Midterm 2 Flashcards
Gause’s law of competitive exclusion
Two species competing for the exact same limiting resource/s cannot coexist
• one will outcompete the other (can’t overlap in all dimensions)
Is migratory coupling likely or unlikely to happen in this population?
- Low landscape productivity
- Ectotherms
- Predators are sessile, swimming, or walking
low likelihood
Arctic ground squirrels hibernate. How do they prepare for this?
- Seasonal phenomenon
- Pre-hibernation hyperphagia • Gain up to 40% of body mass • Need polyunsaturated fats
- Find hibernaculum: dark, near 0°C
How do hibernating animals know when to hibernate? What influences the timing? 2 things (very brief).
influenced by circannual and environmental cues
Why does the incidence of population cycles increase with latitude only in mammals?
Many fish, birds and insects can mitigate the effects of seasonality by migration or diapause (insects), but few mammals (from this study) do.
sustained state of hypothermia with behavioural inactivity, entry to and exit from which is governed by internal signals together with exclusively seasonal external cues.
hibernation
How does blubber benefit arctic animals?
- Insulation
- Helps deal with fasting that can occur in winter (energy stores)
Describe this consequence of freezing in the body of an organism:
Freezing of intracellular fluids.
Freezing intracellular fluids:
• Increases osmolality (solute concentration) in
unfrozen portions (extracellular)
• Can cause osmotic swelling & rupture
What are pros and cons of geolocators vs. satellite locators (ICARUS) or use on birds?
- Smaller; can go on small birds
- Cheaper
BUT
- Cannot transmit data (must be retrieved)
- Low location accuracy – average 185km
T or F - eliminating plant chemical defences (toxicity) for lemmings prevented population cycles
false
T or F - costs of migration increase with distance migrated
true
- predation increases diversity by reducing interspecific competition among prey species
- E.g., presence of herbivores creates more niches for plants
- remove predators and prey start competing • One (or a few) may dominate
- E.g. conifers in Boreal forest
Cropping principle:
Do duck and geese use the same flyways or do they change routes during migration?
- Ducks & Geese
- Use particular flyways
- Narrow & well defined paths
- Hunter band (on foot) returns
- Useful conservation info
T or F - species richness increases with increasing latitude
FALSE -
The number of species increases from high (cold-temperate) to low (warm) latitudes
- highest at approx. latitude 0
What can cause osteoporosis in moose teeth/jaw?
if a twig gets caught in teeth they can get an infection and have permanent damage or die
List some major migrators in the boreal forest
- salmon
- whooping crane
- caribou
- white winged scoter
- palm warbler
T or F - metabolism and foraging behaviour are linked. Describe this.
- TRUE.
- In the ocean, mammal and bird richness generally peak in colder, temperate waters
- Ectothermic fish and reptiles that rely on ambient heat
to regulate their body temperature show the highest diversity in tropical and subtropical habitats
In order to keep an insect in check, ___ of offspring must die.
- 90%
- 92.5%
- 95 %
- 97.5%
- 99%
- 99.9%
97.5%
T or F - there is no latitudinal gradient in population cycle periods.
TRUE.
Also, the occurrence of cycles increases with latitude, but only in mammals.
Describe this Extrinsic hypothesis of lemming population cycling: sun/weather (abiotic) hypothesis.
Sun spots (11 yr cycle) & weather - influences weather patterns (correlated with net snow accumulation), can correlate with cycles of lemmings
Is boreal forest precipitation increasing or decreasing? Does it differ from east to west, or in winter or summer?
Increasing everywhere.
More precipitation in winter, but less precipitation in summer (north, ex. northern Alberta).
Thermal conductance and conductivity can be reduced by insulation. How do arctic foxes change their fur to accomplish this?
Shed new fur or grow new fur.
Conductance:
• In Arctic fox, fur conductance 114% higher in the summer than the winter
• Fur thickness increased 200% summer to winter
There are 2 ways animals can reduce heat loss in their peripheries in winter.
