Relatively simple, precise methods to analyze temperature transients in ectotherms

Voss, Margaret A.; Hainsworth, F. Reed

doi:10.1016/s0306-4565(00)00032-2

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Also from the sub-sample of cooler morning hours, we estimated brood-patch temperature as the asymptote of the log-normalized proportional increase in temperature during each incubation on-bout [37] using the regression method [38]; this technique was developed to determine body temperatures of ectotherms at equilibrium with their environment. Eggs are functionally ectothermic and reach a thermal equilibrium during incubation, thus the asymptote of the heating function is brood patch temperature.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian Incubation Patterns Reflect Temporal Changes in Developing Clutches

Cooper

Voss

2013

PLoS ONE

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Incubation conditions for eggs influence offspring quality and reproductive success. One way in which parents regulate brooding conditions is by balancing the thermal requirements of embryos with time spent away from the nest for self-maintenance. Age related changes in embryo thermal tolerance would thus be expected to shape parental incubation behavior. We use data from unmanipulated Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) nests to examine the temporal dynamics of incubation, testing the prediction that increased heat flux from eggs as embryos age influences female incubation behavior and/or physiology to minimize temperature fluctuations. We found that the rate of heat loss from eggs increased with embryo age. Females responded to increased egg cooling rates by altering incubation rhythms (more frequent, shorter on- and off- bouts), but not brood patch temperature. Consequently, as embryos aged, females were able to increase mean egg temperature and decrease variation in temperature. Our findings highlight the need to view full incubation as more than a static rhythm; rather, it is a temporally dynamic and finely adjustable parental behavior. Furthermore, from a methodological perspective, intra- and inter-specific comparisons of incubation rhythms and average egg temperatures should control for the stage of incubation.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian Incubation Patterns Reflect Temporal Changes in Developing Clutches

Cooper

Voss

2013

PLoS ONE

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“…We estimated cooling rates as first and second order rate constants using a sums of squares minimization approach (Voss and Hainsworth 2001). The first order rate constant (k1) is a rough measure of thermal inertia and reflects the length of time that the nest/egg thermal mass holds its initial heat.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second order rate constant (k2) measures the cooling rate of the nest/egg thermal mass against the thermal gradient of 15°C. We used the equations of Voss and Hainsworth (2001) to build a program in Mathematica (7.0) to smooth data files using LOESS and to estimate k1 and k2.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of nest size and insulation on thermal properties of tree swallow nests

Windsor

Fegely

Ardia

2013

Journal of Avian Biology

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The nest environment can have important influences on incubation behavior and nestling development in birds. Nest thermal properties, particularly nest composition and size, can have a major influence on heat loss. To examine the role of nest size and insulation on clutch cooling rates, we collected tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor nests and measured the cooling rate of eggs in a controlled thermal environment. We also examined the thermal benefits of nest feathers by comparing the cooling rates of nests with and without feathers. Nests with more feather insulation and heavier, deeper cupped nests cooled at slower rates. In addition, nests with feathers cooled at much slower rates than did the same nests without feathers. Our results show that nest insulation and size play important roles in nest cooling rates, which may ultimately affect incubation costs and thus reproductive performance.

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“…We estimated cooling rates using an iterative sums-ofsquares minimisation approach, using the equations of Voss and Hainsworth (2001) to build a program in Mathematica Version 7.0 (Wolfram Research, Inc., 2008). Before running cooling rate analyses, we first removed any data spikes (temperature data irregularities due to the thermocouple) and smoothed data files using local regression (LOESS).…”

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Nest Characteristics on Thermal Properties, Clutch Size, and Reproductive Performance for an Open-Cup Nesting Songbird

Akresh

Ardia

King

2017

Avian Biology Research

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Maintaining avian eggs and young at optimum temperatures for development can increase hatching success and nestling condition, but this maintenance requires parental energetic demands. Bird nests, which often provide a structure to safely hold the eggs and nestlings and protect them from predators, can additionally be designed to help maintain eggs’ optimum temperatures by minimising heat loss, especially in climates where eggs cool rapidly when unattended. We collected and measured Prairie Warbler ( Setophaga discolor) nests in western Massachusetts, U.S. in 2009 and conducted a climate-controlled, nest-cooling experiment to determine how nest characteristics affect thermal properties for small, open-cup nesting birds. We then assessed if nests with better insulation properties resulted in any fitness benefits, and also tested if nest structural characteristics affected birds’ fitness. We found that nest characteristics influenced their thermal properties, with thicker, heavier, and larger nests having slower cooling rates and higher predicted equilibrium egg temperatures. Both nest cup depth and clutch size significantly declined over the breeding season, and we observed a trend, although non-significant, that nests with shallower cups had smaller clutches. Contrary to studies on cavity-nesting birds, we found no significant effects of nest thermal properties or nest structure on hatching and fledging success, nestling condition, brood parasitism, or nest survival. Prairie Warblers in our study site may already be adapted to build nests within a range that maximises their fitness. Furthermore, studies have shown that open-cup nests of other species are relatively thicker and more insulated in colder environments at higher latitudes than our study. Instead of building nests to solely minimise heat loss, open-cup nesting birds in temperate climates may also be driven by opposing selection pressures when building their nests, such as to prevent nestlings from overheating during hot days.

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Relatively simple, precise methods to analyze temperature transients in ectotherms

Cited by 9 publications

References 45 publications

Avian Incubation Patterns Reflect Temporal Changes in Developing Clutches

Avian Incubation Patterns Reflect Temporal Changes in Developing Clutches

The effects of nest size and insulation on thermal properties of tree swallow nests

Effect of Nest Characteristics on Thermal Properties, Clutch Size, and Reproductive Performance for an Open-Cup Nesting Songbird

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