replace traditional lighting systems [3]. However, their high blue light component can significantly impact plant growth by extending the day length and messing with the natural light-dark cycle, much like other artificial lighting [1][3]. This disruption could further affect the start and end of growing seasons in urban areas.
Summary Table
| Factor | Effect on Plant Growth | Urban Impact ||-------------|--------------------------|-----------------|| Artificial Light | Extends growing season by mimicking natural light; stronger influence than temperature[1][3] | Earlier spring, delayed autumn[1] || Higher Temperatures (Urban Heat Island) | Elevates metabolic rates, hastens plant development; less influential than artificial light[2][3] | Increases energy consumption, affects species distribution[2] || LED Technologies | Energy-efficient, less heat emission; potential to disrupt the natural light cycle[3] | May reduce urban heat island effect, but can extend the growing season[3] |
In conclusion, urban environments are characterized by the influence of artificial light on the growing calendar, which is more significant than the impact of higher temperatures in cities. The switch to LED technologies may provide energy efficiency benefits but can also continue to upset the natural growth patterns due to their light characteristics.
- The community policy concerning the use of LED lighting could consider the implications for urban plant growth, given that LEDs, while energy-efficient and cooling, may extend the growing season and potentially disrupt the natural day-night cycle.
- As environmental-science researchers explore the impacts of climate-change on plant life, it would be valuable to study how the altered growing seasons in urban areas, influenced by both science-based artificial lights and changing temperatures, might affect the health-and-wellness of urban plants and the ecosystem as a whole.
- In a city's fitness-and-exercise initiatives, such as urban gardening and community planting events, participants might find it interesting to learn about the influence of artificial light and environmental factors, like the urban heat island effect, on the growth patterns of the plants they're tending to, thus creating a more scientifically informed and engaged community.
