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Heat flow between large terrestrial animals and the cold environment
Author(s) -
Christopherson R. J.,
Young B. A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450590208
Subject(s) - heat flow , metabolic rate , environmental science , respiration , poikilotherm , calorimetry , zoology , acclimatization , moisture , respiration rate , heat stress , atmospheric sciences , chemistry , thermodynamics , ecology , biology , thermal , geology , anatomy , organic chemistry , physics , endocrinology
Estimates of the rates of heat loss and resistances to heat loss from large animals in cold environments have been made from steady state measurements of metabolic rate using indirect respiration calorimetry and measurements of deep body and surface and air temperatures. These estimates can be used to predict an animal's lower critical temperature (ambient temperature below which an animal has to increase its rate of heat production to prevent hypothermia) and the increased heat flow during cold stress. Data from experiments at the University of Alberta have been summarized together with data from the research literature. Resistances to body heat loss expressed as insulation values are influenced by animal size, amount of subcutaneous fat, hair coat thickness, air movement and moisture conditions. Increasing the level of food intake and cold acclimation increase the resting metabolic rate and lower the lower critical temperature of animals.