A6 Extreme Environment

Title

A6 models the response of the flight system when fluid conditions (E8) leave the range for which the species is physiologically and aerodynamically optimized. The main scenarios are three: extreme altitude (low air density, hypoxia), storm (intense turbulence, downdrafts, crosswind), and severe heat (dehydration, increased blood viscosity). In all of them the central physical mechanism is the same: the available aerodynamic power and/or the lift generated change due to causes external to the bird, forcing adaptations in speed, angle of attack or trajectory that have an energy cost. Unlike models A1A5, here the anomaly is not in the bird but in its environment, which means that the same healthy individual can be incapacitated if the environment exceeds certain thresholds. The model is especially relevant for high-altitude migratory birds (Bar-headed Goose, trans-Pyrenean birds) and for evaluating the impact of extreme weather events on mass migration.

ID:4216