Winter Ecology Schedules and Readings

WINTER INVERTEBRATE & HERPTILES FIELD DAY
WEEK 1 | WEEK 2  | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 |WEEK 6 | RETURN TO SYLLABUS

(Schedules etc. subject to modification)


8:30-9.00 a – Lecture -  Invertebrate Winter Ecology

9:30-11:00a Field (combined with Soil Biology field) - Mountain Pinebark Beetles and Foliar Insects in winter

 
 
Readings Insects and Herptiles –
  • LC Chapter 4: p125-141 (section on 'cold-blooded animals', including insects and herptiles)
  • A different treatment is in WEH: Chapter 3: p177-182 (section on insects)
  • Snow arthropods:  The Beacon 10(3):7 Spring 2006 (CAIC) (pdf, 330k)
Lesson points
  • What is the key critical thing that must not happen for insects under cold conditions?
    • How is that different from the key threat for mammals and birds (as homeotherms) under cold conditions?
  • If both insects and plants are generally at ambient temperatures - what additional concerns are there for insects in regards to intercellular freezing?
  • What are the 2 general strategies that insects have for dealing with freezing temperatures?
    • What are key adaptations for each strategy? (Morpholgical, physiological, behavioral)
    • How is it that some of these adaptations are shared by these 2 strategies even thought the strategies are opposite (incompatible) in their goals?
    • Under what environmental conditions might each strategy be found (explain why)?
Other resources
  • Guide to Insect Orders (pdf, 2.5M)


FIELD
Bring: 
  • Field Journal
  • Snowshoes/skis
  • if you have:
    • Work gloves




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rev.  17 Feb 12