Oviposition behavior and offspring performance in herbivorous insects: consequences of climatic and habitat heterogeneity - T. C. Bonebrake; C. L. Boggs; J. M. McNally; J. Ranganathan; P. R. Ehrlich (Oikos, 2010)
The preference–performance hypothesis predicts that when female herbivorous insects determine where to position offspring of low mobility, they will select sites that maximize development and survival of those offspring. How this critical relationship responds to variation in climatic and habitat conditions remains untested, however, despite its important consequences for population and evolutionary dynamics. Here we report on 13 years of data totaling 1348 egg clusters of the montane Gillette's checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas gillettii (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). We used these data to test the hypothesis that, in environments with climatic and habitat heterogeneity, the oviposition behavior–offspring performance relationship should vary in both space and time. Orientation of egg clusters for maximum morning sun exposure is known to affect developmental rate. We therefore predicted female preference for morning sun orientation to be variable and

Beyond biomass: measuring the effects of community-level nitrogen enrichment on floral traits, pollinator visitation and plant reproduction - L. A. Burkle; R. E. Irwin (J of Ecology, 2010)
Summary1. Nitrogen (N) limits primary productivity in many systems and can have dramatic effects on plant–herbivore interactions, but its effects on mutualistic interactions at the community level are not well‐understood. The reproduction of many plants depends on both soil N and pollination, and N may affect floral traits, such as flower number or size, which are important for pollinator attraction to plant individuals and communities.2. Thus, N may influence plant biomass and reproduction directly as well as indirectly via changes in pollination. The degree to which the effects of N enrichment scale from plant individuals to assemblages through emerging community‐level changes in species interactions, like pollination, is relatively unknown.3. For 4 years, we tested how N addition to subalpine plant assemblages in Colorado, USA, affected primary productivity and species diversity, floral traits and plant–pollinator interactions, and components of female and male plant reproduction.4.

Latest Quaternary Glacial and Periglacial Stratigraphy, Wind River Range, Wyoming Notes File - Dennis Dahms (Geological Society of America eBooks, 2010)
We use relative dating criteria to document post-depositional alteration of till and periglacial deposits, and to map these deposits as facies of four allostratigraphic units (alloformations) in the Wind River Range. The alloformations are composed of till as well as rock-glacier, protalus-rampart, and rock fall deposits of latest Pleistocene and Holocene age. These deposits record paleoclimatic events over the past ca. 12.8 ka that infl uenced geomorphic processes in and near cirques and heads of glacial valleys of the Wind River Range. All of the type areas are on till. The oldest alloformation is the Temple Lake. Progressively younger units are the Alice Lake and Black Joe. The youngest unit is the Gannett Peak. Radiocarbon and cosmogenic radionuclide analyses provide numeric age control for these deposits. Combined numeric and relative age-data suggest the following broad age estimates for these alloformations: the Temple Lake is coeval with the Younger Dryas climate event (ca. 12,

Proximity to mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata var. vaseyana) negatively affects performance of two shallow rooted forbs, low larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum, syn. D. nelsonii) and aspen fleabane (Erigeron speciousus). - M. E. Roswell (2010)

Ecological stoichiomety of consumer-resource interaction in lotic food webs - Jennifer M. Moslemi (2010)
Non-native species and habitat degradation are two major catalysts of environmental change and often occur simultaneously. In freshwater systems, degradation of adjacent terrestrial vegetation may facilitate invasion by altering resource availability. Here we examine impacts of an invasive herbivorous snail, T. granifera, on nitrogen (N) cycling in tropical stream systems. We also investigate the potential for riparian canopy removal to create hotspots of snail N excretion by altering food resource quantity and quality. In a set of Trinidadian streams, we measured snail biomass and N excretion in open and closed canopy habitats to generate estimates of mass- and area-specific N excretion by invaders. Snail biomass was 2 to 8 times greater and areal N excretion ranged from 3 to 9 times greater in open canopy relative to closed canopy habitats. Snails foraging in open canopy habitat also had access to more abundant food resources and exhibited greater growth and mass- specific N excretio

Functional importance of plumage badges as intraspecific signals in White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha). - Z. M. Laubach (2010)
Status badges, such as bird plumage colors, are important parts of animal communication; they mediate intra- as well as intersexual interactions. Reliability of avian plumage badges is thought to be maintained by selective pressures, including social punishment. Costs, benefits, and resultant fitness tradeoffs are thought to maintain reliable status badges as evolutionarily stable signals. We tested this hypothesis during two breeding seasons (summers 2008-2009) in a population of Mountain White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha; MWCS) in Colorado (USA). Both sexes of this species possess a black and white striped crown that mediates interactions between juvenile and adult birds. Crown whiteness, expressed as the percentage of the crown that consists of white feathers, varies widely across individual sparrows.

Plant–Pollinator interactions in a changing climate - J. R. K. Forrest (2010)
Climate change is expected to alter patterns of species co-occurrence, in both space and time. Species-specific shifts in reproductive phenology may alter the assemblages of plant species in flower at any given time during the growing season. Temporal overlap in the flowering periods (co-flowering) of animal-pollinated species may influence reproductive success if competitive or facilitative interactions between plant species affect pollinator services. We used a 33-year dataset on flowering phenology in subalpine meadows to determine whether interannual variation in snowmelt date, which marks the start of the growing season, affected co-flowering patterns. For two of four species considered, we found a significant relationship between snowmelt timing and composition of the assemblage of co-flowering plants. In years of early snowmelt, Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus (Fabaceae), the species we investigated in most detail, tended to overlap with earlier-flowering species, and with

Dispersal, phenology and habitat preference of subalpine whirligig beetles (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae: Gyrinus) - E. Realzola (2010)
Whirligig beetle populations from five temporary kettle ponds and one marsh near the Rocky Mountain Biological laboratory, Gunnison County, western Colorado U.S.A. were studied during summer 2010. The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of extreme fluctuating environmental conditions including seasonal habitat drying, and disturbance by cattle grazing on the phenology, habitat preference and dispersal of two species of Gyrinidae. The phenology of these beetles was compared among the ponds by observing the timing of emergence from pupa to imago as determined by elytral condition. In general, beetles were observed to emerge in early July, earlier than previously recorded in North America, possibly accelerated as an adaptation to the high elevation conditions. Beetles varied in emergence times among ponds, and two sites had no adult beetles until they were populated by emergent beetles in 8, July and 15, July. Relative population size of beetles in the ponds was estimated by c

Species Interactions in Arthropod Communities: Density Dependence and Ant Interactions on Aphid Per Capita Population Growth - M. Lopez; K. A. Mooney (2010)
Ant and aphid interactions are often assumed to be mutualistic, with both participating parties receiving a benefit that outweighs the cost. Yet this interaction can range between mutualistic and antagonistic due to factors that alter this ratio of cost and benefit. Some factors that can affect the cost-benefit ratio are the abundance of predators, aphid population density, availability of alternative nutrients for the ants, and host plant quality. This study investigated the effects of ants, plant sex, and aphid density on aphid per capita population growth of Aphis valerianae feeding on the host plant Valeriana edulis and tended by several ant species (Formica podzolica, Tapinoma sessile, and Lasius neoniger). In addition to monitoring aphid population size, predator density and aphid emigration were observed to determine what mechanisms were responsible for the effects observed. It was found that per capita population growth was effected by population density due to a combination of

Bee sampling has no effect on bee abundance in montane meadows - R. E. Irwin; Z. J. Gezon; R. F. Polanco (2010)
One of the most talked about potential consequences of climate change is that of phenological mismatches between interacting species, such as flowering plants and their pollinators. While there is ample long term data for plant phenology, there is little data on pollinator phenology. It is becoming more common to monitor pollinator (bee) populations over long periods of time to look for phenological mismatches. The standard method of bee population monitoring uses pan traps, which are small plastic bowls containing water with soap. The bowls are painted bright colors to mimic flowers and attract bees, killing them when they fall in the water. It is unknown if sampling using pan traps affects bee abundance, especially when implemented repeatedly, over long time periods. Thus, I asked two questions: Is there a difference in bee abundance between sites that have been repeatedly sampled using pan traps and sites that have never been sampled? And, how does bee abundance change over two year

A test of sexual dimorphism in Valeriana edulis resistance and induced responses to herbivory - A. Fremgen (2010)
Dioecious plants have been observed to exhibit differences in growth rates and levels of herbivory defense between the sexes, with slower growing females investing more into constitutive defenses than fast-growing males. There are no predictions or empirical data, though, regarding differences in induced or indirect defense based upon plant sex. We tested for differences in levels of constitutive and inducible direct and indirect defense for male and female plants. We first measured the performance of an unidentified caterpillar species feeding on the inflorescences of male and female Valeriana edulis that either had or had not received previous damage by the same herbivore. After caterpillar pupation, we stocked damaged and undamaged plants with a constant density of the aphid Aphis valerianae and monitored population growth, rates of ant attendance and attack by natural enemies. Caterpillar pupa weights were lower on previously damaged plants than on previously undamaged plants, and

Effects of altitude on co-flowering phenology in a montane wildflower community - Ross M. Brennan (2010)
Phenology is an important life history trait. As altitude increases in alpine environments, the growing season shortens and flowering phenology is more compressed. Co-flowering could occur more at higher elevations as a compensation for the shorter growing season. However, interspecific competition is another force that could result in no change in co-flowering as altitude changes. I examined whether co-flowering changes as altitude changes. I censused wildflower species throughout the 2010 growing season in Virginia Basin outside of Gothic, Colorado. I found that co-flowering does not change significantly as over an altitudinal gradient from 2900 m to 3700 m above sea level. Instead, all species may shorten their flowering periods. Other changes in plant phenology and community did occur. Examining this question over an altitudinal gradient could serve as a proxy for long-term climate change studies.

