Bird Migration Patterns and Routes

Bird Migration

• Bird migration is the seasonal movement of birds from breeding to non-breeding areas and back
• Volunteers count migrating birds in specific locations annually
• Scientists tag birds with leg rings and color bands
• Scientists use bird observations combined with volunteer counts to determine migratory routes
• Most migratory birds gather in specific locations before migrating in large groups, not individually
• Birds that migrate alone or in small groups were less likely to survive and reproduce
• The golden plover breeds in northern Europe and migrates to warmer regions for food in the fall
• The golden plover returns to its breeding grounds in the spring
• Study maps based on over ten years of golden plover migratory research
• Map 1 shows the migration routes of the golden plover heading south in the fall
• Map 2 shows the migration route of the golden plover heading north in the spring
• Grey areas represent land, and white represents water
• The thickness of the arrows indicates the relative size of the migrating bird groups
• Northward migratory routes differ from return trips to the south
• Golden plovers spend the winter in regions southwest of their nesting grounds

Running in Hot Weather

• Body temperature increases when long distances are run
• The body perspires to regulate temperature
• If runners don't drink enough water, they can become dehydrated
• Losing 2% or more of body mass through sweat is a state of dehydration
• Body temperature reaching 40 °C or higher can cause potentially fatal heat stroke
• A simulation calculates sweat volume, water loss, and a runner's body temperature after running for an hour
• Use the temperature and humidity controls to simulate changing conditions
• Drinking water reduces both heatstroke and dehydration risk
• The higher the air temperature and humidity, the more difficult it is to run without dangerous effects
• Sweating reduces the volume of sweat at higher humidity

Slope Face Investigation

• Students observed a significant difference in the vegetation on two opposite sides of the valley
• They investigated the factors that led to such a visible difference
• The study measured three environmental factors during the investigation
• The factors were solar radiation, soil moisture, and precipitation
• Solar radiation is the amount of sunlight that reaches a location
• Soil moisture is how much water is in soil
• Precipitation is the amount of rain that falls in a specific place
• Researchers used multiple instruments in the study
• A solar radiation sensor measures megajoules (MJ) of sunlight per square meter (m²)
• A soil moisture sensor measures percentage of a volume of soil
• A rain gauge measures amount of rain precipitation in millimeters (mm)
• Student 1: Claims that higher soil moisture levels are due to solar radiation differences on both faces
• Student 2: Claims that higher soil moisture levels are due to differences in precipitation between sides
• Slope A: Average solar radiation: 3,800 ± 300 MJ/m², soil moisture: 28 ± 2%, precipitation: 450 ± 40 mm
• Slope B: Average solar radiation: 7,200 ± 400 MJ/m², soil moisture: 18 ± 3%, precipitation: 440 ± 50 mm

Meteoroids and Craters

• Rocks in space that enter the Earth’s atmosphere are called meteoroids
• Meteoroids heat up and glow as they pass through the atmosphere
• Most meteoroids burn up completely before hitting the Earth’s surface
• Meteoroids can create a crater, a hole in the ground, should they make it to the surface
• The Earth's mass attracts the meteoroid and increases speed
• More dense atmosphere means fewer craters

Sustainable Fish Farming

• Increasing seafood demand puts pressure on wild fish populations
• Sustainable fish farms are a possible solution to reduce this pressure
• Sustainable fish farms address these issues: feeding the farmed fish, and maintaining water quality
• Farmed fish need lots of food
• Sustainable fish farms must produce their own food for the fish
• Sustainable fish farms must have a constant flow of seawater circulating because Waste products from the fish can reach dangerous levels
• Waste and excess nutrients plants and algae need to grow in the seawater before being discharged back into the ocean
• Fish farms utilize: common sole that eat marine worms, microalgae for light and nutrients, marine worms, mollusks for micro algae, and wetland plants to absorb nutrients from the water
• Researchers observed that the returning water was high in nutrients
• Researchers should add wetland plants to solve this problem
• Increasing the flow of water is a procedure that would make fish farms more sustainable