Normally, we human beings consider ourselves as the most intelligent creature on earth; however, the highly scientific creations of certain animals make us thing otherwise. The PPT discusses, extraordinary constructive talent of such animals.
3. OR
Should we subscribe to the
viewpoint of
Charles Darwin
(father of the evolution theory)
Who Said
‘Animals, whom we have
made our slaves, we do
not like to consider our
equal’
7. Termite Mounds
• Are abundantly found in Africa, South Asia, and Australia
• The ugly looking structures are just not heaps of mud and rubbish
• Indeed, these are research objects for bio-scientists and architects
• The Mound consists of 2 parts:
1. above ground -having outer wall riddled with holes leading to a labyrinth
of tunnels that themselves lead to a series of chimneys
2. the underground oval nest which houses - queen’s residence and fungus
(the food) store
8. The Termite Nest
A termite nest is like a city, with houses and streets. The queen and
king have their own house or chamber, it is the largest in the 'city'.
The 'streets are busy day and night, with long lines of busy worker
termites. They have to see that there is enough food. They must
care for the eggs the new termites are developing. They must repair
and enlarge the nest. The 'streets' are ventilated, or supplied with
air, by a system of air-conditioning.
9. Nest Air-conditioning
The mound dissipates air through its network of holes. As the sun
moves through the sky during the day, the air in the thinner
chimneys on the outer edges of the mound heat up quickly, while the
air in the mound’s big, central chimney stays relatively cool. Hot air
rises up through the outer chimneys and cool air in the central
chimney sinks, circulating air continuously—injecting oxygen and
flushing out carbon dioxide. At night, the flow reverses as the outer
chimney air cools down quicker than the inner chimney air.
10. Nest Air-conditioning
The termites achieve this remarkable feat by constantly opening and
closing a series of heating and cooling vents throughout the mound
over the course of the day. With a system of carefully adjusted
convection currents, air is sucked in at the lower part of the mound,
down into enclosures with muddy walls, and up through a channel to
the peak of the termite mound. The industrious termites constantly
dig new vents and plug up old ones in order to regulate the
temperature.
11. Nest Air-conditioning
The termites achieve this
remarkable feat by constantly
opening and closing a series of
heating and cooling vents
throughout the mound over the
course of the day. With a system
of carefully adjusted convection
currents, air is sucked in at the
lower part of the mound, down into
enclosures with muddy walls, and
up through a channel to the peak
of the termite mound. The
industrious termites constantly dig
new vents and plug up old ones in
order to regulate the temperature.
12. Nest Air-conditioning- New Version
• Propagated by Dr. J. Scott Turner of the State University of New
York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2008
“A termite mound is like a living thing, dynamic and constantly maintained”
- the mounds function like lungs, inhaling and exhaling through porous
walls.
-Inside the mound, a series of bubble-like chambers connected to branching
passages absorb changes in outside pressure or wind and pass them
through the mound.
- a stable nest environment is maintained through proper mixing of gases
and remodeling the mound in response to changing conditions.
13. Biomimicry of termite mounds
Eastgate Centre, Harare (Zimbabwe)
• Design inspired by indigenous
Zimbabwean masonry and the
termite mounds
• Prize Winning
• Designed by Architect Mick
Pearce of Zimbabwe
• No conventional air-conditioning
or heating system
• About 10 percent energy saving
14. Biomimicry of termite mounds
Eastgate Centre, Harare (Zimbabwe)
• Outside air that is drawn- in is either warmed
or cooled by the building mass depending
on which is hotter; the building concrete or
the air.
• It is then vented into the building’s floors
and offices before exiting via chimneys at
the top.
• Air is continuously drawn from the open
space by fans on the first floor.
• It is then pushed up vertical supply sections
of ducts that are located in the central spine
of each of the two buildings.
• The fresh air replaces stale air that rises and
exits through exhaust ports in the ceilings of
each floor. Ultimately it enters the exhaust
section of the vertical ducts before it is
flushed out of the building through
chimneys.
15. Groundhogs or Woodchucks Burrows
• Groundhogs or Woodchucks are a type
of a Rodent
• Found mostly in central and eastern
United States, as well as in parts of
Alaska and Canada
• They spend most of their time
underground in complex burrow systems,
which they dig in dry, well-drained soil
• There is a sleeping chamber, a turn-
around chamber, and a nursery chamber
and most surprisingly a toilet chamber-
all connected through tunnels
• The Plunge whole or Spy- hole is a
special entrance. When an enemy comes
nearby, the woodchuck gives a shrill
whistle, and then goes straight down into
the hole.
• The burrows are warm in winter and cool
in summer
16. Beaver Dams
• Beavers are famous for
building dams.
• They build massive dams to
create still ponds and flood
woodland areas to a desired
depth
• These structures modify the
natural environment to create a
changed ecosystem
• Beavers work at night and are
prolific builders, carrying mud
and stones with their fore-paws
and timber between their teeth.
17. Spider Web
• Spider is a very common insect ,
weaving an intricate web with the help of
self producing silk thread
• The web consists of a durable silk frame
made up of the outer bridge lines with
internal anchor lines that are pulled
downward to create spokes.
• Spider Silk’s tensile strength is
comparable to steel ( 1.3 Giga Pascals -
1.65GPa) and has much greater
elasticity.
• It reacts differently to different stress
levels. A light wind, for instance, softens
the web, allowing it to lengthen but retain
its overall structure.
• However, if a larger force is applied the
silk becomes rigid and the particular
thread breaks.
• Amazingly, after breaking up of the
thread, the Web becomes stronger!
18. Bees Honeycomb- a wonder!
• It consists of layer upon layer of
hexagonal cells of identical size
and shape
• Hexagon provides stability
• Hexagonal cell are economical-
requiring least amount of wax for
construction while they can store
maximum amount of honey in to it.
• The Combs are constructed
through commands received
during a 8 shaped “ Waggle
Dance”
Construction starts from 2-3
different places and weave the
honeycomb simultaneously in 2-3
strings
19. Mud Daubers
• Urn shaped and Organ –pipe shaped
nests
• The nest comprises of a series of
cylindrical cells that are plastered over to
form a smooth nest
• After building a cell, the female wasp
captures several spiders.
• The captured prey are stung and
paralyzed before being placed in the
nest, and then a single egg is deposited
on the prey within each cell.
• The wasp then seals the cell with mud.
• After finishing a series of cells, she
leaves and does not return.
• Eventually, the hatching larva will eat the
prey and emerge from the nest.
20. Paper or Umbrella Wasps
• Paper wasps get their name to the
paper like material which is
created to make their nests. This
natural material is prepared by
mixing fibers from dead wood and
plants with saliva. The material is
water-resistant. Interestingly,
unlike other similar types of hives,
paper wasps leave the combs
where they lay their eggs open,
without a protective outer shell.
Nests are usually attached to the
sheltering structure by a narrow
stem, making the nest look like an
upside-down umbrella and
therefore these wasps are also
known as "umbrella wasps."
22. Attributes of the Habitats of Areal Animals
• Site Selection
• Orientation
• Construction Materials
• Construction Economics
• Nest Design As A Host Defense
• Process Of Inspection And Acceptance
• Meticulous Construction Schedule
• The Climatic Considerations
23. Site Selection - Areal Animals Nests
The selection of a suitable nest site is determined by a
combination of five main factors:
• Availability of food for both parents and offspring,
• Risk of predation,
• Presence and behavior of con-specifics,
• Availability of suitable nest material,
• Presence of suitable ambient climate for raising offspring
