Chapter 4, Problem 18STP

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The way by which vertebrates adapts in winter by hibernating.

Introduction:

The study of relationships among different living organisms and interactions among these organisms with the environment is termed as ecology. Ecology takes place in the biosphere, which is the percentage of the earth that sustains life.

Explanation of Solution

In the temperate forests, all the four seasons occur. Here, winters are very cold and food availability is very low at that time. Due to this, organisms living in temperate forests need to hibernate during the winters. Hibernation is the inactive state of the organism. At the time of hibernation, the body temperature of the animal goes very low, resulting in low heart beats and slow respiration rate. By this way, the animals protect themselves from cold weather of temperate regions.