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In reviewing the theoretical perspectives of my project, I have had to combine observational activities with literature review to gain an understanding of the behaviour within my species of study. My study is looking at the presence of snow fleas (springtails in the order Collembola) on the surface of the snow in response to open-sky vs. shaded situations. I observed the way they jumped around above the surface but also the way they were able to disappear into the snow and presumably move about within the snow column. Although they weren’t evident in large numbers during my data collection period, I have witnessed them in extraordinary numbers peppering the snow at warmer times throughout the winter months. As Hagvar (among others) note, different circumstances may account for these large-number events including the need for migratory dispersal in temporary or patchy habitat environments, or just changes in soil conditions during periods of melt, such as inundation of water on the surface of the soil. Being able to be mobile on the surface of the snow is a great advantage for organisms less than 1mm in size in any terrestrial landscape, but is especially useful for migration over bodies of water or rivers, which springtails have been observed to do. The ecological processes my hypothesis is based on concern both a springtail’s need for cover as a means of hiding from predators, and the need for having a view of the sun as a navigational tool in migratory circumstances during the winter.
Keywords: Snow fleas, dispersal, sunshine
References:
Hagvar, S. 2000. Navigation and behaviour of four Collembola species migrating on the snow surface. Pedobiologia 44: 221-233. https://doi.org/10.1078/S0031-4056(04)70042-6
