title: Ventilation of multi-entranced rodent burrows by boundary layer eddies.
abstract: Rodent burrows are often assumed to be environments wherein the air has a high concentration of CO₂. Although high burrow [CO₂] has been recorded, many studies report burrow [CO₂] that differs only slightly from atmospheric concentrations. Here, we advocate that one of the reasons for these differences is the penetration into burrows of air gusts (eddies), which originate in the turbulent boundary layer and prevent build-up of CO₂. We have characterized the means by which burrows of Sundevall's jird, which are representative of the burrows of many rodent species with more than one entrance, are ventilated. Our results demonstrate that, even at low wind speeds, the random penetration of eddies into a burrow through its openings is sufficient to keep the burrow [CO₂] low enough to be physiologically inconsequential, even in its deep and remote parts.
authors.affiliation: Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel inbal9br@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Inbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brickner-Braun
authors.affiliation: Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zucker-Milwerger
authors.affiliation: Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: J Scott
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
authors.forename: Berry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pinshow
authors.affiliation: Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berliner
mesh_terms: D000392:Air Movements; D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D004777:Environment; D005849:Gerbillinae; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D014691:Ventilation
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Burrow ventilation; CO2 concentration; Eddy; Sundevall's jird; Turbulent boundary layer