Effects of Burrow Distance on Anti-predator Vigilance in Foraging Yellow-Bellied Marmots - A. M. Anderson (2010)
The risk of predation influences the behavior of individuals and can determine how an animal allocates its time when searching for and obtaining food. To reduce predation risk, many animals use refuges and protective cover to increase their chances of survival, but it is unclear how these safe areas affect anti-predator vigilance behaviors (scanning and looking for predators) when the animal is no longer covered. We experimentally tested the effects of burrow distance on anti-predator vigilance in foraging yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) by placing food at increasing distances (1, 5, 10, and 20m) from designated marmot burrows. We measured (1) time latency to forage at feeding stations, (2) reluctance to forage at stations, (3) proportion of time allocated to anti-predator vigilance and foraging, and (4) alert and flight initiation distances in response to an approaching threat. Marmots were reluctant to forage far from the burrow, and time latency to forage increased lin

Oviposition preference of the leaf mining fly, Scaptomyza nigrita (Drosophilidae) on its native host plant, Cardamine cordifolia (Brassicaceae) - H. A. Affeldt (2010)
I tested the oviposition preference of the leaf miner Scaptomyza nigrita of and within its native host plant Cardamine cordifolia. Gravid female S. nigrita were used in cafeteria-style choice tests to quantitatively evaluate feeding and oviposition preference between C. cordifolia from shaded and sun exposed habitats. Choice tests were conducted in two parts using whole plants and detached leaves. In addition, preference was examined within plants looking at leaf position. Gravid females chose to feed and oviposit on shade plants significantly more frequently than on sun plants in both experiments. Females also feed and oviposited more on lower (basal) leaves than on upper leaves (cauline). Key words: Cardamine cordifolia – Scaptomyza nigrita – oviposit – stipple – choice test

Density-dependent demographic responses of a semelparous plant to natural variation in seed rain - Nickolas M. Waser; Diane R. Campbell; Mary V. Price; Alison K. Brody (Oikos, 2010)
The link between reproductive and vegetative ecology of flowering plants is rarely explored, despite its importance for understanding population processes and fitness. This link can be studied by using experimental or natural variation in seed input to the soil to assess how reproductive success affects vital rates of offspring. We previously reported for Ipomopsis aggregata that per‐seed probability of germinating is insensitive to density of seeds sown into plots, whereas per capita flower production among adults that grow from the seedlings declines in nonlinear fashion with density. Here we describe a parallel non‐experimental study. We related seedling emergence to estimated natural seed input (‘seed rain’) in three populations across ten summers and monitored seedlings that emerged in the first two summers throughout their life histories. Seedling emergence in 1996 was linearly related to seed rain from plants that flowered in 1995. This de

Predator effects in predator-free space: The remote effects of predators on prey - J. J. Orrock; A. Sih; L. M. Dill; J. H. Grabowski; S. D. Peacor; B. L. Peckarsky; E. L. Preisser; J. R. Vonesh; E. E. Werner (The Open Ecology Journal, 2010)
Predators can have remote effects on prey populations that are connected by migration (i.e. prey metapopulations) because predator-mediated changes in prey behavior and abundance effectively transmit the impact of predators into predator-free prey populations. Behavioral changes in prey that might give rise to remote effects are altered rates of migration or activity in the presence of predation risk (called non-consumptive effects, fear-or -driven effects, and risk effects). Changes in prey abundance that may result in remote effects arise from changes in prey density due to direct predation (i.e. consumptive effects, also called N-driven effects and predation effects). Remote effects provide a different perspective on both predator-prey interactions and spatial subsidies, illustrating how the interplay among space, time, behavior, and consumption generates emergent spatial dynamics in places where we might not expect them. We describe how strong remote effects of predators may essent

Immune system activation affects song and territorial defense - N. E. Munoz; Daniel T. Blumstein; J. Foufopoulos (Behavioral Ecology, 2010)
Previous studies have demonstrated that bird song is influenced by infection. We investigated how mounting an immune response by mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) affects specific aspects of territorial song and behavior. We used song playback to simulate a territorial intrusion and elicit baseline song and behavioral responses. Individuals were then either injected with a saline control or with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) solution to induce an acute immune response, and posttreatment territorial song and behaviors in response to playback were recorded 1 day and 7 days later. The immune challenge significantly reduced the number of birds that sang compared with control individuals on Day 1. All birds that sang on Day 1 produced abnormal songs with fewer terminal notes, exhibited elevated alarm behavior, and tended to sing at slower rates. By Day 7, LPS treatment had no effect on the likelihood of singing, and song rates had returned to baseline levels, th

Changes in snowmelt date and summer precipitation affect the flowering phenology of Erythronium grandiflorum (Glacier Lily; Liliaceae) - A. M. Lambert; A. J. Miller-Rushing; David W. Inouye (American Journal of Botany, 2010)
• Premise of the study: Climate change has affected species worldwide, including alterations in phenology, migration patterns, distribution, and survival. Because Erythronium grandiflorum is an early‐season bloomer, alterations in its phenology may have serious implications for many North American Rocky Mountain communities, including changes in resource availability for pollinators and herbivores.• Methods: We investigated whether changes in the snowmelt date, summer temperature, and summer precipitation have altered the timing and abundance of flowering in E. grandiflorum by collecting long‐term data on floral abundance from 1975–2008 in a series of 2 × 2 m plots at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, Colorado in the United States.• Key results: Snowmelt date and mean summer temperature were negatively correlated. Over the 30‐yr study, the snowmelt date advanced by 4.14 d/decade, and mean summer temperature increased by 0.38°C/decade. Summer precipitation was v

Heritable victimization and the benefits of agonistic relationships - A. J. Lea; Daniel T. Blumstein; T. W. Wey; J. G. A. Martin (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010)
Here, we present estimates of heritability and selection on network traits in a single population, allowing us to address the evolutionary potential of social behavior and the poorly understood link between sociality and fitness. To evolve, sociality must have some heritable basis, yet the heritability of social relationships is largely unknown. Recent advances in both social network analyses and quantitative genetics allow us to quantify attributes of social relationships and estimate their heritability in free-living populations. Our analyses addressed a variety of measures (in-degree, out-degree, attractiveness, expansiveness, embeddedness, and betweenness), and we hypothesized that traits reflecting relationships controlled by an individual (i.e., those that the individual initiated or were directly involved in) would be more heritable than those based largely on the behavior of conspecifics. Identifying patterns of heritability and selection among related traits may provide insigh

Jasmonate-induced plant defenses hinder growth in Cardamine cordifolia (Brassicaceae) - H. Kim (2010)

What's for lunch: deciphering ant omnivory on lupine - C. S. Bayer (2010)
True omnivores are animals which feed on both plant and prey sources, allowing them to effect multiple trophic levels within a food web. Ants are well-known omnivores and many participate in honeydew mutualisms with aphids. The western thatching ant, Formica obscuripe, tends the mutualist aphid Aphis lupine and will directly feed on the stems and inflorescences of the aphids’ host plant, lupine, Lupinus spp. To understand the net effect of the thatching ant on lupine I looked at the ants effects on herbivores, aphids, and predators on the lupine, along with direct ant damage to the plant. I used a 2X2 factorial experiment crossing the observational factor, lupine near or far from ants with the manipulative factor, the presence or absence of aphids. Close proximity to thatching ants was associated with a significantly greater abundance of aphids, all ant species combined, the number of lupine flowers with chewing damage at the beginning of the experiment, the abundance of both other phl

Social cohesion in yellow-bellied marmots is established through age and kin structuring - T. W. Wey; Daniel T. Blumstein (Animal Behaviour, 2010)
The results suggest that yearling yellow-bellied marmots are more important for maintaining social cohesion than has previously been recognized, and that marmot colonies are largely organized based on age group and kinship.

Restoring Colorado River Ecosystems: A Troubled Sense of Immensity - Cynthia E. Dott (Restoration Ecology, 2010)

The effects of phenological mismatches on demography - A. J. Miller-Rushing; T. T. Hoye; David W. Inouye; E. Post (Phil Trans Royal Society B, 2010)
Climate change is altering the phenology of species across the world, but what are the consequences of these phenological changes for the demography and population dynamics of species? Time-sensitive relationships, such as migration, breeding and predation, may be disrupted or altered, which may in turn alter the rates of reproduction and survival, leading some populations to decline and others to increase in abundance. However, finding evidence for disrupted relationships, or lack thereof, and their demographic effects, is difficult because the necessary detailed observational data are rare. Moreover, we do not know how sensitive species will generally be to phenological mismatches when they occur. Existing long-term studies provide preliminary data for analysing the phenology and demography of species in several locations. In many instances, though, observational protocols may need to be optimized to characterize timing-based multi-trophic interactions. As a basis for future research

Scaptomyza nigrita herbivory and inducible glucosinolates in Cardamine cordifolia - M. Fremgen (2010)
Brassicaceae plants, such as bittercress (Cardamine cordifolia) produce characteristic glucosinolates, which are secondary metabolites used as defense compounds to deter pathogens and insect herbivores, such as the leaf mining fly (Scaptomyza nigrita). These compounds are produced constitutively and are also inducible. Although induced defense is well studied in other mustards, little work has been done on C. cordifolia defense. In this study, I quantified induced glucosinolate production caused by S. nigrita attack using HPLC. I expected that attack by S. nigrita would induce C. cordifolia to produce glucosinolates at higher concentrations. In addition, I expected that the local response would be more robust than the systemic response because glucosinolates are costly for the plant to produce (van Dam and Raaijmakers 2005). Also, given the geographic mosaic model of co-evolution, I expected variation in the response between plants from different geographic locations (Thompson 1988). A

Vigilance in the golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis): effect of age and distance to human-created structures - P. A. Hernick (2010)
Animals are expected to maximize feeding success while minimizing predation risk; however, foraging and vigilance behaviors often conflict. I studied this trade-off in Golden- mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis), with respect to human-created structures in Gothic, CO, site of the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab. Structures such as cabins and outhouses obstruct the view of predators but may also be used as cover. This observational study was done to determine how vigilance was affected by the structures. For each individual, observations were taken at 10-s intervals for one min and distance from the squirrel to nearest structure was measured. Amount of time spent vigilance increased with distance to nearest structure. Age class was taken into consideration because several litters of ground squirrels emerged during the study. Juveniles exhibited less vigilant behaviors and more non-vigilant behaviors but were mostly observed within 10 m of a structure. Adult ground squirrels

Substrate characteristics affect colonization by the bloom-forming diatom Didymosphenia geminata. - E. A. Bergey; J. T. Cooper; B. C. Phillips (Aquatic Ecology, 2010)

Grand Junction, Colorado: How A Community Drew On Its Values To Shape A Superior Health System - Marsha Thorson; Jane Brock; Jason Mitchell; J. S. Lynn (Health Affairs, 2010)
For the past decade, the high-quality, relatively low-cost health care delivered in Grand Junction, Colorado, has led that community to outperform most others in the United States. Medicare patients in Grand Junction have fewer hospitalizations, shorter hospitalizations, and lower mortality rates after hospitalization than do Medicare patients in comparison hospitals. Effective, efficient care is delivered in Grand Junction through separate, self-governing organizations that perceive health care as a community resource. This article describes how the various stakeholders in Grand Junction have addressed problems and set standards for the system. The lessons could apply to broader health reform efforts in communities around the country.

