Available Alpine Resources for the Insectivorous Golden-
crowned Kinglet
Shelley Nagata- Winter Ecology, 2010 –
Mountain Research Station,University of Colorado, Boulder
EBIO 4100, Sec 570
Overview
Research & background topics about the Golden-crowned Kinglet
Investigate how Kinglet is able to survive through the cold weather
Procedure and Methods that were executed in order to answer this question
ResultsDrawing conclusions
Research
Kinglets summer dietLittle information on winter dietDifficulties faced among winter
Bernd Heinrich and Ross Bell
Key Features of the Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
Identification TipsImportant behavioral
aspects
http://www.usgs.gov
What are the Kinglets eating??
Discover the possible resources available in alpine ecosystems.
Determine how well the resources are represented in the sampled area
Methods Field Tools
- Beat sheet - Sledge hammer -Aspirator
Communities 1 & 2-10,100 ft-9,600 ft
Community constants -20 Trees at each site -Spruce Forests
Collect count data
Bernd Heinrich and Ross Bell
Classifying-body shape-wings- legs
Segmented appendages
Results continued…Species Order 1(Coleoptera)
Species Order 2(Diptera)
SpeciesOrder 3(Hymenoptera)
Species Order 4(Psocoptera)
Species Order 5(Lepidoptera)
Community 110,100
0 1 2 2 1
Community 29,600
2 0 2 3 0
Diversity Index
sShannon-Wiener Index (H’) = -Σ (pi)(lnpi)
i=1
pi proportion of individuals of species (i) in community
Chi-squared test
X2 = Σ (Observed-Expected)2/ Expected
Community Diversities
Community 1: 10,100 ft H’= 0.21
More distributed environment
Less StableCommunity 2: 9,600 ft
H’ = 0.24Greater abundance
compare the multiple dependent variables collected under different environments
Chi-squared Interpretation
Level 0.01 indicated a significant difference between the proportions of insects found in community 1 and community 2.
Distribution of observations differs among the two communities
Communities structured differently in regards to the different orders found in the communities
Drawing Conclusions
Freeze Avoidance- Cannot tolerate formation of ice in
body tissuesFree Tolerance
- Tolerate formation of ice within tissues
- Evolving Orders
Winter foraging results in abundance
Evolving affects on foraging specialization
ReferencesBell, R. & Heinrich, B. 2010. Winter Food of Small
Insectivorous Bird, the Golden-Crowned Kinglet. Wilson Ornithological Society. The Wilson Bulletin 107(3): 558-561.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i7480id.html