Describe: Allowing peripheral tissues to be cooler, in huskies.
- Huskies maintain foot temperature at 0C even if the ground is -50C.
- Cutaneous vascular plexus regulates footpad temp to within a degree of freezing
• _____: low production, high diversity
• deserts: low production, high diversity
What may cause erosion of moose teeth?
Cadium is very high in west MB soils - moose eat aspen which accumulates cadmium 10x more than other trees. The cadmium ruins their teeth.
By how many degrees did the Yukon warm from 1950-2000?
1.5C
Why might moose rip bark off trees?
Low nutritional value but done in severe winters
Describe how these 3 allow organisms to survive freezing (each is different).
- Ice nucleating proteins –
- Antifreeze proteins –
- Cryoprotectants –
- Ice nucleating proteins – allow formation of ice crystals, slow and controlled.
- Antifreeze proteins – prevent ice crystals getting too large.
- Cryoprotectants – Prevent cell shrinkage, promote supercooling.
T or F - young cows (female moose) have more offspring than older ones.
FALSE - young cows have 1 offspring, older ones have more, 2-4.
Describe the migration of pattern/path soaring birds may take (eagles, hawks, seabirds like sooty shearwaters, wandering albatross).
- Use updrafts & thermals
- Only fly in daytime
- Stay over land
What type of species are particular abundant in the arctic diversity wise?
Primitive species are particularly abundant
There are more species of primitive taxa (i.e., mosses, liverworts, lichens & algae) in the Arctic than of vascular plants
Is the boreal forest vulnerable? Why or why not? What would be a risk?
- Boreal trees: high fecundity, large genetic diversity, large populations create high adaptive potential
- Boreal forest vulnerable to climate change because of the homogeneity of the boreal landscape and the pace of change
- Vulnerable to loss of permafrost
- Drought and fire will move Prairies northward
- Invasive shrub species may interrupt the traditional recovery from forest fires
T or F - These are intracellular protectants from freezing:
•Ice Nucleating
Proteins (INP)
•Antifreeze Proteins (AFP)
•Polyols
False - extracellular
___ regions along the Woodland/Shrubland border are browning; the rest of the boreal forest is greening.
(east, west, north, south).
Strongest warming is along the Tundra/Boreal forest boundary.
Western regions along the Woodland/Shrubland border are browning; the rest of the boreal forest is greening.
Strongest warming is along the Tundra/Boreal forest boundary.
Lemming body size during pop. cycle?
* in terms of population cycles
•animals often largest during the peak phase (controlling for age, sex, reproductive stage). The ‘Chitty effect’ (selection favors different genotypes at different densities, behavioural polymorphism).
Adaption
Adaptation = inheritable characteristic that gives the individual an advantage (reproductively) over others with different inherited abilities
What insect stage is most cold tolerant?
Late larval instars are the most cold tolerant. They can withstand temperatures approaching -40° for extended periods. If the beetle enters winter as a young larvae, or any other life stage, significant mortality may occur.
T or F - Abiotic factors influence the northern borders of geographic distribution of animals.
TRUE - Often, it’s temperatures lower than species-specific tolerance limits.
T or F - foot size decreases with latitude within species.
FALSE - it increases with latitude within species
- Exam
What determines the southern borders of the geographic distribution of terrestrial Arctic animals?
Often it’s biotic factors such as competitors and natural enemies.
What can cause birds to get lost during migration?
Storms – weather
• blown off course, get lost
What are proximate vs ultimate explanations?
Proximate explanations refer to causal mechanism or developmental questions
Ultimate explanations refer to the functional or evolutionary history questions
What age moose are hunters killing and why is this a problem?
Most kills 0-7 years old (esp. 1.5 to 2.5) - they’re removing the prime breeders and the ones that would be breeders soon so the population isn’t increasing much.
Describe the process of cryoprotectant formation in wood frogs. What else do they do?
