Report Powerlines disturb animal habitats by appearing as, invisible to us, disturbing flashes of UV light

[The Helper]

Wild animals see overhead power cables in remote regions of the countryside as disturbing lines of flashing lights, which could explain why many species avoid electricity pylons to the point where their natural territories become seriously fragmented, scientists said.

A study of wild reindeer in Norway has shown that they can see overhead power lines in the dark because their eyes are sensitive to the flashes of ultraviolet light which are invisible to the human eye but are constantly being emitted by high-voltage electrical transmission, the researchers said.

Many other species, from birds in the Arctic to elephants in Africa, can also see ultraviolet radiation which may explain why different kinds of animals in widely varying habitats all tend to avoid overhead power lines even though they are considered to be inert and invisible to wildlife, they said.

The adult human eye can only see wavelengths of light down to the blue-violet end of the visible spectrum but other animals are able to see well into the ultraviolet range. Reindeer for instance have reflective surfaces at the back of the eye that help them to see UV light on dark winter days, said Professor Glen Jeffery of University College London.

Scientists also know that many animals avoid power lines to the point that it sometimes causes their populations to fragment into separate habitats. But until now the observation could not be easily explained, especially as the avoidance goes on for many decades after the power lines were first erected.

Invisible light bursts are keeping animals away from power lines

Animals may avoid high voltage power cables because of flashing UV light that is undetectable to humans, scientists say.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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[FireCat]

That doesn't sound good.

 

[Slapshot136]

im sure the animals will eventually get used to it, just as they got used to city noise/etc.

 

[Varine]

They're fine, if they aren't then they didn't adapt to a rapidly changing world. We'll all be extinct at some point.

 

[FireCat]

We'll all be extinct at some point.

We'll never go extinct!

 

[Varine]

That's the attitude. But we will, if the species doesn't get their shit together and start terraforming. It's been 200,000 years or some shit, we gotta get off this planet yo.