BIO-8 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Aestivation, Torpor, Diapause
Document Summary
Migration, storage, and dormancy are strategies to survive extreme environmental variation. Sometimes, adverse conditions are so severe that individuals cannot acclimate, or the changes required would not be worth the cost. Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another. The decision to migrate is a plastic behavior in response to changing environmental conditions, such as temperature or food supplies. Ex: monarch butterflies migrate to wintering areas in southern north. America and to the north during the summer. When resources are limited and migration is not possible, storage of resources can be an adaptive strategy. Animals can accumulate fat or cache food supplies as a reserve of energy for periods of harsh weather when food is inaccessible. Plants may store nutrients and energy in roots. Ex: in habitats that frequently burn, perennial plants store food in fire- resistant root crowns that send up new shoots after fires.