- Blood glucose rises from ~5 mM to 200-400 mM
- Glucose triggered by ice formation
- Made from liver glycogen
- Liver is ~12% of body mass
In summary, they…
• Alter metabolism to synthesize cryoprotectants (polyols, sugars)
• Defend against intracellular desiccation
• Suppress metabolic rate
When do moose shed antlers, and who sheds first?
- Shed in 1st week of December
- Older bulls first
What’s an ultimate explanation for migration?
must increase fitness somehow
T or F - Biotic factors influence the northern borders of geographic distribution of animals.
FALSE - Often, it’s temperatures lower than species-specific tolerance limits.
Describe this (1/2) hypothesis of why migration evolved/ started: Climate change.
- Climate change
• Species lived in the north all year during periods when the climate was warm
• The climate gradually changedeventually the winters grew too cold, forcing the species to head south each year.
Wood frogs freeze solid in winter, how is this possible?
Ice nucleating agents:
- Form in extracellular regions
- Initiate ice crystals formation
- Prevent crystals from getting big
- Extracellular freezing only
- Up to 70% of body water frozen
Biotelemetry is the measurement of behavioural, energetic status and movements of animals in their natural environment.
Why is it beneficial?
What is one major con of biotelemetry?
- Provides insight into a species’ ecological role and biotic/abiotic interactions in the ecosystem.
- Can acquire a large amount of data quickly - depth, temperature, movement, GPS, salinity, [phytoplankton], etc. depending on method.
Con: Expensive!
What 3 things limit the northern growth of Aspen trees?
- moisture
- long growing season
- temperature
T or F - predators lag behind prey in population
true
What animal has this?
Cutaneous vascular plexusregulate footpad temp to within a degree of freezing.
Husky
Describe this 1 of 7 latitudinal gradient hypotheses: Productivity
+ exceptions
- tropics support a greater number of species because more resources are available, allowing for more specialization
- larger input of solar energy = more primary production
- in general: ↑ production → ↑ diversity
exceptions:
• marshes: high production, relatively low diversity
• deserts: low production, high diversity
No correlation between productivity and vertebrate biodiversity
How can tracking arctic cod give us new data? What is measured with these monitoring techniques?
- 85 tagged arctic cod gave over 1 million detections
- GLMM to examine daily presence and absence throughout the year
- Fixed effects: ice cover, salinity, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, toothed whale presence
- Discovered new movements and behaviour, like how they expanded residence during open water and ice cover
- Many depart from the same area en masse
Selection favors different genotypes at different densities (behavioural polymorphism).
Chitty hypothesis
How can sublethal effects of predation risk could affect hare reproduction?
Fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations were 7x higher in captive hares exposed to predators (a trained dog) during gestation
Offspring of stressed hares were smaller
Litter size decreased
Maternal inheritance of stress hormones (may explain lag of population recovery)
Describe vertical migration in copepods or zooplankton.
- Deep waters during the day (avoid visual predators)
- Surface at night to feed, predators again don’t find them as much
- Depth ranges from 40 m at noon, up to the surface at dusk and returning again to the same depth just before dawn.
____ birds lay smaller clutches, less frequently – offset by higher survival
Tropical birds lay smaller clutches, less frequently – offset by higher survival
Did migration originate from the north or the south? Explain this.
- NORTH!
• Analyzed an evolutionary tree showing the lineages of some 800 species of songbirds
• Developed a model that used the evolutionary tree for these many species to predict the ancestry of their seasonal migrations
• reconstructed changes in the breeding and nonbreeding distribution of these birds throughout their evolutionary history
** • Found that long-distance migration had most often evolved through species shifting their wintering ranges toward the tropics.
** • Taken together, the evidence suggests that migration evolved most commonly in birds that originally were found in the north, the “northern home” idea.
What is the metabolic and overall response in this situation:
Endothermic predator, ectothermic prey
- Can be asymmetric in metabolic response to water temperature
- Higher capture efficiency in colder waters – prey more sluggish
T or F - lemmings are keystone species
True - Lemmings are keystone -herbivores in many tundra areas
T or F - the incidence of population cycles increased with latitude in fish.
