Thermal Ecology
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Thermal Ecology
Thermal ecology is the study of the interactions between temperature and organisms. Such interactions include the effects of temperature on an organism's physiology, behavioral patterns, and relationship with its environment. While being warmer is usually associated with greater fitness, maintaining this level of heat costs a significant amount of energy. Organisms will make various trade-offs so that they can continue to operate at their preferred temperatures and optimize metabolic functions. With the emergence of climate change scientists are investigating how species will be affected and what changes they will undergo in response. History While it is not known exactly when thermal ecology began being recognized as a new branch of science, in 1969, the Savanna River Ecology Laboratory (Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, SREL) developed a research program on thermal stress due to heated water previously used to cool nuclear reactors being released into various nearby bodies of wa ...
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Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
The Savannah River Site (SRS), formerly the Savannah River Plant, is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reservation in the United States, located in the state of South Carolina on land in Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties adjacent to the Savannah River. It lies southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The site was built during the 1950s to refine nuclear materials for deployment in nuclear weapons. It covers and employs more than 10,000 people. It is owned by the DOE. The management and operating contract is held by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC (SRNS) and the Integrated Mission Completion contract by Savannah River Mission Completion. A major focus is cleanup activities related to work done in the past for American nuclear buildup. Currently none of the reactors on-site are operating, although two of the reactor buildings are being used to consolidate and store nuclear materials. SRS is also home to the Savannah River National Laboratory and the United States' only operat ...
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Ectotherm
An ectotherm (), more commonly referred to as a "cold-blooded animal", is an animal in which internal physiological sources of heat, such as blood, are of relatively small or of quite negligible importance in controlling body temperature.Davenport, John. Animal Life at Low Temperature. Publisher: Springer 1991. Such organisms (frogs, for example) rely on environmental heat sources, which permit them to operate at very economical metabolic rates. Some of these animals live in environments where temperatures are practically constant, as is typical of regions of the abyssal ocean and hence can be regarded as homeothermic ectotherms. In contrast, in places where temperature varies so widely as to limit the physiological activities of other kinds of ectotherms, many species habitually seek out external sources of heat or shelter from heat; for example, many reptiles regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun, or seeking shade when necessary in addition to a host of ...
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Quantitative Ecology
Quantitative ecology is the application of advanced mathematical and statistical tools to any number of problems in the field of ecology. It is a small but growing subfield in ecology, reflecting the demand among practicing ecologists to interpret ever larger and more complex data sets using quantitative reasoning. Quantitative ecologists might apply some combination of deterministic or stochastic mathematical models to theoretical questions or they might use sophisticated methods in applied statistics for experimental design and hypothesis testing. Typical problems in quantitative ecology include estimating the dynamics and status of wild populations, modeling the impacts of anthropogenic or climatic change on ecological communities, and predicting the spread of invasive species or disease outbreaks. Quantitative ecology, which mainly focuses on statistical and computational methods for addressing applied problems, is distinct from theoretical ecology which tends to explore foc ...
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Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis is the process of heat production in organisms. It occurs in all warm-blooded animals, and also in a few species of thermogenic plants such as the Eastern skunk cabbage, the Voodoo lily ('' Sauromatum venosum''), and the giant water lilies of the genus '' Victoria''. The lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe, '' Arceuthobium americanum'', disperses its seeds explosively through thermogenesis. Types Depending on whether or not they are initiated through locomotion and intentional movement of the muscles, thermogenic processes can be classified as one of the following: * Obligatory Thermogenesis: Heat produced from energy expended for vital metabolic processes necessary to sustain an organism. * Exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT) * Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): Energy expended for any spontaneous physical activity that is not a structured exercise routine or sports-like exercise. This can include but is not limited to walking, leisure activities, fid ...
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Jack In The Pulpit (Arum Maculatum) - Geograph
Jack in the pulpit may refer to: * ''Arum maculatum'', a common woodland plant species widespread across temperate northern Europe * ''Arisaema triphyllum'', a herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern North America * Cat's cradle ''Cat's Cradle'' is a satirical postmodern novel, with science fiction elements, by American writer Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut's fourth novel, it was first published on March 18, 1963, exploring and satirizing issues of science, technology, the p ...
, a well-known series of string figures created between two people as a game {{disambiguation, plant ...
