Impact of thermal convection on air circulation in a mammalian burrow under arid conditions

Y. Ganot, M. I. Dragila, N. Weisbrod

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microclimates in mammal burrows depend on a critical balance between production, consumption and ventilation. This study investigates one, potentially dominant, advective ventilation mechanism: thermal convective venting (TCV). Temperature profiles were monitored continuously inside artificial mammalian burrows that were dug in the central Negev Desert of Israel, representing a typical arid environment. Using a heat transfer numerical model, it was found that heat transfer by TCV occurs regularly during nights and early mornings, driven by a thermal gradient between the burrow's soil and the atmosphere. The venting properties of TCV were tested using tracer visualization experiments in a climate-controlled laboratory under controlled conditions mimicking field thermal gradients. An inclined burrow produced convective venting rates two orders of magnitude higher than the calculated CO 2 production rate of Sundevall's jird (Meriones crassus, the case-study mammal); i.e., TCV can support the mammal's respiratory needs, even when neglecting other potential venting mechanisms like diffusion and wind-driven venting. Our calculations suggest that TCV can also support the respiration needs of larger mammals since venting by TCV increases as the burrow radius increases.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-62
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Arid Environments
Volume84
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2012
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Israeli Science Foundation (ISF), contracts # 70/06 and 678/11. The authors wish to thank Uri Nachshon for his assistance with data processing.

Funding

This work was funded by the Israeli Science Foundation (ISF), contracts # 70/06 and 678/11. The authors wish to thank Uri Nachshon for his assistance with data processing.

FundersFunder number
Israel Science Foundation70/06, 678/11

    Keywords

    • Air circulation
    • Earth-atmosphere interface
    • Gas transport
    • Mammalian burrows
    • Thermal convection
    • Ventilation

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