Discussion
This study depicted that common wombat burrows provide a constant temperature 1-2m from the entrance within four different habitats – open field, forested, short ground cover and sandy bank – during both summer and autumn. However, noticeable differences in the temperatures between the seasons were observed. Although, this was expected as the insulating properties of the soil stop daily, but not seasonal, fluctuations in temperature from a depth of approximately 0.30cm (Reichman & Smith 1990), with the main factors that did influence burrow temperatures being time of day, elevation during summer and aspect during autumn. There are few studies in the literature that display the influences of elevation and aspect on burrow temperatures so these may present novel findings that might impact burrow location or use. The general outcome that burrow temperatures remain constant while temperatures outside the burrow fluctuate, however, is supported in many studies of different species. Shimmin et al
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These stable temperatures within the burrow coincide with many previous studies conducted on other burrowing animals, with all studies agreeing that the temperatures are constant daily but have a gradual seasonal change. This presents strong evidence that burrows maintain a consistent microhabitat that is effective in providing shelter from weather extremes, thereby allowing burrows to be regarded as an appropriate mechanism of thermal tolerance. The influence temperature has on wombat behaviour cannot be fully addressed due to the declining wombat population at the study site, however, it may be attributed to the small ambient temperature ranges that were experienced not having a significant impact on wombat presence in this
World War I is a war that took the lives of more than 10 million soldiers and over 7 million civilians, and wounded 10 million more. It was a conflict between the Axis powers, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Turkey, and the Allies, France, England, Russia, and Italy. After the war ended the leaders met at the Versailles Palace just outside of Paris for a treaty to settle future disputes and avoid war. The treaty was finally signed on June 28, 1919 and because Germany was responsible for war damageous and costs, they were angry and humiliated. The Treaty of Versailles lead to World War II through territorial losses, military restrictions, economic war reparations, and war guilt.
There have been many advances in technology have which have made it possible for us to manufacture materials that can keep us alive in extreme environments such as the top of Mt. Everest to the depths of Antarctica. So the question is compared to modern materials, how warm could rabbit skin robes actually have
The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is a federally listed endangered subspecies that is restricted to the small area of Point Arena, in coastal Mendocino County, California (Zielinski, et al., 2013). (See Figure 1). The Point Arena mountain beaver is a dark brown, medium-sized burrowing rodent with small ears and eyes, and long whiskers and claws (National Park Service (NPS), n.d.). The subspecies is semi-fossorial, spending most of its five to six year lifespan in underground burrows (United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), 2011). The burrows are typically found on moist and steep north-facing slopes or in well-drained gullies; each burrow contains separate chambers for food storage, nesting, and excrement (NPS,
The Barn Owl Trust (2015) stated that thermoregulation occurs within the species during winter when perching on the fences. Their activity levels minimise therefore energy is saved to aid their hunting success (The Barn Owl Trust, 2015). Thouzeau et al (1999) supported the statement and claimed that barn owls efficiently store energy throughout the winter, although their metabolic rate reduces as the species are susceptible to starvation. McCafferty et al (2015) agrees with the thermoregulation claim, although states the survival technique is not efficient as the species are exposed to the harsh winter weather therefore mortality rates increase. However, individuals which root within the farm buildings and hollow trees throughout the year have
As a nocturnal forager the bilby takes refuge in burrows during the day to escape high daytime temperatures (Robinson & Morrison). The bilby has been found to be highly intolerant to heat and becomes dangerously heat stressed at temperatures over 30°C (Robinson & Morrison 1957; Morrison 1962). This could potentially signal an issue for the bilby with climate change as while most of us have noticed an increase in daytime temperatures, there has actually been a larger increase in night-time temperatures and the bilby's current range is likely to experience some of the largest temperature increases in Australia (Hughes 2003).
The authors eventually discuss the Yellowstone experiment and share their research results. They focus on the northern winter range which is a large mountain terrain that mostly occurs within the northeastern area of Yellowstone National Park. Here, the authors took into consideration annual precipitation and even the average depth of snowpacks. After looking to historical data for the northern range of Yellowstone, Ripple and Beschta evaluated recruitment on aspen and cottonwood over the last two centuries and found that the extirpation of wolves allowed elk to browse unimpeded during winter months. After going over data from Yellowstone after wolf
When the temperature drops, animals who hibernate disappear from the outside world and emerge once again out in the open in the spring. Biologists wonder what activity occurs in the animals’ hidden underground chambers. Semi - fossorial animals dig enough suitable space underground for hibernation and movement. Woodchucks, skunks, and cottontail rabbits are known species that would occupy a den. Small mammal species like the jumping mice, meadow voles, and white footed mice are known to roam along vegetation to conceal themselves from prey. However, what is the probability that a small mammal would take the advantage and sneak right in and occupy it during the winter is a subject that interest most researchers.