FALSE - in mammals.
- Many fish, birds and insects can mitigate the effects of seasonality by migration or diapause (insects), but few mammals (from this study) do
When is the lemming reproduction rate lowest? When is winter reproduction common?
- in terms of population cycles
•reproductive rate is lowest at peak densities
(maturation rate, pregnancy rate, breeding season
length)
•winter reproduction is common in years prior to the peak
•litter sizes are generally smaller in winter – however,
population growth is more rapid
What is the mechanism of moose antler shedding?
Erosion at the point of adhesion, around the edges.
What are benefits of wintering in the south for caribou?
• Winter in areas in south:
-regions with less snow
- feed on lichens primarily
• Move north to calving areas in spring:
- on tundra, minimize encounters with predators
- good foraging during lactation
- winds keep insects away
• Caribou can lose up to 300ml of blood per day from insects
What part of the moose falls off, and how?
The bell with rope (the patch of fur like stuff hanging below face) freezes and falls off.
List 4 major environmental drivers of habitat use.
- Migration (latitude)
- Environment presence interactions (ex. chlorophyll A concentration, estimating niche dynamics, thermal habitat use, shark and fishery overlap)
- Animal density
- Residence/foraging areas
T or F - These are intracellular protectants from freezing:
High ‘polyols’
• Glucose
• Glycerol
• Sorbitol
true
What are some control measures for insect outbreaks? There are 9, list 5 or 6.
pheromone traps cut and burn cold weather predators (woodpeckers) forest fires nematodes fungi tree defences (pitch) thinner stands
What 2 things can change the insulation of fur (or feathers)?
- Structure of hair (ex. reindeer hair is hollow).
* Increased density & thickness of fur.
Recent hypotheses have speculated that the jet stream flow will become more meridional as the temperature contrast between Arctic and Sub-tropical zones declines.
What could this cause?
- This leads to prolonged spells of anomalous weather, though the overall global average will continue to rise
- These spells of unusual weather could trigger events that tip ecosystems into a new state
- Forest fires, extreme permafrost melt, winter rain or freezing rain, droughts, floods
Ecology of fear
Non-consumptive (are not eaten) predator effects:
• Altered foraging patterns
• Chronic stress under risk of predation
Describe this technology: BRUV video.
- Lasers take measurements of creature
- Video recording (can put go pro on this instrument)
- Can catch animals with bait, ex shark
In the ocean, what might be the biggest driver of diversity?
SST - sea surface temp!
A link between food & predator hypotheses: why do populations cycle in the North?
• simple food webs: specialist predators tightly coupled to prey
• length of winter: long winters mean food supply is not replenished
** key: Delayed density dependance in stronger in long winters (can be top-down or bottom-up, as long as winter is long)
4 ways animals can survive in the cold.
- Migrate (leave)
- Habitat selection (hide)
•Underground
•Deep water (fresh or salt) – not always •Under snow - Adjust life cycle (overwinter as eggs)
- Adjust body temperature
•Increase metabolism (produce heat)
•Reduce heat loss (insulate)
Environmental drivers of habitat use, describe how shark-fishery overlaps were found
- Found shark hotspots and found fishing hotspots, overlap of high density sharks and fishing vessels = bycadch
Removing 13 black bears from a moose range will change the population from 40/100 calves to __/100 surviving calves.
80
What rule describes why many arctic animals white?
Gloger’s Rule
Pigmentation (melanin) declines as one approaches the poles
Can animals use freeze avoidance if they’re in physical contact with ice?
Freeze tolerance often seen in animals that can’t avoid coming into contact with ice (freeze avoidance doesn’t work).
Endotherms stay warm to survive the cold.
Describe torpor.
Torpor - entry of animal into hypothermia with behavioural inactivity.
Torpor conserves energy; less expended at a given temperature.
Do migratory shorebirds
experience reduced nest predation the farther north they travel?
Yes - 6 fold higher survival at higher latitudes, so higher chance of chick survival/ fitness if you go more north.
