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