A new specimen of Eutretauranosuchus (Crocodyliformes; Goniopholididae) from Dry Mesa, Colorado - DAVID K. Smith; ERIC R. Allen; R. KENT SANDERS; KENNETH L. STADTMAN (Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2010)
ABSTRACT A nearly complete skull of Eutretauranosuchus delfsi was uncovered at the upper Jurassic Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry in the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation in western Colorado. It permits an expanded description of the taxon. Like the holotype, from Canyon City, Colorado, the Dry Mesa specimen probably represents a subadult, based on faint parallel lineations in the frontal, incomplete ossification in the otic region, incomplete sculpturing of the dermal bone, and an incompletely fused occipital condyle. The Dry Mesa specimen is compared with the type specimen, crocodyliformes Amphicotylus, photographs of the type specimen, and other related crocodyliformes described in the literature. A phylogenetic analysis lends support to a close relationship between Eutretauranosuchus, Calsoyasuchus, and Sunosuchus. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to thank P. Galton, J. Kirkland, K. Cloward, C. Miles, D. DeBlieux, and M. Hayden for their comments and making their libraries and faciliti

The relationship of condition and parasite infection in wild rodents, Microtus montanus - J. Brancale (2010)

Photosynthetic and growth responses of reciprocal hybrids to variation in water and nitrogen availability - Diane R. Campbell; C. A. Wu; S. Travers (American Journal of Botany, 2010)
• Premise of the study: Fitness of plant hybrids often depends upon the environment, but physiological mechanisms underlying the differential responses to habitat are poorly understood. We examined physiological responses of Ipomopsis species and hybrids, including reciprocal F1s and F2s, to variation in soil moisture and nitrogen.• Methods: To examine responses to moisture, we subjected plants to a dry‐down experiment. Nitrogen was manipulated in three independent experiments, one in the field and two in common environments.• Key results: Plants with I. tenuituba cytoplasmic background had lower optimal soil moisture for photosynthesis, appearing better adapted to dry conditions, than plants with I. aggregata cytoplasm. This result supported a prediction from prior studies. The species and hybrids did not differ greatly in physiological responses to nitrogen. An increase in soil nitrogen increased leaf nitrogen, carbon assimilation, integrated water‐use efficiency, and growth, but the

Does breeding bird density drive vocal individuality? - D. R. McClain (2010)
Many species produce individually specific vocalizations and sociality is a hypothesized driver of individuality. Previous studies of social variation focused on species that were colonial nesters or not, and social group size in sciurid rodents. If sociality is an important driver of individuality, we might expect that species that defend nesting territories in higher density neighborhoods should have more individually-distinctive calls than those that defend nesting territories in lower-density neighborhoods. We used Beecher’s information statistic to quantify individuality, and we examined the relationship between nesting density and vocal individuality in Lincoln’ sparrows, Melospiza lincolnii, and mountain white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha. We conducted point counts to examine the relative density of each species at our site and conducted a literature review to examine relative densities of each species at other sites. We found that mountain white-crowned spa

High‐resolution receiver function imaging reveals Colorado Plateau lithospheric architecture and mantle‐supported topography - D. R. Wilson; Richard Aster; Stephen P. Grand; James Ni; W. Scott Baldridge (Geophysical Research Letters, 2010)
After maintaining elevations near sea level for over 500 million years, the Colorado Plateau (CP) has a present average elevation of 2 km. We compute new receiver function images from the first dense seismic transect to cross the plateau that reveal a central CP crustal thickness of 42–50 km thinning to 30–35 km at the CP margins. Isostatic calculations show that only approximately 20% of central CP elevations can be explained by thickened crust alone, with the CP edges requiring nearly total mantle compensation. We calculate an uplift budget showing that CP buoyancy arises from a combination of crustal thickening, heating and alteration of the lithospheric root, dynamic support from mantle upwelling, and significant buoyant edge effects produced by small‐scale convecting asthenosphere at its margins.

Heritability of anti-predatory traits: vigilance and locomotor performance in marmots - Daniel T. Blumstein; A. J. Lea; Link E. Olson; J. G. A. Martin (J Evolutionary Biology, 2010)
AbstractAnimals must allocate some proportion of their time to detecting predators. In birds and mammals, such anti‐predator vigilance has been well studied, and we know that it may be influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Despite hundreds of studies focusing on vigilance and suggestions that there are individual differences in vigilance, there have been no prior studies examining its heritability in the field. Here, we present one of the first reports of (additive) genetic variation in vigilance. Using a restricted maximum likelihood procedure, we found that, in yellow‐bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris), the heritability of locomotor ability (h2 = 0.21), and especially vigilance (h2 = 0.08), is low. These modest heritability estimates suggest great environmental variation or a history of directional selection eliminating genetic variation in these traits. We also found a significant phenotypic (rP = −0.09 ± 0.04, P = 0.024) and a substantial, but not signific

The effect of an introduced predator scent on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) browsing activities in meadow habitats in Gothic, Colorado - B. D. Castro-Escobar (2010)

Predicting climate-induced shifts in burying beetle distributions: integrating niche partitioning, competition, and thermal performance - K. J. Buffington (2010)

The Landscape of Fear and Trophic Cascades: Does Human Presence at RMBL Affect Deer Behavior? - R. Pickens (2010)

Role of caddisflies in detritus breakdown in alpine ponds - C. N. Eddy; S. A. Wissinger (2010)

Low-Cost Lessons from Grand Junction, Colorado - Thomas Bodenheimer; D. C. West (New England Journal of Medicine, 2010)
In August 2009, President Barack Obama traveled to Grand Junction, Colorado, touting that community's health care system as a model for the provision of low-cost, high-quality care. According to the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, average per capita Medicare spending in Grand Junction was $6,599 in 2007 — 24% lower than the national average and 60% below high-cost Miami. In 2005, Grand Junction had only 60% as many coronary-artery bypass surgeries in its Medicare population as the national average, 55% as many inpatient coronary angiography procedures, and 61% as many inpatient days during the last 2 years of life. Moreover, . . .

Coupled dynamics of body mass and population growth in response to environmental change - A. Ozgul; D. Z. Childs; M. K. Oli; Kenneth B. Armitage; Daniel T. Blumstein; Link E. Olson; S. Tuljapurkar; T. Coulson (Nature, 2010)
It is demonstrated how earlier emergence from hibernation and earlier weaning of young has led to a longer growing season and larger body masses before hibernation, and this helps explain how a shift in phenology can cause simultaneous phenotypic and demographic changes.

Nectar and pollen rewards of invasive plants and their native congeners - K. A. Lorentz (2010)
Many invasive plants are equipped with a suite of mechanisms that can allow them to out-compete native plants. Recently, there has been growing recognition that invasive plants may affect native plants by luring away shared pollinators. The goal of this research was to explore the properties that make invasive plants strong competitors for pollination services from insects and birds. I addressed the question: How commonly do invasive plants offer more attractive nectar and pollen rewards than their native counterparts? I examined quality and quantity of floral rewards from native-invader pairs by measuring nectar production rate, nectar concentration, pollen volume, and pollen protein content. For all of the response variables except nectar production rate, most or all of the invasive plants were more rewarding than their native counterparts. To assess whether invasives offering more rewarding nectar and pollen than natives is a general phenomenon will require the study of a broader se

Patterns of natural avalanche activity associated with new snow water equivalence and upper atmospheric wind direction and speed in the mountains surrounding Gothic, Colorado - Tara Lea. Chesley-Preston (2010)
Snowfall, temperature and wind are three factors that quickly change avalanche conditions. Ridge-top winds have been used to assess avalanche conditions with mixed success due to high variability. Few analyses have tested the effect upper atmospheric winds have on avalanche conditions. This study attempts to quantify the effect upper atmospheric wind direction and speed have on the spatial pattern of natural avalanching in the mountains near Gothic, Colorado. The Gothic dataset consists of over 3,300 natural avalanches spanning a time period of 33 years. These data are associated with daily new snow water equivalence (SWE) collected at Gothic, as well as 500mb wind direction and speed from the National Centers for Environmental Protection/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) gridded reanalysis project. I hypothesize that prevailing 500mb winds are more likely to be associated with natural avalanches in avalanche paths with a starting zone aspect lee to the prevailing fr

A study of correlational selection through floral manipulations of Polemonium foliosissimum (Polemoniaceae) - M. Forster (2010)

A microsatellite linkage map for Drosophila montana shows large variation in recombination rates, and a courtship song trait maps to an area of low recombination - M. A. Schafer; D. Mazzi; K. Klappert; H. Kauranen; J. Vieira; A. Hoikkala; M. Ritchie; C. Schlotterer (J Evol Biol, 2010)

Testing the predictions of the Maximum Information Entropy Theory for abundance and energy distributions on the Gothic earthflow - A. F. Messerman (2010)
Maximum Information Entropy theory, or MaxEnt, has been shown in many cases to accurately predict relationships between macroecological variables in ecosystems in a state of equilibrium. However, little testing has been performed on MaxEnt in disturbed sites. This study evaluated the accuracy of predictions made by MaxEnt for metabolic rate distributions among and across plant species on a high-disturbance earthflow in Gothic, Colorado. My results showed that the quality of MaxEnt predictions of metabolic rate distributions varied between metric examined, as well as plot and species observed. In disagreement with previous studies, abundance distributions were accurately predicted across all stages of succession for which measurements were taken. The findings of this study may prove to be of interest to disturbance ecologists and conservation efforts in general.

Pollination potential of male bumble bees (Bombus impatiens): movement patterns and pollen-transfer efficiency - K. L. Ostevik; J. S. Manson; J. D. Thomson (Journal of Pollination Ecology, 2010)

Molecular identification of host feeding patterns of snow-melt mosquitoes: potential implications for the transmission of Jamestown Canyon Virus - C. C. Murdock; K. J. Olival; S. E. Perkins (Journal of Medical Entomology, 2010)

Climate in the southern Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, Colroado, U.S.A., during the last glacial maximum: inferences using a simple degree-day model - Keith A. Brugger (Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2010)
Equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) were determined from reconstructions of 22 paleoglaciers at their extent during the local last glacial maximum (LGM) using the accumulation-area method. LGM ELAs thus derived ranged from 2980 to 3560 m and follow a statistically significant regional trend of rising \ 4.5 m km-1 to the east. Two approaches using a degree-day model were used to infer LGM climate by finding plausible combinations of temperature and precipitation change that (1) would be required to lower ELAs to their mean LGM values in both the Taylor Park/eastern Elk Mountains region and western Elk Mountains, and (2) provide steady-state mass balances to maintain individual glaciers. The results of these two approaches are convergent and suggest that in the absence of significant changes in precipitation, mean summer (or mean annual) temperatures within the study area during the LGM were on the order of about 7 degree C cooler than at present. The model also suggests that even allowing

The effect of elevation on the phenology and pollination ecology of Frasera speciosa (Gentianaceae) - A. E. Culpepper (2010)

Intraspecific trait variation affects community distributions of alpine meadow plant communities - A. N. Henderson (2010)
Differences between individuals are often not accounted for in studies using plant functional trait data. Variation due to biotic and abiotic conditions is common for many plant traits that are crucial for fitness and survival. However, functional trait methods usually do not account for differences that could be present between sites and between individuals. In order to see how much intraspecific variation impacts our understanding of community functioning I collected a full sample of functional traits (height, biomass and LMA) for all individuals within a community. I compared this true community LMA distribution to the abundance weighted species mean LMA distribution. The statistical moments from these two distributions did not match up, indicating that intraspecific trait variation was present in the sampled communities. While the differences between the methods was not statistically significant, including more sites would likely elucidate differences more clearly. Our understandin

Testing the oviposition cues that drive preference of Hylemya for different sexes of Polemonium foliosissimum - C. S. Melo (2010)
This investigation focused on how mutualists and antagonists affect the flowers of different sexes within the same species. My study examined plant and insect interactions in Polemonium foliosissimum to better understand the selective pressures that influenced the evolution of gynodioecy in this plant species. My manipulative experiment and observations were designed to determine (1) if the pre-dispersal seed predator Hylemya chooses floral cues such as flower size and presence of pollen in selecting a plant to lay eggs on and (2) if Hylemya chooses the same floral cues as pollinators in plant selection. I found that plant sex and floral traits seemed to not be a factor in plant selection by these insects, but a trend in un-manipulated plant selection indicated that they preferred visiting undamaged plants. The results of this study imply that other mechanisms such as plant defense or perhaps plant appearance may influence Hylemya and pollinator preference. Key Words: Polemonium folios