- Nest survival increased with
latitude - Thus, higher egg survival is a benefit of longer migration
This latitudinal decline in Arctic species is associated with an increase in super-dominant species that occupy a wide range of habitats.
Give a few examples of these super dominant species
- Mosses
- Sedges
- Willow
- Lemmings
** Exam
T or F - In warmer waters (closer to equator), trophic control is due to resource control.
TRUE (bottom-up control, so nutrient supply of primary producers determines abundance of higher levels)
What happens when prey is at low density for specialist vs generalist predators? What is the result?
- Specialist predators – efficient even at low prey densities
- Generalist predators – may switch to alternative prey (stabilizes dynamics)
Thus, predation patterns affect prey population dynamics
Describe the 3rd stage in the evolution of migration: Migration.
- only migrant population remains. Gradual elimination of the resident population
** Exam
T or F - In warmer waters (closer to equator), trophic control is due to consumer control.
FALSE - resource control
Foxes can survive __ days of starvation before beginning to use fat deposits
Foxes can survive 7 days of starvation before beginning to use fat deposits
In migration: Quality of wintering grounds can affect ____ and _____
Quality of wintering grounds can affect survival and breeding success
When do moose antlers grow, are full size, and harden?
- New growth 1st week of April
- Full size mid July
- Harden by Sept
(shed velvet early Sept, lose antlers in 1st week of December).
T or F - specialist predators drive lemming population cycles
TRUE - Specialist predators appear to drive the cycle (predator will hunt lemmings even at low abundance)
Describe this consequence of freezing in the body of an organism:
Increased concentrations of inorganic salts due to freezing.
Freezing increases concentrations of inorganic
salts:
• Can change structure of proteins, inhibit functioning
(enzymes)
T or F - castrated bulls (moose) stop shedding their antlers.
true
Describe this intrinsic hypothesis of lemming population cycling: Chitty hypothesis.
Chitty hypothesis: behavioral & genetic factors
- selection favors different genotypes at different densities
- behavioral polymorphism
- Populations consist of ‘docile’ and ‘aggressive’ types whose fitness varies with population density.
- At high density, selection favors aggressive types that are good survivors but poor breeders. Population decreases.
- At low density, selection favors docile type that are good breeders. Population increases.
Ice management is key to survive freezing (or to avoid it).
What is a category of intracellular compounds that can be used? Give 3 examples.
•Intracellularly: High ‘polyols’
- Glucose
- Glycerol
- Sorbitol
What are implications for sedges with climate change? What has been their response?
Their initial responses to climatic warming are likely to be increased productivity and abundance
• followed by probable later movement farther to the north.
There are 3 subpoints of the vegetation herbivore interaction hypothesis lemming population cycling:
a. Food abundance
b. Nutrient recovery hypothesis (food quality)
c. Plant chemical defence
Describe: Nutrient recovery hypothesis (food quality).
- was this proven right or wrong?
high lemming populations reduced plant cover and the insulation provided by dead vegetation, thereby increasing the depth of thaw and diluting the soil nutrient pool
Test: add fertilizer.
Did not prevent decline
Why are northern ecosystems less diverse (2)?
• Low prey diversity promotes unstable population dynamics (cycles)
• Less species redundancy lowers ecosystem
resilience
Describe insect freeze tolerance or avoidance in boreal regions.
- Many insects freeze tolerant
- Some can tolerate -85C
- Very low super cooling point, extremely high cyroprotectants
- When freezing, glycerol binds to water; water is not lost during this, avoids dehydration.
What can be used to identify female vs male moose?
Vulva patch - females have white patch in this area. They also have a smaller bell and lighter nose.
Which 3 trees may be most affected by insect outbreaks? All are pines.
- Lodgepole pine
- Jack pine
- Whitebark pine
Describe this 1 of 7 latitudinal gradient hypotheses: Disturbance
• if community disturbance frequency is very high →
local extinction of species → ↓ species diversity
• if community disturbance frequency is very low → competitive exclusion by dominant species → ↓ species diversity
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis:
• moderate disturbance maximizes diversity
• leads to patches at local level
What are the predicted fire impacts of climate change in terms of: frequency, severity, changes in trees, carbon.
