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Activity Patterns and Metabolism

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Book cover Activity Patterns in Small Mammals

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 141))

Abstract

A living organism may be regarded as a converter of resources into copies of itself (Calow and Townsend 1981). As all dynamic processes take time, time is sometimes counted as a vital resource, along with energy and various nutrients (Herbers 1981; Bunnel and Harestad 1990). Technically this is not necessary, because describing metabolic processes as rates automatically makes time part of the dynamics of other variables. However, the rates of resource acquisition and expenditure may differ; they may be regulated, and thus they can be subject to natural selection. In this context it is convenient to speak of time as a resource to be optimally managed. The life strategies of various species may be reflected in different patterns of basic life processes dynamics; in other words, species strategies differ in their allocation of time. We observe a diversity of activity patterns, changing in space and time, within hours or seasons.

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Authors
  1. January Weiner
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Stefan Halle

  2. Department of Biology Division of Zoology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1050, Blindern, 03160 Oslo 3, Norway

    Nils Christian Stenseth

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Weiner, J. (2000). Activity Patterns and Metabolism. In: Halle, S., Stenseth, N.C. (eds) Activity Patterns in Small Mammals. Ecological Studies, vol 141. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18264-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18264-8_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-62128-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18264-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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