Willow branch selection by the red-naped sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis): The effects of branch characteristics on foraging behavior in Gothic, CO - E. L. Shelly (2010)
Foraging Red-naped sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) displayed a clear preference for interior willow branches branches (80% of all total wells) over exterior branches, and for east-facing branches (62% of all total wells) over west-facing ones. Interior branches were most likely favored because of the protection they offered from predators: this theory was supported with observational data in which sapsuckers foraging on exterior branches scanned their surroundings almost twice as often as on interior branches. By contrast, preference for east-facing branches was most likely related to temperature. East-facing branches gained more heat and stayed significantly warmer than their west- facing counterparts for the time intervals of 7 am to 3 pm. Additionally, 72.2% of all total drill sites were found within in the range of 1.072- 1.875 m along the branch and 48.8% found between the range of .92- 1.32 m above the ground, indicating that sapsuckers preferentially create wells within a very

Mosquitoes: more likely nectar thieves than pollinators - David W. Inouye (2010)

Diversity of rock varnish bacterial communities from Black Canyon, New Mexico - Diana E. Northup; Jessica R. Snider; Michael N. Spilde; M. Porter; Jodie L. van de Kamp; Penelope J. Boston; April M. Nyberg; John R. Bargar (Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 2010)
Scientists vigorously debate the degree to which rock varnish is formed through the actions of microorganisms. To investigate this enigma, we utilized a three‐pronged approach that combined (1) culture‐independent molecular methods to characterize bacterial communities associated with varnish that coats the rhyolitic volcanic rocks of Black Canyon, New Mexico, and rocks with no visible varnish; (2) culturing of varnish in media supplemented with reduced forms of manganese and/or iron and no or low amounts of carbon to isolate bacteria capable of precipitating iron and/or manganese oxides; and (3) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of varnish and nearby rock that lacks macroscopically visible varnish. Our culture‐independent studies revealed significant differences between varnish and nonvarnish communities. Chloroflexi and Ktedobacteria dominated one varnish site, while the other varnish site was dominated by Cyanobacteria. The nonvarnish sites were dominated by Actinobacteria and, to

Color polymorphism in Boechera stricta due to phenotypic plasticity and reproductive advantage - E. Goodrich-Stuart (2010)

Consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of cannibalism in fluctuating age-structured populations - S. A. Wissinger; H. H. Whiteman; M. Denoel; M. L. Mumford; C. B. Aubee (Ecology, 2010)
Theory and empirical studies suggest that cannibalism in age‐structured populations can regulate recruitment depending on the intensity of intraspecific competition between cannibals and victims and the nature of the cannibalism window, i.e., which size classes interact as cannibals and victims. Here we report on a series of experiments that quantify that window for age‐structured populations of salamander larvae and paedomorphic adults. We determined body size limits on cannibalism in microcosms and then the consumptive and nonconsumptive (injuries, foraging and activity, diet, growth) effects on victims in mesocosms with seminatural levels of habitat complexity and alternative prey. We found that cannibalism by the largest size classes (paedomorphs and ≥age 3+ yr larvae) occurs mainly on young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) victims. Surviving YOY and other small larvae had increased injuries, reduced activity levels, and reduced growth rates in the presence of cannibals. Data on YOY survival in a

Salamander cannibalism - S. A. Wissinger; H. H. Whiteman; M. Denoel; M. L. Mumford; C. B. Aubee (Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 2010)

Changing the Law-Science Paradigm for Colorado River Restoration - Robert W. Adler (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010)

Global change implications of adaption to climatic variability - T. C. Bonebrake (2010)

Using tree rings to predict the response of tree growth to climate change in the continental United States during the twenty-first century - Andrew Williams; J. Michaelsen; S. W. Leavitt; C. Still (Earth Interactions, 2010)
Abstract In the early 1900s, tree-ring scientists began analyzing the relative widths of annual growth rings preserved in the cross sections of trees to infer past climate variations. Now, many ring-width index (RWI) chronologies, each representing a specific site and species, are archived online within the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB). Comparing annual tree-ring-width data from 1097 sites in the continental United States to climate data, the authors quantitatively evaluated how trees at each site have historically responded to interannual climate variations. For each site, they developed a climate-driven statistical growth equation that uses regional climate variables to model RWI values. The authors applied these growth models to predict how tree growth will respond to twenty-first-century climate change, considering four climate projections. Although caution should be taken when extrapolating past relationships with climate into the future, the authors ob

Characterization of small microsatellite loci for use in non invasive sampling studies of Gunnison Sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) - Sara J. Oyler-McCance; JUDITH St. John (Conservation Genetics Resources, 2010)
Primers for 10 microsatellite loci developed specifically to amplify low quantity and quality DNA for Gunnison Sage-grouse were found to have levels of variability ranging from two to seven alleles, although one locus revealed significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium.

Consequences of variation in flowering time within and among individuals of Mertensia fusiformis (Boraginaceae), an early spring wildflower - Jessica R. K. Forrest; J. D. Thomson (Amer J of Botany, 2010)
Climate change is causing many plants to flower earlier in spring, exposing them to novel selection pressures, including—potentially—pollinator shortages. Over 2 years that contrasted in timing of flowering onset, we studied reproductive strategies, pollen limitation, and selection on flowering time in Mertensia fusiformis, a self‐incompatible, spring‐flowering perennial. Plants opened most of their flowers early in the flowering period, especially in 2007, the early year; but selection favored early‐flowering individuals only in 2008. However, resource allocation to early vs. late seed production was flexible: In 2008, but not 2007, early flowers on a plant produced more and heavier seeds. Late flowers were capable of equal seed production if fertilization of early ovules was prevented, suggesting that late flowers serve a bet‐hedging function. Evidence for pollen limitation was weak, although there was a tendency for early flowers to be pollen‐limited in 2007 and for late flowers to

Toward a synthetic understanding of the role of phenology in ecology and evolution - Jessica R. K. Forrest; A. J. Miller-Rushing (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 2010)
Phenology affects nearly all aspects of ecology and evolution. Virtually all biological phenomena—from individual physiology to interspecific relationships to global nutrient fluxes—have annual cycles and are influenced by the timing of abiotic events. Recent years have seen a surge of interest in this topic, as an increasing number of studies document phenological responses to climate change. Much recent research has addressed the genetic controls on phenology, modelling techniques and ecosystem-level and evolutionary consequences of phenological change. To date, however, these efforts have tended to proceed independently. Here, we bring together some of these disparate lines of inquiry to clarify vocabulary, facilitate comparisons among habitat types and promote the integration of ideas and methodologies across different disciplines and scales. We discuss the relationship between phenology and life history, the distinction between organismal- and population-level perspectives on phen

Ecological Stoichiometry Of Consumer-Resource Interactions In Lotic Food Webs - Jennifer M. Moslemi (eCommons (Cornell University), 2010)
The natural world is inherently complex, and the application of theories that reduce complexity may reveal general biological patterns that are otherwise obscured. The theoretical framework of ecological stoichiometry provides a lens through which to broaden understanding of complex ecological dynamics by distilling them into mass balance relationships. Using ecological stoichiometry theory, ecological interactions can be understood as the quantifiable exchange of energy and multiple chemical elements that are transformed but not destroyed. Here, I use ecological stoichiometry to understand how: (1) excreted nutrients by an invasive herbivore influence nitrogen dynamics in tropical streams, (2) physical, chemical, and biological factors define the elemental composition of food webs across regional scales, and (3) the elemental composition of lotic food webs responds to manipulations of top-down and bottom-up forces at different experimental scales. In Trinidad, West Indies, I quantifie

Applying the coalitionary-traits metric: sociality without cooperation in male yellow-bellied marmots - Link E. Olson; Daniel T. Blumstein (Behavioral Ecology, 2010)
Mammalian sociality varies both within and between species. We developed a trait-based method to quantify sociality in a continuous way to study the adaptive utility and evolution of male social behavior. The metric is based on 3 key traits—mutual tolerance, collaboration, and partner preference; males with no traits are not social, whereas those with all 3 traits are described as forming coalitions. We applied this framework to systematically describe sociality in the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris). Male marmot sociality varies: social groups contain one to several adult males, who may or may not monopolize reproduction. Through a series of experiments and demographic analyses, we found that male marmots do not appear to discriminate among individuals and thus do not show evidence of partner preference, males do not adjust alarm-calling behavior in a way consistent with male–male collaboration (but may alarm call to preferentially warn kin), and male

Variation in the phenology and abundance of flowering by native and exotic plants in subalpine meadows - B. Wilke; R. E. Irwin (Biological Invasions, 2010)

Federal Agency Involvement in Western Renewable Energy Resource Decisions: Assessing the Views of Colorado County Commissioners - C. C. Davis (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010)

Differences in macroinvertebrate community structure in streams and rivers with different hydrologic regimes in the semi-arid Colorado Plateau - Matthew Miller; Anne, M.D. Brasher (River Systems, 2010)

Dissolved iron stimulates uptake of organic phosphorus by Didymosphenia geminata - E. T. Ellison (2010)
Recent blooms of Didymosphenia geminata in streams around the world where they had never been recorded before has generated new interest in the biology and ecology of this diatom. The species is often found in oligotrophic mountain streams where phosphorus limitation may determine productivity. Excessive stalk production that results in blooms may be a response to low phosphorus conditions. The available form of phosphorus and the concentration of iron were manipulated to determine whether these factors affect phosphorus uptake rate. Phosphorus form, iron concentration, and initial phosphorus concentration all had significant effects on uptake rate. The results of this experiment show that organic phosphorus may be an important source of phosphorus for D. geminata, and that high concentrations of iron may influence the phosphorus uptake mechanism. Therefore, stream chemistry is likely to play an important role in determining bloom formation by D. geminata.