- More frequent and severe fires
- Shorter growth periods between fires
- Proportionally younger stands
- Change in forest structure
- Decrease in carbon storage (may become carbon source)
When is moose antler velvet shed and what do they do with it?
- Shed early September
- Moose shakes head or sometimes rubs against stuff to try to grab it, and eats it.
T or F - Antlers are the fastest growing tissue we know of
TRUE
Why might animals move to a new location?
- Acquire food (or energy)
- Avoid predation
- Avoid adverse conditions
- Locate suitable mates
- Locate spawning or nursery habitats
Population cycle
a pattern of periodic fluctuations in population size with rather constant period (amplitude may vary highly)
Influenced by food, predators, disease, climate
The shape is not necessarily symmetrical; tends to be a rapid explosion after 2 or more low years
- Not seasonal
changes, or irregular
irruptions, but regular,
multi-annual cycles
Approx how many km is a round trip for the arctic tern?
How long is it’s lifespan, and how many km does this result in? How many round trips to the moon?
- Average round trip was 70,900 km (range 59,500 - 81,600 km)
- Lifespan > 30 years: total distance flown in a lifetime may be >2.4 million km ( ~3 return journeys to the Moon)
T or F - female moose have smaller bells than males and lighter noses.
True.
Scale of prey + predators together
- Migrant prey induces migration in predators to feed on this prey
migratory coupling
Migratory coupling
- Scale of prey + predators together
- Migrant prey induces migration in predators to feed on this prey
Do moose have antlers or horns?
Antlers! Horns are retained, antlers are not
What are some major dangers for moose?
- Hunting
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Railroads
- Other accidents (drowning)
- Brain worm
- Ticks
- hydatid cysts in lungs (from wolves)
- Calves being hunted by wolves, and bears (*huge)
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis:
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis:
• moderate disturbance maximizes diversity
• leads to patches at local level
T or F - zooplankton migrate
True! But within the water column (vertical migration)
What is “upper level flow”, aka zonal and meridional flow? (in terms of location and what it actually is).
- Zonal: Atmospheric circulation that following (generally) latitudinal lines.
- Meridional: Same, but more longitudinal (north to south).
- Can be thought of as rivers of air (wind). Fastest winds are found where the lines are packed, and the core of the high speed winds is the jet stream.
Pigmentation (melanin) declines as one approaches the poles
Gloger’s rule
Less biodiverse systems in colder waters = ____ controlled
- productivity
- resource
- consumer
- temperature
Less biodiverse systems in colder waters = consumer controlled
Traveling from a central place to a patch containing food and then returning to that central place (typically a nest)
• No spatio-temporal restrictions here
• Longer distance better have higher payoff
central place foraging
Define biotelemetry
Measurement of behavioural, energetic status and movements of animals in their natural environment.
T or F - Rising ocean temperatures may alter the balance of marine endotherms and ectotherms across the globe
true! Affect predator prey relationships between endos and ectos, and endos may become less efficient at consuming prey over time.
What’s a proximate explanation for migration?
perception of day length, hormonal triggers
- Prevent cell shrinkage
* Promote supercooling
Cryoprotectants
T or F - supplemental food for lemmings prevented population cycles
false
__% of moose breed between September 22nd-30th
65%
____ = longest and largest insect migration in North America, traveling up to 8,000 km/yr
monarch butterfly
T or F - the reason pinnipeds are most diverse at the poles may be related due to low shark diversity/numbers at the poles. This means that sharks are competitors to seals.
