MSGID: 1:317/3 6476cd90   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    How insects track odors by navigating microscale winds    
    An optimal range of wind speed and environmental surface complexity may   
   help flying insects locate an odor source    
      
     Date:   
         May 30, 2023   
     Source:   
         American Institute of Physics   
     Summary:   
         Insects use odor plumes -- which travel like smoke and form when the   
         wind blows odor molecules from their source -- to track down sources   
         such as flowers or pheromones. But wind tunnels are typically   
         unable to replicate realistic outdoor wind conditions. Researchers   
         decided to explore microscale wind conditions in various outdoor   
         environments to better understand what flying insects might   
         experience while tracking odor plumes.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   How do flying insects like important pollinators locate odor sources   
   in the great outdoors, despite encountering highly variable wind   
   conditions? They use odor plumes -- which travel like smoke and form   
   when the wind blows odor molecules from their source -- to track down   
   sources such as flowers or pheromones.   
      
   But wind tunnels are typically unable to replicate realistic outdoor   
   wind conditions. In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, University of   
   Nevada at Reno researchers decided to explore microscale wind conditions   
   in various outdoor environments to better understand what flying insects   
   might experience while tracking odor plumes.   
      
   Authors Jaleesa Houle and Floris Van Breugel assessed the mechanical   
   turbulence produced by ambient wind flowing over surface roughness   
   elements such as buildings, trees, and fences and its role in odor   
   plume tracking.   
      
   "Since we're studying wind dynamics within the surface roughness sublayer,   
   most known atmospheric similarity theories that describe properties of   
   the wind profile are not applicable," said Houle. "So, we use statistical   
   analysis to find both spatial and temporally significant correlations   
   between wind measurements for various sites where we collected data."   
   They collected near-surface wind data from several sage steppe   
   (shrub-filled grassland), forest, and urban areas in Northern Nevada   
   and discovered near- surface wind direction is often highly variable   
   over timescales of less than 10 minutes. They also found wind direction   
   variability to be consistently higher in environments with greater   
   surface complexity (urban areas) and lower at higher wind speeds.   
      
   "This is important because insects are typically tracking odor plumes in   
   lower wind speeds, which indicates they are somehow making sense of the   
   high directional variability they encounter," said Houle. "Turbulence   
   intensity is strongly correlated with standard deviations in wind   
   direction, which might be useful for future wind tunnel experimental   
   designs aimed at recreating more 'natural' winds."  Based on their   
   findings, Houle and van Breugel hypothesize an optimal range of wind   
   speed and environmental surface complexity may exist to help insects   
   locate an odor source.   
      
   "Further experiments will be needed to test our hypothesis and may   
   help us better understand the implications of land fragmentation on   
   the success of ecologically significant plume tracking insects, such as   
   pollinators," said Houle. "Beyond this, our results give a compelling   
   reason for researchers to focus on increasing directional variability   
   in wind tunnel studies if they want to uncover plume tracking behaviors   
   that more closely resemble what we might see in nature."  Next, the   
   researchers will apply their findings to plume tracking wind tunnel   
   experiments and a series of outdoor studies.   
      
   "During the summer, we plan to test our hypothesis regarding the types   
   of wind conditions insects might prefer while tracking odor plumes,"   
   said Houle. "In the lab, we're actively looking for ways to create   
   greater directional variability to better mimic natural wind."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Insects_(including_Butterflies) # Trees # Zoology #   
                   Behavioral_Science   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Renewable_Energy # Energy_and_the_Environment #   
                   Environmental_Science # Weather   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Monsoon o Solar_wind o Wind_power o Wind_turbine o   
             Ocean_surface_wave o Renewable_energy o Firestorm o Body_odor   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by American_Institute_of_Physics. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Jaleesa Houle, Floris van Breugel. Near-surface wind variability   
      over   
         spatiotemporal scales relevant to plume tracking insects. Physics   
         of Fluids, 2023; 35 (5) DOI: 10.1063/5.0147945   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230530125454.htm   
      
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