Temperature Effects on Respiration Rate and Physical Activity Levels of Gryllus pennsylvanicus

Abstract

In this study, we looked at the effects of temperature on physical activity levels and the respiration rate of crickets (Gryllus pennsylvanicus).  We hypothesized that the physical activity levels and respiration rates of crickets will increase as the temperature increases because they are ectotherms which rely on external environmental factors for thermoregulation. To test this hypothesis, we measured the physical activity levels and carbon dioxide output under three different temperature conditions: cold, room, and hot. After gathering data, we concluded that our hypothesis was partially supported in respect that as temperature increases, physical activity levels in crickets increases as well. However, we found no relationship between respiration rates and ambient temperature. Therefore we found that the ambient temperature of the environment effects the physical activity level of ectotherms.