Effects of multi-species interactions in gynodioecious populations of Polemonium foliosissimum - D. R. Henrie (2010)
Gynodioecy is a dimorphic breeding system in which male sterile individuals coexist with hermaphroditic individuals in the same populations. In order for female plants to be maintained within these populations, considering that they do not achieve fitness through male function, they must have a fitness advantage through female function. We looked at mutualist such as pollinators and antagonists such as pollen thieves that steal pollen without performing pollination service and in gynodioecious species could leave hermaphrodites functionally female. Although pollen theft is highly understudied, it could be enormously important in influencing pollen limitation. At this time all results are very preliminary and need further analysis, but we hope to gain understanding into how interactions with other species might provide trade-offs for females and hermaphrodites in terms of attracting both mutualists and enemies. To do this we asked if floral visitors showed a preference for hermaphrodite

Flowering phenology, fruiting success and progressive deterioration of pollination in an early-flowering geophyte - J. D. Thomson (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B., 2010)
Spatio-temporal patterns of snowmelt and flowering times affect fruiting success in Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh (Liliaceae) in subalpine western Colorado, USA. From 1990 to 1995, I measured the consistency across years of snowmelt patterns and flowering times along a permanent transect. In most years since 1993, I have monitored fruit set in temporal cohorts (early- to late-flowering groups of plants) at one site. To assess ‘pollination limitation’, I have also conducted supplemental hand-pollination experiments at various times through the blooming season. The onset of blooming is determined by snowmelt, with the earliest years starting a month before the latest years owing to variation in winter snowpack accumulation. Fruit set is diminished or prevented entirely by killing frosts in some years, most frequently but not exclusively for the earlier cohorts. When frosts do not limit fruit set, pollination limitation is frequent, especially in the earlier cohor

Is alarm calling risky? Marmots avoid calling from risky places - T. Collier; Daniel T. Blumstein; L. Girod; C. E. Taylor (Ethology, 2010)
AbstractAlarm calling is common in many species. A prevalent assumption is that calling puts the vocalizing individual at increased risk of predation. If calling is indeed costly, we need special explanations for its evolution and maintenance. In some, but not all species, callers vocalize away from safety and thus may be exposed to an increased risk of predation. However, for species that emit bouts with one or a few calls, it is often difficult to identify the caller and find the precise location where a call was produced. We analyzed the spatial dynamics of yellow‐bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) alarm calling using an acoustic localization system to determine the location from where calls were emitted. Marmots almost always called from positions close to the safety of their burrows, and, if they produced more than one alarm call, tended to end their calling bouts closer to safety than they started them. These results suggest that for this species, potential increased predation

Fitness costs of the aphid endosymbiont, Hamiltonella defensa - N. A. Booster (2010)
Black sage aphids, Obtusicauda frigidae, are infected by the bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa. The bacteria confers a resistance to parasitism by the solitary endoparastic wasp Aphidius ervi. The bacteria also confers a number of other advantages to the aphids. Despite the number of advantages conferred by bacterial infection, H. defensa is only seen at intermediate frequencies in the aphid population. Our experiment was designed to test whether or not there is a fitness cost to the aphid by infection with H. defensa which would explain the intermediate frequency of infection. I placed infected and uninfected aphids on plants in bags. I dyed the initial population of aphids in order to track the mortality of only that initial population. Then I surveyed each population at weekly intervals in order to gather data on the effect of infection on the fitness initial and subsequent aphids. I found that uninfected aphids had lower mortality and that their offspring had higher survi

Forest responses to increasing aridity and warmth in the southwestern United States - Andrew Williams; C. D. Allen; C. I. Millar; T. W. Swetnam; J. Michaelsen; C. Still; S. W. Leavitt (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010)
In recent decades, intense droughts, insect outbreaks, and wildfires have led to decreasing tree growth and increasing mortality in many temperate forests. We compared annual tree-ring width data from 1,097 populations in the coterminous United States to climate data and evaluated site-specific tree responses to climate variations throughout the 20th century. For each population, we developed a climate-driven growth equation by using climate records to predict annual ring widths. Forests within the southwestern United States appear particularly sensitive to drought and warmth. We input 21st century climate projections to the equations to predict growth responses. Our results suggest that if temperature and aridity rise as they are projected to, southwestern trees will experience substantially reduced growth during this century. As tree growth declines, mortality rates may increase at many sites. Increases in wildfires and bark-beetle outbreaks in the most recent decade are likely relat

Does stigma-anther separation prevent sexual interference in dwarf bluebells (Mertensia fusiformis)? - A. M. Gorischek (2009)
Innumerable floral traits have been ascribed adaptive significance via a variety of mechanisms. One such trait is herkogamy, the spatial separation of the stigma and anthers. In self-incompatible plants, herkogamy is thought to reduce sexual interference, defined as any situation in which one sex function directly decreases the success of the other sex function. I investigated herkogamy in the dwarf bluebell (Mertensia fusiformis), and failed to find evidence for the presence of sexual interference or the predicted functional significance of herkogamy.

Variation in host plant sex mediates ant-aphid interactions - K. I. Perry (2009)
Sex-biased herbivory towards male plants has been shown to be common in many dioecious species. Valeriana edulis is a perennial, dioecious dicot that is the plant host to an ant-aphid mutualism. We investigated the interaction between ants and aphids to determine if it differs based on the sex of a plant. In order to address the question of whether variation in host plant sex mediates this mutualistic relationship, experiments, on host plant quality, ant recruitment, and the effects of predators on aphids, were conducted, in addition to collecting observational data. Results showed no difference in the host plant quality of V. edulis for aphid population growth. However, ant recruitment data suggested that ants tend aphids significantly more often on female V. edulis than on male plants (p = 0.0513). Predators reduced aphid abundance, but the strength of these effects was the same on male and female plants. In addition, our study of the natural distribution of aphid populations found t

The sound of arousal: the addition of novel non-linearities increases responsiveness in marmot alarm calls - Daniel T. Blumstein; C. Recapet (Ethology, 2009)
AbstractVocal structure should reflect vocal function. While much attention has focused on quantifying attributes of harmonic vocalizations, the vocalizations of many species also may contain non‐linear phenomena such as warbles, subharmonics, biphonation, and deterministic chaos or noise. The function of these non‐linearities remains enigmatic. In some species, harmonic vocalizations abruptly become ‘noisy’ when individuals are physiologically aroused and the sudden onset of these non‐linearities could signal arousal or fear to receivers. One untested functional hypothesis is that vocalizations containing non‐linearities are more variable from one rendition to the next, and thus are harder to habituate to. In some situations, reducing the likelihood of habituation could be important. Signals that are highly evocative are more difficult to habituate to. Thus, we conducted playback experiments to foraging yellow‐bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to determine whether the addition of

Dichotomous key of the onagraceae family - C. Gomola (2009)

Effect of Imazapic on Cheatgrass and Native Plants in Wyoming Big Sagebrush Restoration for Gunnison Sage-grouse - W. K. Baker; Jim Garner; Peggy Lyon (Natural Areas Journal, 2009)
Imazapic has shown potential to control invasive weeds, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), during ecological restoration, but effects on non-target native plants are poorly known. In a replicated field experiment, as part of restoration for Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) in Colorado, imazapic was applied in the fall at a high rate (175 g/ha) to control cheatgrass in mowed Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young). Cheatgrass was reduced, but only by 67%, and non-native forbs were reduced by 80% by the following summer. However, native forbs also declined (by 84%). Two native grasses declined, but others were not affected. Damage to native forbs would likely be detrimental to sage-grouse and other wildlife if it occurred over large areas. Perhaps application of imazapic just to cheatgrass plants or patches and application earlier in restoration would allow control with less adverse effects on native forbs.

Geomorphic changes resulting from floods in reconfigured gravel-bed river channels in Colorado, USA - John G. Elliott; Joseph P. Capesius (Geological Society of America eBooks, 2009)
Geomorphic changes in reconfigured reaches of three Colorado rivers in response to floods in 2005 provide a benchmark for "restoration" assessment. Sediment-entrainment potential is expressed as the ratio of the shear stress from the 2 yr, 5 yr, 10 yr, and 2005 floods to the critical shear stress for sediment. Some observed response was explained by the excess of flood shear stress relative to the resisting force of the sediment. Bed-load entrainment in the Uncompahgre River and the North Fork Gunnison River, during 4 and 6 yr floods respectively, resulted in streambed scour, streambed deposition, lateral-bar accretion, and channel migration at various locations. Some constructed boulder and log structures failed because of high rates of bank erosion or bed-material deposition. The Lake Fork showed little or no net change after the 2005 flood; however, this channel had not conveyed floods greater than the 2.5 yr flood since reconfiguration.

Fur color diversity in marmots - Kenneth B. Armitage (Ethology, Ecology, & Evolution, 2009)
Fur color that differs from the typical shades of brown and gray occurs in eight species of marmots. Albinism generally is rare whereas melanism is more common. Melanism may persist in some populations at low frequencies averaging 16.1% in M. monax and in M. flaviventris for as long as 80 years. White (not albino) and “bluish” marmots generally are rare, but a population of white M. marmota persisted for at least 10 years. Four species are characterized as having pelages of “extreme colors”; M. caudata, red; M. vancouverensis, dark brown; M. caligata, white; M. baibacina, gray. Fur is involved in heat transfer between the marmot and its environment. Heat transfer depends on fur structure (fur depth, hair length, density, and diameter), on fur spectral properties (absorptivity, reflectivity), and on the thermal environment (temperature, wind speed, radiation). Heat transfer is highly sensitive to solar radiation. Metabolic rates calculated from the fur model corresponded closely with me

Peripheral obstructions influence marmot vigilance: integrating observational and experimental results - P. A. Bednekoff; Daniel T. Blumstein (Behavioral Ecology, 2009)
Animals generally allocate some time during foraging to detecting predators. We used a combination of observations and an experiment to examine how vegetation height and peripheral obstructions influence vigilance by foraging yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris). First, we analyzed a large sample of observations of marmots foraging in nature. Marmots increased vigilance with vegetation height and reared on their hind legs when in tall vegetation. Second, we observed that marmots foraged in locations with lower vegetation than randomly selected sites in the same meadow. These observations suggest that marmots account for what they can see while foraging but do not rule out the influence of other factors correlated with vegetation height. Therefore, we experimentally blocked the view for 3 sides for marmots feeding on a controlled food source. When the apparatus blocked their vigilance, marmots were less vigilant when foraging, often moved outside the apparatu

Effects of flowering plant density on pollinator visitation, pollen receipt, and seed production in Delphinium barbeyi - S. E. Elliott; R. E. Irwin (American Journal of Botany, 2009)
Variation in flowering plant density can have conflicting effects on pollination and seed production. Dense flower patches may attract more pollinators, but flowers in those patches may also compete for pollinator visits and abiotic resources. We examined how natural and experimental conspecific flowering plant density affected pollen receipt and seed production in a protandrous, bumble bee‐pollinated wildflower, Delphinium barbeyi (Ranunculaceae). We also compared floral sex ratios, pollinator visitation rates, and pollen limitation of seed set from early to late in the season to determine whether these factors mirrored seasonal changes in pollen receipt and seed production. Pollen receipt increased with natural flowering plant density, while seed production increased across lower densities and decreased across higher flower densities. Experimental manipulation of flowering plant density did not affect pollinator visitation rate, pollen receipt, or seed production. Although pollinator

Factors influencing floral traits in Rocky Mountain meadows: competition, environmental filtering, and phylogeny - M. J. Stansberry (2009)
There is an incredible diversity of floral morphologies and colors within plant communities of the southwestern, Rocky Mountains. However, little research has been done to quantify exactly how diverse these communities are, and to assess which ecological and phylogenetic processes are structuring this diversity. In an observational study, I measured floral traits within five distinct plant communities near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic CO. Traits relevant to pollinator interaction with flowers (i.e. display size, corolla depth, etc.) were measured for all biotically-pollinated flowering plants. For all species observed at each site on five sampling days, seven structural traits (height of inflorescence above the ground, flower length, width and height, and floral display length, width and height) and sixty color traits (three color spectra from 300-700nm binned at 20nm intervals) were measured. By considering species traits in a multidimensional trait space, I compar