Lowered breeding times adversely affect the animals’ ability to nest, reproduce, and rear their young with adequate time. Scientist have found that some “species of migratory birds are arriving at summer nesting grounds in the northern hemisphere earlier than they did before global temperatures began increasing last century” (Travers 2015). Studies have also shown that the American Crow is less likely to colonize sites that continually get warmer (Epanchin 2014). The same research found that the crow will likely go extinct at sites that have been made warmer in subsequent years. Because of this information, one can deduce that the American Crow is temperature sensitive. These findings force us to ask, if temperature increases in a region, then will American crow populations decrease accordingly? It is my contention that if an area experiences increasing temperatures, then the crow population of the area will directly decrease. Measures must be taken to stop and reverse the effects of global warming if there is any chance of preserving American crow
As mentioned earlier, the Neandertals possessed large, stocky physiques that were built to withstand the frosty weather. This is an example of a biological adaptation in response to their terrain. Without their large builds, the Neandertals would not stand a chance in the wintry weather. Along with their biological adaptation, Neandertals adopted behavioral changes as well. They even began clothing themselves. It is said, Neandertals used animal skins and hides to protect themselves from the cold (Stanton, et al., 2013, p. 405). While they clothed themselves, it was not fully effective protection against hypothermia. Hypothermia is a probable explanation to the extinction of the Neandertals; however, the Neandertals avoided the climate by seasonally migrating over long distances or by moving as overall conditions get colder (or warmer) during all parts of the year (Stanton, et al., 2013, p. 406). With their migration system, they were out in the open and inadequate portable insulation had additional ramifications for Neandertal survival (Gilligan, 2007, p. 507). The Neandertals lived nomadic lifestyles and that contributed to compromises in their hunting and gather activities as well as their fertility rates (Gilligan, 2007, p. 507). There was an evident rise in their adult mortality rates alongside with their even higher infant mortality, in view of the fact that they render infants more prone to hypothermia as
Although reproductive requirements influence the behavior of ground squirrels, environmental conditions also limit aboveground activity. Prolonged exposure hot temperatures
This report analysed the interactions between the Snowshoe Hare and the Canadian Lynx, with the aim of devising a model to describe and predict the pattern of their population changes. A set of differential equations was used to model the data. It was found that there was a strong periodic relationship in the population data, with a series of fairly consistent maximums and minimums for each species. The period was found to be about ten years for both animals, with the Lynx population extrema occurring approximately two years after the Hares'.
The study occurred at Morrell Creek in the United States Northern Rockies, a temperate boreal coniferous forest, and the animal of interest was wild snowshoe hares. Approximately 148 radio collared hares were observed over the course of two years beginning in 2010 and ending in 2012. Due to the low annual survival rate of the hares, only seven hares survived, therefore, limiting the collection of data needed to support their hypothesis. Also, because of “incomplete detection and temporary emigration of radiocolllared animals,” Mill and his companions were not able to determine spring or fall moth for the seven surviving hares. However,it was discovered that alterations in the spring color change rate from white to brown molt occurred compared to the color change in the fall where it was absent in both the beginning date and rate from brown to white molt. Futhmore, the annual average duration of snowpack will decrease between the ranges of 29-35 in the midcentury and 40-69 close to the end of the century. Also, if no changes occur in the phenotype of coat color, then by the end of the century, the decreased snow duration will cause an increase in the mismatching of hares when snow is absence (Mills et al
It has been observed that a gang of meerkats will inhabit underground burrows consisting of numerous entrance and exit holes, multiple sleeping and birthing chambers, and having hundreds of feet of tunnels branching off in several directions, which give them the ability to escape predators who invade their homes. An average gang’s burrow may have well over fifteen separate dens and it should be noted that the number of areas provide them the opportunity to rotate their use every three to four weeks. This rotation is a result of parasite (ticks, ants, fleas) overload, making living conditions both unsafe and unsanitary. Once the parasitic levels have reached a reasonable level, meerkats will re-inhabit the dens. At least one chamber within the burrow is reserved as a bathroom, or litter box, serving as a safe place for relief of bodily functions. It is extremely unsafe for a meerkat to exit the burrow at night to relieve themselves, so having a
Sex/age class had a significant effect on burrow switching ($\chi^2_{2}$=16.75, \emph{P} = 0.0002). Overall, adults used more unique burrows than non-reproductives. Among adults, males used a slightly higher number of unique burrows than females (Fig. \ref{pred_CI}). There was no effect of body size on individuals' burrow switching behavior ($\chi^2_{1}$= 0.2, \emph{P} = 0.65).
Groundcover and canopy cover were assessed in spring in conjunction with trapping. Ground cover mean results (figure 1) show that bare ground cover was greatest in Linton and Enfield high severity sites (61.4 and 52.1 % respectively) and least in the control sites (Enfield 0 % and Linton 0.71 %). Fine litter cover was greatest in the control sites (72.5 % and 62.5 % in Linton and Enfield respectively) and lowest in the high severity sites (20.1 % and16.4 %). Coarse litter cover was highest in Linton low severity (7.1 %) and equal lowest in Linton high and Enfield low (0.71 %). Vegetation cover was highest in Enfield control (50.4 %) and lowest in Linton high severity (17.1 %). Cryptogam cover was highest in Linton low severity (8.9 %) and lowest in Linton high and Enfield low severity (0.71 %). Both Enfield and Linton control sites had mean cryptogam cover of 2.5 %.