Interactions between humidity and evaporative heat dissipation in a passerine bird

Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology
Monique van DykAndrew E McKechnie

Abstract

Environmental humidity is thought to be a major determinant of evaporative cooling capacity at high air temperatures (Ta), but the technical challenges of experimentally manipulating humidity in respirometry chambers have resulted in far less being known about the effects of humidity compared to those of Ta. We tested the prediction that at Ta approaching and exceeding normothermic body temperature (Tb), high humidity would result in higher Tb, lower evaporative water loss (EWL) and/or higher resting metabolic rate (RMR) in a passerine bird, the white-browed sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser mahali). We used open-system flow-through respirometry to measure EWL, RMR and Tb in sparrow-weavers experiencing Ta = 36-44 °C and chamber humidities of 6, 13, 19 or 25 g m- 3. Increasing humidity was associated with significantly higher Tb. The strongest effect of humidity, however, involved significant increases in RMR; at Ta = 40 °C, RMR at a humidity of 25 g m- 3 was ~ 40% higher compared to a humidity of 6 g m- 3. Moreover, the interaction between Ta and humidity exerted a significant effect on the ratio of evaporative heat loss (EHL) to metabolic heat production (MHP), evident as an increasing effect of humidity with increasing Ta. Our res...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Aug 8, 2019·Physiology·Andrew E McKechnie, Blair O Wolf
Aug 5, 2020·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Christine Elizabeth CooperFritz Geiser
Jun 12, 2020·Conservation Physiology·Shannon R ConradieAndrew E McKechnie
Jan 29, 2021·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Barry van JaarsveldAndrew E McKechnie
Feb 28, 2021·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·Barry van JaarsveldAndrew E McKechnie
Feb 26, 2021·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Andrew E McKechnieBlair O Wolf
Mar 16, 2021·Ecology and Evolution·Raymond M DannerElizabeth P Derryberry
Jul 8, 2021·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Emily S ChoyKyle H Elliott
Jul 23, 2020·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·W Alice BoyleJeffrey D Brawn
Jul 24, 2021·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology·Lauren Noelle GilsonMarthe Monique Gagnon
Oct 10, 2021·Scientific Reports·Julián Cabello-VergelJorge S Gutiérrez

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Software Mentioned

Expedata
R Core Team
R Studio
R
R package lawstat
nlme
R package MuMIn

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