Odor Dispersion

Abstract

The transfer of chemical information from an emitting to a receiving organism can occur directly by way of contact chemoreception or by dispersion through a transport medium. In this chapter we focus on transport of odor signals in the air. The various mathematical models discussed here have been used to describe the dispersion of pheromones in still air (Bossert and Wilson, 1963; Mankin et al., 1980a) or moving air (Wright, 1958; Bossert and Wilson, 1963; Aylor et al., 1976; Miksad and Kittredge, 1979; Fares et al., 1980). They can be applied to the dispersion of any airborne odor such as plant volatiles inducing host finding. An understanding of odor dispersion is requisite for an accurate interpretation of odor-induced behaviors. (See Bell, Chapter 4, and Cardé, Chapter 5).