Reactive transport modeling of remedial scenarios to predict cadmium, copper, and zinc in north fork of Clear Creek, Colorado - Barbara A. Butler; Brian S. Caruso; James F. Ranville (Remediation Journal, 2009)
AbstractThe North Fork of Clear Creek (NFCC), Colorado, is an acid‐mine‐drainage‐impacted stream typical of many mountain surface waters affected by historic metal mining in the western United States. The stream is devoid of fish primarily because of high metal concentrations in the water (e.g., copper and zinc) and has large amounts of settled iron oxyhydroxide solids that coat the streambed. The NFCC is part of the Central City/Clear Creek Superfund site, and remediation plans are being implemented that include treatment of three of the main point‐source inputs and cleanup of some tailings and waste rock piles. This article examines dissolved (0.45‐μm filterable) concentrations of cadmium, copper, and zinc following several potential remediation scenarios, simulated using a reactive transport model (WASP4/META4). Results from modeling indicate that for cadmium, remediation of the primary point‐source adit discharges should be sufficient to achieve acute and chronic water‐quality stan

Ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator interactions - R. J. Mitchell; R. E. Irwin; R. J. Flanagan; J. D. Karron (Annals of Botany, 2009)
In this Viewpoint paper we highlight the application of ecological and evolutionary approaches to two themes in pollination biology: (1) links between pollinator behaviour and plant mating systems, and (2) generalization and specialization in pollination systems. We also describe how mathematical models and synthetic analyses have broadened our understanding of pollination biology, especially in human-modified landscapes. We conclude with several suggestions that we hope will stimulate future research. This Viewpoint also serves as the introduction to this Special Issue on the Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Pollinator Interactions. These papers provide inspiring examples of the synergy between evolutionary and ecological approaches, and offer glimpses of great accomplishments yet to come.

Size-specific interaction patterns and size matching in a plant-pollinator interaction web - I. Stang; Peter G.L. Klinkhamer; Nickolas M. Waser; I. Stang; E. van der Meijden (Annals of Botany, 2009)
The results suggest that in addition to size thresholds and species abundances, size distributions are important for understanding interaction patterns in plant-pollinator webs. It is likely that the understanding will be improved further by characterizing for entire communities how nectar production of flowers and energetic requirements of pollinators covary with size, and how sampling methods influence the observed interaction patterns.

A global test of the pollination syndrome hypothesis - J. Ollerton; R. Alarcon; Nickolas M. Waser; Mary V. Price; S. Watts; L. Cranmer; A. Hingston; C. I. Peter; J. Rotenberry (Annals of Botany, 2009)
The pollination syndrome hypothesis as usually articulated does not successfully describe the diversity of floral phenotypes or predict the pollinators of most plant species. Caution is suggested when using pollination syndromes for organizing floral diversity, or for inferring agents of floral adaptation. A fresh look at how traits of flowers and pollinators relate to visitation and pollen transfer is recommended, in order to determine whether axes can be identified that describe floral functional diversity more successfully than the traditional syndromes.

Beaver pond morphology as a tool for predicting changes downstream - M. R. Fuller (2009)
As natural discontinuities of stream networks, beaver ponds have the potential to influence the structure and function of stream ecosystems. After declining during the extensive fur trade in North America, beaver populations have recently grown in some areas, especially montane regions. While previous studies have documented a variety of effects of beaver ponds on stream tail waters, little is known about the mechanisms driving those effects and no consistent generalities have emerged. I studied 18 montane beaver ponds of varying size and shape in western Colorado near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Our goal was to test whether variation in beaver pond morphology (pond size and shape) explains downstream changes in stream temperature, mayfly size and timing of emergence. Downstream water temperatures varied predictably with pond morphology, being colder downstream of high-head dams and warmer downstream of low-head dams. Pond morphology also significantly predicted variation

Helianthella quinquernervis ray floret removal: effect on insect visitation frequency - Andea Scott (2009)

PASSIVE TREATMENT AND MONITORING AT THE STANDARD MINE SUPERFUND SITE, CRESTED BUTTE, CO - David Reisman; Thomas Rutkowski; Pat Smart Pat Smart; James Gusek; Michael Sieczkowski (Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation, 2009)
At the 2008 ASMR conference, data from the initial two months of operation of a U.S. EPA pilot biochemical reactor (BCR) was reported. The BCR was designed and constructed in August, 2007 to treat mining influenced water (MIW) emanating from an adit at a remote site in southern Colorado. The original objective of the study was to operate and monitor a BCR on a year-round basis in a harsh mountain environment. In the second year, a pilot chitin reactor was constructed for manganese removal. The treatment results from 13 months of BCR operation and 2 months of chitin reactor are presented. The treatment goal for the two pilot reactors was to determine compliance with the applicable surface water quality standards for the State of Colorado. Several attributes of the treatment and monitoring system were unique. It was constructed at an elevation of 11,000 feet a.m.s.l. (3,353 meters), was designed to operate year-round, and was totally passive, using solar energy for the monitoring system

Social effects on emergence from hibernation in yellow-bellied marmots - Daniel T. Blumstein (Journal of Mammalogy, 2009)

Background complexity affects colour preference in bumble bees - Jessica R. K. Forrest; J. D. Thomson (Naturwissenschaften, 2009)

Plant community composition with respect to species richness along an altitudinal gradient in gunnison county, co - J. Davendonis (2009)

Macroinvertebrate excretion rates and their contribution to nutrient cycling in a rocky mountain stream - K. Grunseich (2009)
Nutrient supply into an ecosystem is an important factor that can influence its productivity. While some nutrients enter the ecosystem from external sources, cycling of nutrients internally can also be an important process in determining nutrient supply. In this study I examined the role of benthic stream macroinvertebrates in supplying nutrients back into the water column. I measured excretion rates of NH4-N for all readily identifiable taxa in the upper East River in Gothic, CO and examined how these rates varied by body size and across taxa. I also measured nutrient uptake rates in order to determine what percent of ecosystem demand is met by the macroinvertebrate community. I found that invertebrate N excretion rates were positively correlated with individual body mass. Additionally both mean N excretion rate per individual and per unit of biomass varied by nearly three orders of magnitude across invertebrate taxa sampled. The invertebrate community supplied about 13% of nutrient d

Understanding insect life histories and senescence through a resource allocation lens - C. L. Boggs (Functional Ecology, 2009)
An allocation framework is developed, which provides a template for conceptualizing the interactions among resource acquisition, allocation and life- history traits, and fosters a mechanistic understanding of life-history patterns, and the beginning of an understanding of the processes underlying those patterns.

The effects of nutrient addition on floral characters and pollination in two subalpine plants, Ipomopsis aggregata and Linum lewisii - L. A. Burkle; R. E. Irwin (Plant Ecology, 2009)

How Does Streambed Heterogeneity, Light Intensity, and Near-bed Current Influence Algal Accrual, Ash Free Dry Mass, and Macroinvertebrate Richness, and Abundance? - S. Q. Scheel (2009)
Research in stream ecology has become imperative to protect the ecosystem from natural and human induced disturbances. By indulging in the variation of substrate makeup, light intensity, and current velocity, we can evaluate the composition of living organisms as well as the nutrients around them. This will help establish the causes and consequences of a damaged stream ecosystem.

Sperm retention in female Nicrophorus investigator - K. J. Weigel (2009)

Male social behavior in a facultatively social rodent, the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) - Link E. Olson (2009)

The effect of willow proximity on species richness and abundance of birds nesting in aspen Populus tremuloides woodlands. - J. R. Glass (2009)
Riparian zones are widely recognized as important sources of high species diversity. High levels of food resources and habitat complexity in riparian zones attract large numbers of avian species, particularly in arid regions. However, less is known about the importance of riparian proximity in wet montane regions. The landscape near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gunnison Co., Colorado is a wet, montane area with valleys that encompass large riparian regions surrounded by willow shrubs (Salix subcoerulea, S. pseudocordata, S. brachycarpa.) and aspen (Populus tremuloides) groves. These willows provide food and nesting resources to a variety of bird species that nest in aspen woodlands, including the Red-Naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), a keystone species. As one travels further from riparian areas, elevation quickly increases, leading to variation in microhabitat. The impacts of elevation and willow proximity distance on bird diversity may be hard to disentang

A test of the multipredator hypothesis: yellow-bellied marmots respond fearfully to the sight of novel and extinct predators - Daniel T. Blumstein; E. Ferando; T. Stankowich (Animal Behaviour, 2009)
Visual predator discrimination for ontogenetically and evolutionarily novel predators may be maintained in yellow-bellied marmots by extant predation risk by the multipredator hypothesis.

The effects of mine disturbance and contamination on pollination of subalpine wildflowers - C. J. Little (2009)
Metals-rich soils can occur naturally or through human activity, such as mining. Plants growing in metal-rich soils often incorporate metals into their tissues; the concentration of these metals can vary among tissues within a plant, among plants of the same species, and among species. Accumulation of metals in plant tissues has mainly been studied in the context of phytoremediation, The effects of metals on plant pollination in these metal-contaminated sites is less well studied. I examined the effects mine spoils on natural systems in Gunnison County, Colorado. I examined concentrations of metals and other elements in plant tissue as well as conducting plant diversity surveys at 6 pairs of mine and control sites. I measured plant traits and reproductive success and observed pollinator visits on Draba aurea, Thlaspi montanum, and Lupinus argenteus at three site pairs. To examine within-site variation, I used GIS mapping techniques. I found no differences in the metal concentration of

Reciprocal effects among the ant Formica obscuripes and the asters Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus and Artemisia tridentata - M. Lopez (2009)

Using phenotypic manipulations to study multivariate selection of floral trait associations - Diane R. Campbell (Annals of Botany, 2009)
Phenotypic manipulations of two or more traits in combination provide a direct way of testing for selection of floral trait associations. Such experiments will be particularly valuable if rooted in hypotheses about differences between types of pollinators and tied to a proposed evolutionary history.

Tangled trios?: Characterizing a hybrid zone in Castilleja (Orobanchaceae) - E. I. Hersch-Green; R. Cronn (American Journal of Botany, 2009)
Hybridization and polyploidization are exceedingly important processes because both influence the ecological envelope and evolutionary trajectory of land plants. These processes are frequently invoked for Castilleja (Indian paintbrushes) as contributors to morphological and genetic novelty and as complicating factors in species delimitations. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of morphological and genetic evidence for hybridization in a well‐characterized hybrid swarm involving three broadly sympatric species (C. miniata, C. rhexiifolia, C. sulphurea) in western Colorado. Field‐classified hybrids are present at high frequencies at these sites and show morphological intermediacy to and segregate for chloroplast DNA haplotypes with C. rhexiifolia and C. sulphurea. Contrarily, DNA content and AFLP variation show that field‐classified hybrids are not recent hybrids but a distinctive fourth taxon. Actual hybrids (plants showing admixture ≥10% for two genotypic groups) comprised 13% of our

Decoding the information contained in the alarm calls of Gunnison prairie dogs. - Con Slobodchikoff; William Briggs; Patricia Dennis (The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2009)
Gunnison prairie dogs have been shown to produce alarm calls that incorporate information about predators [Slobodchikoff et al., Anim. Behav. 42, 713–719 (1991)], such as the species of predator and also a description of the color and general size of the predator. The alarm calls contain a series of harmonics that encode this information. The calls have been analyzed with discriminant function analysis (DFA) and classification techniques such as self-organizing neural networks. These tools have been able to show that very specific information is encoded in the calls. However, exactly how this information is encoded into the signal has proven to be elusive. We show examples of the specific information that is encoded, and present a hypothetic model of how that information is encoded into the signals.