False - most likely they’re predators to the seals
Rapoport’s Rule:
Rapoport’s Rule: taxa have larger latitudinal ranges in polar regions
Describe this 1 of 7 latitudinal gradient hypotheses: Predation
• increased species diversity in tropics is function of increased number of predators that regulate the prey species at low densities
• decreases competition among prey species (due to high predation)
• allows coexistence of prey species and potential for
new additions
• Stronger selective pressure on avoiding predation than
becoming better competitors
***** not required for card but key:
Cropping principle:
• predation increases diversity by reducing interspecific competition among prey species
• E.g., presence of herbivores creates more niches for plants
• remove predators and prey start competing • One (or a few) may dominate
• E.g. conifers in Boreal forest
___% of species exhibit population cycles
29% (could say 30)
- predation increases diversity by reducing interspecific competition among prey species
- E.g., presence of herbivores creates more niches for plants
- remove predators and prey start competing
- One (or a few) may dominate
- E.g. conifers in Boreal forest
Cropping principle:
What is the mechanism of reindeer conchae (reduce heat loss when breathing)?
Animal inhales:
• Air passes over warm mucosa, saturated with water
• Mucosa are cooled & warm wet air goes to lungs
Animal exhales:
• Air passing back over cooler mucosa is warm, wet from lungs
• Water condenses & mucosa are warmed
• Animal exhales cool “dry” air
What 2 things is insulation by fur decreased by? Give an example for each.
Water:
• Fur does not work as well when wet
• Polar bear fur sheds water very efficiently
Wind:
• Destroys air layering = heat loss by convection
• Muskoxen very long fur is not affected by high winds
Describe this consequence of freezing in the body of an organism:
Extracellular freezing.
Extracellular freezing:
- Can cause cells to shrink too much (desiccation)
- Leads to stress on membranes
- Stops cell functioning
Describe this form of biotelemetry: Satellite telemetry (data loggers), which were used in the 70’s.
- Basic mechanism (2 types).
- Pros and cons of both.
- Animals it may be used for.
- What kind of things it can measure.
- Mechanism: Sends a signal when a satellite passes by a tagged animal. More satellite pings give better location estimates. Signal is transmitted to receiving stations then processed in France or Washington DC.
- ARGOS uses Doppler effect to estimate location – high error, can give a wide range (estimated) of location.
- GPS (Global position system) – high spatial accuracy, smaller range estimation.
- First placed on large terrestrial animals (black bear and elk) but can be used for diving animals too.
- Can track things like location, time, depth, temp, salinity, fluorometry.
Measurement of behavioural, energetic status and movements of animals in their natural environment.
biotelemetry
Describe 2 strategies birds can use when flying to ensure they’ll have enough energy stories during migration.
- Get really fat & then long flight (lipid stores)
2. Not so fat, short flights, stopover & feed to refuel
If you saw moose antlers each with 2 spikes, what would you know about the moose?
It’s younger, they have smaller and simpler antlers - antlers are offensive/ for fighting and are simple, and pointed.
How are polar bears caught and tagged?
- Tranquilize bear from helicopter
- Take measurements
- Can put on collar or ear tag
entry of animal into hypothermia with behavioural inactivity.
torpor
This latitudinal decline in Arctic species is associated with an increase in super-dominant species that occupy a wide range of habitats.
Why are they able to live in a wide range of habitats?
These “super-dominant” species are generally highly plastic, occupy a wide range of habitats, and generally have large effects on ecosystem processes
- Must be generalists, specialization isn’t ideal
In the ocean, mammal and bird richness generally peak in ___, ____ waters.
In the ocean, mammal and bird richness generally peak in colder, temperate waters,
Would this bird have high, moderate, or low juvenile survival rates?
- Temperate resident:
- Migrant:
- Tropical resident:
- Temperate resident: low
- Migrant: moderate
- Tropical resident: moderate to high
Describe this 1 of 7 latitudinal gradient hypotheses: History (time)
- also give support and arguments against this theory
History (time) hypothesis:
• tropical habitats are older, more stable, less disturbed
• Time for adaptation & speciation
Support for theory:
• geological past of boreal less constant than tropics due
to glaciation
• all communities diversify with time
Argument against it:
• as glaciers moved in, species moved south to escape
• history hypothesis can not be tested
How did moose come to Canada?
Bering land bridge
