Some plants that are illuminated all night by streetlights can develop leaves so tough that they cannot be eaten by insects, according to a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Researcher Shuang Zhang found that the more illumination there was, the tougher the leaves. In the brightest areas, the leaves were extremely tough and showed no sign of insects munching on them. Zhang says that insects eating vegetation is a normal process that sustains other creatures in the ecosystem.

adapted with permission from Earthweek.com