Species richness along elevation gradient and possible correlation factors - M. Lopez (2009)

Effects of quantity and distribution of pollen on fertilization in the gynodioecious species Geranium richardsonii - C. Gomola (2009)

From brown to green: how does caddisfly detritus processing affect the growth of invertebrate algal grazers - B. C. Goeller (2009)
Wetland nutrient cycling occurs through complex feedback mechanisms and dynamic inter- and intra-species interactions. In the shallow, oligotrophic ponds at the Mexican Cut Nature Preserve, near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the Elk Mountains of Western Colorado, detritovore caddisfly density is negatively coupled with cyclic fluctuations in tiger salamander populations. The caddisfly Limnephilus externus is among the most biomass abundant invertebrates in these ponds and plays a vital role in wetland nutrient cycling by: 1) liberating N and P stored in detritus and 2) stimulating algal growth. In order to test whether the indirect effect of caddisfly detritus processing on algal growth affects species that consume algae, I manipulated caddisfly density in microcosms to create a gradient of detritus processing and compared the effects of nutrient release under ambient light (with stimulation of algal growth) and low light (no stimulation of algal growth). I predicted that

Influence of patch area on bird species diversity in coniferous forests - O. M. Takano (2009)
I examined the effect of forest fragment area on bird species richness and abundance in high- elevation Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni) and sub-alpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) patches in Gunnison County, Colorado. Point counts were used to survey birds in 26 forest patches, ranging from 0.06 to 8.17 ha in size, between June and July 2009. I did a regression analysis of species richness versus patch area as well as total abundance versus area. I analyzed the effect of edge by using a regression of species richness versus edge to area ratio. I found that bird species richness and total number of individuals had a positive relationship with patch area. Species richness decreased with increasing edge relative to area. My results indicate that small patches can be used by only a few species of birds, suggesting that larger patches are capable of supporting higher diversity.

Species richness along an elevational gradient - S. Onstad (2009)

The relationships among butterfly size, visitation rate, handling time, and floral display size - M. A. Pickett (2009)

Variation in the structure and dynamics of bee assemblages across distinct montane meadows - J. N. Welch (2009)
Across different landscapes, plant abundance and richness change. Bee distributions may vary spatially in accordance to these differences in floral diversity. I used a habitat-based approach to investigate this hypothesis across three distinct meadow types: dry meadow, wet meadow-Veratrum and wet meadow-Salix. Patterns of bee species abundance and richness were sampled using bee bowls and netting around Gothic, Colorado. A triplet of sites (each consisting of the tree different meadow types) was sampled every other week, for a total of eight sampling days. In total, 1084 bees were caught and identified to family. I found that there was no significant difference in the number of bees caught per hour across the three meadow types; however, there was a trend of more bees caught in the dry meadows. Furthermore, there was no difference in the number of bees caught per hour within a family, though there was a significant difference between the number of Halictids and Colletids caught in both

Quaternary incision rates and drainage evolution of the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers, western Colorado, as calibrated by the Lava Creek B ash - Andy Darling; Karl E. Karlstrom; Andres Aslan; Rex D. Cole; Charles Betton; E. Wan (Rocky Mountain Geology, 2009)
Research Article| January 01, 2009 Quaternary incision rates and drainage evolution of the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers, western Colorado, as calibrated by the Lava Creek B ash Andrew L. Darling; Andrew L. Darling * 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northrop Hall, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, U.S.A. *Correspondence should be addressed to: adarling@unm.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Karl E. Karlstrom; Karl E. Karlstrom 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northrop Hall, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, U.S.A. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andres Aslan; Andres Aslan 2Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501, U.S.A. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Rex Cole; Rex Cole 2Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, Colorado 8150

Sandstone-body dimensions in a lower coastal-plain depositional setting: Lower Williams Fork Formation, Coal Canyon, Piceance Basin, Colorado - Matthew J. Pranter; Rex D. Cole; Henrikus Panjaitan; Nicholas K. Sommer (AAPG Bulletin, 2009)
This study addresses the field-scale architecture and dimensions of fluvial deposits of the lower Williams Fork Formation through analysis of outcrops in Coal Canyon, Piceance Basin, Colorado. The lower Williams Fork Formation primarily consists of mud rock with numerous isolated, lenticular to channel-form sandstone bodies that were deposited by meandering river systems within a coastal-plain setting. Field descriptions, global positioning system traverses, and a combination of high-resolution aerial light detection and ranging data, digital orthophotography, and ground-based photomosaics were used to map and document the abundance, stratigraphic position, and dimensions of single-story and multistory channel bodies and crevasse splays. The mean thickness and apparent width of the 688 measured sandstone bodies are 12.1 ft (3.7 m) and 364.9 ft (111.2 m), respectively. Single-story sandstone bodies (N = 116) range in thickness from 3.9 to 29.9 ft (1.2 to 9.1 m) and from 44.1 to 1699.8 f

Spatial variations in the fate and transport of metals in a mining-influenced stream, North Fork Clear Creek, Colorado - Barbara A. Butler; James F. Ranville; Philippe E. Ross (Science of The Total Environment, 2009)
Visual-MINTEQ was used to compare observed and model-calculated percentage particulate Cu and Zn as influenced by sorption to both HFO and HMO and aqueous complexation with dissolved organic carbon, and differences between observed and modeled particulate varied significantly between sites and seasons.

Intercomparison, interpretation, and assessment of spring phenology in North America estimated from remote sensing for 1982 to 2006 - M. A. White; K. M. deBeurs; Kamel Didan; David W. Inouye; Andrew D. Richardson; O. P. Jensen; J. Magnuson; J. O 'Keefe; G. Zhang; R. R. Nemani; W. J. D. vanLeeuwen; J. B. Brown; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2009)
Shifts in the timing of spring phenology are a central feature of global change research. Long-term observations of plant phenology have been used to track vegetation responses to climate variability but are often limited to particular species and locations and may not represent synoptic patterns. Satellite remote sensing is instead used for continental to global monitoring. Although numerous methods exist to extract phenological timing, in particular start-of-spring (SOS), from time series of reflectance data, a comprehensive intercomparison and interpretation of SOS methods has not been conducted. Here, we assess 10 SOS methods for North America between 1982 and 2006. The techniques include consistent inputs from the 8 km Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer NDVIg dataset, independent data for snow cover, soil thaw, lake ice dynamics, spring streamflow timing, over 16 000 individual measurements of ground-based phenology, and two temp

A trait-based approach to the evolution of complex coalitions in male mammals - Link E. Olson; Daniel T. Blumstein (Behavioral Ecology, 2009)
Coalitions occur when multiple individuals cooperate against a common opponent or for a common goal. Coalition formation is a complex behavior, typically described in highly social and cognitively complex species. Surprisingly, we know little about the social and environmental factors that may select for the evolution of coalitions. We studied the evolution of coalitionary behavior by first redefining it in a continuous way that acknowledges variation in the degree to which animals collaboratively work toward a common goal. We then examined the evolutionary association of coalition complexity with 3 social factors (estrous duration, group size, and presence of a dominance hierarchy) and 3 environmental factors (habitat type, diurnality, and diet type). We found that estrous duration, group size, and dominance hierarchy were significantly correlated with coalition complexity and thus conclude that social factors are relatively more important in the evolution of complex coalitions than a

Pollinator experience, neophobia, and the evolution of flowering time - Jessica R. K. Forrest; J. D. Thomson (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2009)

Long-distance dispersal to the mining frontier in late 19th century Colorado - S. M. Glover; M. C. Towner (Behaviour, 2009)
Summary Leading edges of population expansion provide unique opportunities for individuals to elevate their social and economic status. However, dispersal into unknown areas may have high costs such as violence associated with conflicts over resources, unfamiliar and harsh ecological conditions, and a loss of social networks. We investigate the background of men who dispersed to Gothic, Colorado during the late 19th century to prospect for silver ore. We find support for the hypothesis that men who chose to disperse to the frontier and endure such costs were on average those who lacked access to critical resources in their childhood homes. Yet contrary to this hypothesis and previous dispersal research, some migrants came from very wealthy and high status families. The incentives of long-distance dispersal to ephemeral mining towns with potentially high payoffs are different from the incentives of dispersal sites examined in previous literature. This project draws attention to the need

An empirical study of collaborative acoustic source localization - A. M. Ali; S. Asgari; T. Collier; M. Allen; L. Girod; R. R. Hudson; K. Yao; C. E. Taylor; Daniel T. Blumstein (J Sign Process Syst, 2009)

Mountaineering In The Rocky Mountain National Park - Roger Wolcott Toll; Robert Sterling Yard (Scholarship & Creative Works - Digital UNC a service of University Libraries (University of Northern Colorado), 2009)
Mountaineering in the Rocky Mountain National Park: Including a Map of the Park Circa 1917 and Various Photos Olmstead, Frederick; Porter, Elliot; Powell, John Wesley; Rearick, Dave; Roosevelt, Teddy; Salaun, Milton; Shoup, Oliver; Stettner, Joe; Stettner, Paul; Toll, Roger; Ullman, James Ramsey; Vasille, Agnes Wolcott; Walker, Kris; Wallace, George; Wharton, John; Wirth, Conrad; Zimmerman, Weerner; Rocky Mountain National Park; Steads ranch; Steads Hotel; Estes Park; Cave of the Winds; Trail Ridge Road; MacGregor Ranch; Grand Lake; Long's Peak; Continental Divide; Boulderfield Hotel; High Trail Map; Wild Basin; Tahosa valley; Vale of Elkanah; Long's Peak Hotel;

Influence of local demography on asymptotic and transient dynamics of a yellow-bellied marmot metapopulation - A. Ozgul; M. K. Oli; Kenneth B. Armitage; Daniel T. Blumstein; D. H. Van Vuren (American Naturalist, 2009)
Despite recent advances in biodemography and metapopulation ecology, we still have limited understanding of how local demographic parameters influence short- and long-term metapopulation dynamics. We used long-term data from 17 local populations, along with the recently developed methods of matrix metapopulation modeling and transient sensitivity analysis, to investigate the influence of local demography on long-term (asymptotic) versus short-term (transient) dynamics of a yellow-bellied marmot metapopulation in Colorado. Both long- and short-term dynamics depended primarily on a few colony sites and were highly sensitive to changes in demography at these sites, particularly in survival of reproductive adult females. Interestingly, the relative importance of sites differed between long- and short-term dynamics; the spatial structure and local population sizes, while insignificant for asymptotic dynamics, were influential on transient dynamics. However, considering the spatial structure

