Let's Talk about the Weather...

Lucy, Nicole, Devon, William and several others of you asked about what the weather is like here and more specifically about high and low temperatures. (See the picture of the weather station that is checked daily at Cook’s Lake.)

This is an interesting question because all of last week the temperature hovered around 20 degrees Celsius (which is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit) which Christina said was atypical for this time of year. As of this past Sunday, though, the temperature dropped significantly. The thermometer on our weather station read 12 degrees Celsius (which is about 54/55 degrees Fahrenheit.) So you can see that between the two weeks there has been a big change. This is, of course also having a dramatic effect on the flora, and the many deciduous trees in the area. The leaves are changing to their full fall colors right before our very eyes. Each day when we ride the Earthwatch bus to Cook’s Lake we are in for a treat of gorgeous new scenery.

This idea of temperature is very important to the science of this project. The question of the missing mice (or at least very low numbers of mice) could possibly be directly related. Isabella asked about which mammals could be affected by climate change. Could the decrease in numbers of mice be a result of change in climate? Why would this be?

One thought is that it has something to do with last year’s reportedly cold winter. The temperatures last winter here in Nova Scotia were significantly colder then average. The amount of energy that mice need for survival is directly dependent on temperature. Remember that mice have very large ears, eyes and a long tail, which means that they lose heat (energy) quickly. Voles, on the other hand, are largely adapted for colder conditions with their smaller orifices. In addition, Chris and Christina told the team that there was a snowstorm here in the late spring, which may have made it difficult for the mice to find food at a time that was crucial for them to find nourishment.

Think then of all the other animals in the food web that depend on the mice for energy. How would all of this affect them? This is a question that Chris and Christina hope to answer through their research in years to come.