Wake respirometry allows breath-by-breath assessment of ventilation and CO₂ production in unrestrained animals.

ABSTRACT: Quantifying stress and energetic responses in animals are major challenges, as existing methods lack temporal resolution and elevate animal stress. We propose "wake respirometry," a new method of quantifying fine-scale changes in CO₂ production in unrestrained animals, using a nondispersive infrared CO₂ sensor positioned downwind of the animal, i.e., in its wake. We parameterize the dispersion of CO₂ in wakes using known CO₂ flow rates and wind speeds. Tests with three bird species in a wind tunnel demonstrated that the system can resolve breath-by-breath changes in CO₂ concentration, with clear exhalation signatures increasing in period and integral with body size. Changes in physiological state were detectable following handling, fli

SUBMITTER: Rose KAR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9437847 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature