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University of Michigan Biological Station

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) was founded in 1909.

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Physical characteristics of stimuli within sensory landscapes

Project Abstract: 
Animals make many ecological decisions such as foraging, mating and predator avoidance based on the information they extract from the sensory signals in their environment. These stimuli can include visual signals, auditory signals, chemical signals, abiotic and biotic factors. Environmental stimuli which include the information animals’ use for decision making can be called a sensory landscape. The sensory landscape is constantly being altered by different interactions between different biotic and abiotic factors. In addition to the movement and transmission of stimuli within a landscape, the type of stimuli relative to the needs of the organism can alter the attractiveness of different aspects of the landscape.In order to investigate how prey animals make decisions about resource acquisition within dynamic sensory landscapes, it is necessary to measure sensory landscapes at the same spatial and temporal scales at which animals extract ecological information. By understanding the physical characteristics within sensory landscapes, we can understand how environmental stimuli move through the sensory landscape. The purpose of this study is to quantify the physical characteristics of chemical, mechanical, and visual signals within an aquatic habitat
Investigator(s): 
Ana M Jurcak
Paul Moore
Methods: 
Three types of environmental stimuli characteristics within aquatic ecosystems: visual, chemical, and mechanical signals. An Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) will be used to measure hydrodynamic characteristics such as turbulence at 25 Hz. An Epsilon electrochemical detection system, a carbon fiber, graphite-epoxy style micro electrode, and dopamine, will be used to measure chemical signals at a rate of 10 Hz. Video cameras will be used to measure luminance at different spectral frequencies We will chose different natural aquatic habitats because the physical differences in shading, flow, and substrate construct different sensory signals. Sampling of environmental stimuli will take place in both a river and a lake ecosystem because the hydrodynamic differences that occur across these systems alter the structure of chemical signals. In addition, different sections of the lake and river will be chosen based on shading characteristics (altering light intensity) and depth (altering color composition). Finally, different substrates will be chosen due to the different acoustical reflective properties of these substrates. We will mimic a food source using standard procedures that include fish gelatin and will mimic different naturally shelters The sensory stimuli will be quantified in a 40 cm x 30 cm grid surrounding the focal stimuli (food or shelter) .Within this grid, sample points will be place 10 cm apart in both the x and y direction and 5 sample heights separated by 2 cm in the z direction. There will be a total of 45 sample points. Data analysis will include analyzing velocity, chemical structures of chemical plumes ,as well as spectral frequencies of light