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Italian Wall Lizard
The Italian wall lizard or ruin lizard (''Podarcis siculus'', from the Greek meaning ''foot'' and ''agile''), is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. ''P. siculus'' is native to southern and southeastern Europe, but has also been introduced elsewhere in the continent, as well as North America, where it is a possible invasive species. ''P. siculus'' is a habitat generalist and can thrive in natural and human-modified environments. Similarly, ''P. siculus'' has a generalized diet as well, allowing it to have its large range.Crnobrnja-Isailovic J, Vogrin M, Corti C, Pérez Mellado V, Sá-Sousa P, Cheylan M, Pleguezuelos J, Sindaco R, Romano A, Avci A (2009). "''Podarcis siculus'' (errata version published in 2016)". ''The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species'' 2009: e.T61553A86151752. . Downloaded on 31 October 2021 ''P. siculus'' is notable for having many subspecies within its large range. Studies evidence how rapidly ''P. siculus'' subspecies can become distinguishable fro ...
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Temperature-size Rule
The temperature-size rule denotes the plastic response (i.e. phenotypic plasticity) of organismal body size to environmental temperature variation. Organisms exhibiting a plastic response are capable of allowing their body size to fluctuate with environmental temperature. First coined by David Atkinson in 1996, it is considered to be a unique case of Bergmann's rule that has been observed in plants, animals, birds, and a wide variety of Ectotherm, ectotherms. Although exceptions to the temperature-size rule exist, recognition of this widespread "rule" has amassed efforts to understand the physiological mechanisms (via possible tradeoffs) underlying growth and body size variation in differing environmental temperatures. History Relation to Bergmann's rule In 1847, Carl Bergmann (anatomist), Carl Bergmann published his observations that Endotherm, endothermic body size (i.e. Mammal, mammals) increased with increasing latitude, commonly known as Bergmann's rule. His rule postulat ...
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Podarcis Sicula Rb
''Podarcis'' is a genus of lizards, known colloquially as wall lizards, in the family Lacertidae. Its members look very similar to lizards of the genus ''Lacerta'', to which they were considered to belong until the 1970s. While similar externally and ecologically, ''Podarcis'' form a distinct group differing from ''Lacerta'' by the construction of the skull and the hemipenis, and by the processes of the caudal vertebrae. Wall lizards are native to Europe and northern Africa, and most species are restricted to the Mediterranean region. Wall lizards diversified and hybridized during the Messinian salinity crisis. The Italian wall lizard and the common wall lizard have been introduced to North America, where they have become intermediate hosts for some Acuariidae larvae. Species and subspecies The genus ''Podarcis'' contains the following 27 species which are recognized as being valid. A few of the many recognized subspecies are also listed here. *Bocage's wall lizard, ''Podarcis ...
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Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. The company was among the three largest chemical producers in the world in 2021. It is the operating subsidiary of Dow Inc., a publicly traded holding company incorporated under Delaware law. With a presence in around 160 countries, it employs about 36,000 people worldwide. Dow has been called the "chemical companies' chemical company", as its sales are to other industries rather than directly to end-use consumers. Dow is a member of the American Chemistry Council. In 2015, Dow and fellow chemical company DuPont agreed to a corporate reorganization involving the merger of Dow and DuPont followed by a separation into three different entities. The plan commenced in 2017, when Dow and DuPont merged to form DowDuPont, and was finalized in April 2019, when the materials science division was spun off from DowDuPont and took the name of the Dow Chemical Company. H ...
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Spotted Owl
The spotted owl (''Strix occidentalis'') is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of old-growth forests in western North America, where it nests in tree hollows, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between high and usually contain two eggs (though some contain as many as four). It is a nocturnal owl which feeds on small mammals and birds. Three subspecies are recognized, ranging in distribution from British Columbia to Mexico. The spotted owl is under pressure from habitat destruction throughout its range, and is currently classified as a near-threatened species. Description The spotted owl has an average length of , wingspan of , and weight of . Its eggs are a little over long, and are white and smooth with a slightly grainy texture. The spotted owl is similar in appearance to the barred owl, but has cross-shaped markings on the underparts, whereas the barred owl is alternately barred on the breast and streaked on the belly. Barred owls are lar ...
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Bergmann's Rule
Bergmann's rule is an ecogeographical rule that states that, within a broadly distributed taxonomic clade, populations and species of larger size are found in colder environments, while populations and species of smaller size are found in warmer regions. The rule derives from the relationship between size in linear dimensions meaning that both height and volume will increase in colder environments. Bergmann's rule only describes the overall size of the animals, but does not include body proportions like Allen's rule does. Although originally formulated in relation to species within a genus, it has often been recast in relation to populations within a species. It is also often cast in relation to latitude. It is possible that the rule also applies to some plants, such as '' Rapicactus''. The rule is named after nineteenth century German biologist Carl Bergmann, who described the pattern in 1847, although he was not the first to notice it. Bergmann's rule is most often applied t ...
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