Ecological restoration of Alder Creek, Colorado, USA - B. A. Frase; J. Cairns (Science and Society, 2009)
Partial ecological restoration of important attributes of Alder Creek, Gunnison County, CO, U.S.A., has been successful since the area has continued in its restored condition for over a decade. However, due to cattle grazing, the system is not self maintaining and, thus, requires continual management to remain in its present ecologically improved condition. Since the present holders of the Bureau of Land Management grazing permit will not request a renewal, the continuation of the current management practices by the next holder of the allotment is uncertain. Since this story has been an ecological success, demonstrating that cattle grazing need not destroy riparian habitat, the present practices should continue. Key words: ecological restoration, cattle grazing, riparian recovery, ecological management, multiple use. __________________________ 1 Department of Biology, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 61625, U.S.A. 2 Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, U.S.A. 3

Nest site selection by a secondary cavity-nesting species, the mountain bluebird - J. L. Kortmeyer; N. E. Krauss (2009)
As secondary cavity-nesters, mountain bluebirds are limited in their selection of nest sites by the choices of primary (excavating) cavity nesters. In the aspen forests of Colorado, red-naped sapsuckers are the primary excavators and several species depend on sapsucker nest cavities for their own nests. Our goal was to determine whether secondary cavity-nesters selected particular nest cavity characteristics from the array of available nests, or if their choice was random. We focused on mountain bluebirds because most previous studies used populations nesting in artificial nest boxes. In order to determine the characteristics of mountain bluebird nests we measured diameter at breast height (DBH), nest height, percent tree cover, nest opening orientation and distances to edge of aspens, nearest willow and nearest water. We compared these characteristics of mountain bluebird cavities to the same characteristics of cavities occupied by other secondary cavity nesters and we found very few

Protection at a price? Ant interactions with pollinators on aspen sunflower (Helianthella quinquenervis) - J. Davendonis (2009)

Realized tolerance to nectar robbing: compensation to floral enemies in Ipomopsis aggregata - R. E. Irwin (Annals of Botany, 2009)

Is there a positive correlation between bee size and size parameters of the flowers the bees visit for pollen to provision their nests? - F. P. Araujo; Jessica R. K. Forrest (2009)
In this study I tested if there is a correlation between bee size and size parameters of flowers the bees visit for pollen. In the plant community evaluated there are not many characteristics restricting the use of pollen by bees. Most of the plants analysed have open corollas and/or present pollen with easy accessibility. Small bees can visit all sizes of flowers and they are more generalist; nevertheless large bees are not restricted to large flowers: they can also visit flowers with the alighting place smaller than their body size. Although the amount of pollen is important to attract a diverse and abundant rate of visitation this characteristic is not restrictive as the bees do not always visit flowers just in search of this resource. This was the first study analysing the flower characteristic from the pollen perspective. The results revealed that size of the alighting place, amount of food and the distance between pollen and nectar are important characteristics shaping the intera

Insights into butterfly ecology and evolution - N. B. M. Pohl (2009)

Dichotomous key to the members of the onagraceae family found in the gothic area - D. Bartholomew (2009)

Attributes of mountain bluebird cavity nests - N. E. Krauss; J. L. Kortmeyer (2009)
There are two types of cavity nesting birds: excavators and non-excavators. In the aspen (Populus tremuloides) woodlands of Colorado, the red-naped sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is the predominant primary cavity nester. Sapsuckers excavate new holes each year in trees infected with the heartwood rot fungus (Phellinus tremulae). A common secondary cavity-nester is the mountain bluebird. We tested if characteristics of bluebird nests were non-random in comparison to other secondary cavities. The characteristics considered were DBH, height of nest, cavity opening orientation, percent tree cover, and distance to nearest water, willows and edge. We found that mountain bluebirds inhabit trees with significantly larger diameters than other trees containing secondary cavity nesters. We suggest this is for thermoregulation purposes, because larger trees have a higher average temperature within the cavity. The cavity opening orientation was significantly non-random facing east-southeast, alth

Genetic and morphological patterns show variation in frequency of hybrids between Ipomopsis (Polemoneaceae) zones of sympatry - George Aldridge; Diane R. Campbell (Heredity, 2009)

Clonal integration of induced resistance to herbivory damage in Chamerion angustifolium - H. A. Carey (2009)
A plants ability to resist high levels of herbivory may increase performance and fitness, then be favored by natural selection (Agrawal et al 1998, Karban 1993). The objectives of this study were to find if Chamerion angustifolium, Fireweed, develops an induced resistance to herbivory damage and if itclonally integrates this defense. Adoxus obscurus, a specialist beetle to C. angustifolium, was the selected herbivore to damage leaf tissue in this experiment. A. obscurus presented unpredictable and irregular levels of herbivory damage. In this experiment 60 different genets were selected at three different temporal blocks. The results showed no signicant difference between the controlled and damaged genets in terms of leaf surface area and beetle weight loss. C. angustifolium may potentially have the ability to tolerate the higher levels of herbivory present in this experiment.

Controls on radial growth of mountain big sagebrush and implications for climate change - R. E. Poore; C. A. Lamanna; J. J. Ebersole; Brian J. Enquist (Western North American Naturalist, 2009)
Mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. vaseyana) covers large areas in arid regions of western North America. Climate-change models predict a decrease in the range of sagebrush, but few studies have examined details of predicted changes on sagebrush growth and the potential impacts of these changes on the community. We analyzed effects of temperature, precipitation, and snow depth on sagebrush annual ring width for 1969 to 2007 in the Gunnison Basin of Colorado. Temperature at all times of year except winter had negative correlations with ring widths; summer temperature had the strongest negative relationship. Ring widths correlated positively with precipitation in various seasons except summer; winter precipitation had the strongest relationship with growth. Maximum snow depth also correlated positively and strongly with ring width. Multiple regressions showed that summer temperature and either winter precipitation or maximum snow depth, which recharges deeper soil ho

Possible influence of altitude, geographical distance between sites and annual precipitation rates on species richness - A. Miller (2009)
One of the most interesting questions that ecologists strive to answer is how and why species diversity and richness amongst organisms varies across geographical regions. Of course, there are multiple possible factors that impact the patterns of species diversity but this study compounds data from high alpine wet regions, to low dry desert planes in order to build a species richness curve for each site. With this compounded data we strive to answer the question: how is species richness correlated to altitude, geographical distance between sites, and annual precipitation rates.

Restoration of vegetation communities of created depressional marshes in Ohio and Colorado (USA): the importance of initial effort for mitigation success - J. J. Gutrich; K. J. Taylor; S. Fennessy (Ecological Engineering, 2009)

Propaganda, public information, and prospecting: explaining the irrational exuberance of central place foragers during a late nineteenth century Colorado silver rush - S. M. Glover (Human Ecology, 2009)
Traditionally, models of resource extraction assume individuals act as if they form strategies based on complete information. In reality, gathering information about environmental parameters may be costly. An efficient information gathering strategy is to observe the foraging behavior of others, termed public information. However, media can exploit this strategy by appearing to supply accurate information while actually shaping information to manipulate people to behave in ways that benefit the media or their clients. Here, I use Central Place Foraging (CPF) models to investigate how newspaper propaganda shaped ore foraging strategies of late nineteenth-century Colorado silver prospectors. Data show that optimistic values of silver ore published in local newspapers led prospectors to place mines at a much greater distance than was profitable. Models assuming perfect information neglect the possibility of misinformation among investors, and may underestimate the extent and degree of hum

Pollinators of the Rocky Mountain columbine: temporal variation, functional groups and associations with floral traits - J. Brunet (Annals of Botany, 2009)
Despite the large variation in pollinator abundance over time and space, one species of bumble-bee or hawkmoth tended to predominate in each population each year. Future studies of Aquilegia coerulea should examine the specific influences of pollinators and the environment on flower colour and of hawkmoth species on spur length.

Variation in vigilance of yellow-bellied marmots due to predator pressure - J. E. Otero (2009)
Vigilance is an anti-predator behavior responsible for ensuring the survival of an individual. This behavior directly benefits the individual, as well as conspecifics by scanning for potential threats. The amount of time devoted to vigilance in yellow-bellied marmots varies based on many factors including age, sex, group size, presence of other marmots, and predator pressure. The goal of this study is to explain variation in vigilance by incorporating predator pressure into a statistical model. By using focal observations time allocations for vigilant behaviors were obtained. A general linear model was fit in order to explain the variation in vigilance for eight known colonies at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Several factors such as age, sex, and slope were not statistically significant whereas the category of animals within 10m was marginally statistically significant. The covariate of total predators per observation time provided statistically significant results.

Developing Community Partnerships to Improve Breastfeeding Rates in Boulder County, Colorado - M. Morris; E.K. Murray (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2009)

A balanced diet: Effects of ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nutritional state on the balance between mutualism and predation upon aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) - William K. Petry; K. A. Mooney (2009)
Mutualisms are commonly dependent on the ecological context in which partners interact. In ant‐aphid interactions, the dietary status of ants has been hypothesized to be one factor that may mediate ant‐aphid interactions. This hypothesis was supported in one laboratory study with one ant species. We build upon that work here by conducting field trials involving three ant species. Boxed colonies of Formica podzolica (Francoeur), Tapinoma sessile (Wheeler), and Myrmica incompleta (Provancher) were provided either a tuna in oil or honey solution diet treatment to examine the effects of ant nutritional state on the mutualism between these ants and field colonies of the aphid Aphis valerianae (Cowen) feeding on Valeriana edulis (Nutt. Ex Torr. & A. Gray). A significant difference in tending rate and overall activity between treatments was seen in F. podzolica, with tuna‐fed colonies tending but honey‐fed ants remaining relatively inactive. Exploration outside of the nest box was uncommon fo

Determining Long-Term Success of Revegetation Efforts in Disturbed Sites - S. Onstad (2009)
At the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), revegetation is an important area of research because there are many areas of disturbed land that are more vulnerable to the spread of invasive species. In my project, I revisited a former student’s revegetation work in order to determine the long-term success of her transplanting efforts. I found that Potentilla pulcherrima, Fragaria virginiana, and Erigeron speciosus were still alive after three years, but none of the Linum lewisii and only half of the Achilea millefolium survived. My findings differed from her initial results, mainly that side of cabin affects the height and flowering of some transplant species. When determining percent cover of the plant community around Mammal Lab and in an undisturbed meadow, I found more nonnative plants, grasses, and transplants on the south side of Mammal Lab, where there is more sunlight. There was also more bare ground on the north side of Mammal Lab, compared to the south side. In my proje

Bumblebee foraging on vertical inflorescences: optimal or not? - A. P. Macdonald (2009)
Previous studies by Pyke et al. have shown that bumblebees exhibit behavior that is consistent with optimal foraging theory. In this most recent effort, bumblebees were observed foraging on vertical inflorescences and their behavior was compared to a predicted model that would result in a maximum net energy gain as prescribed by optimal foraging theory. The effect of time spent on a flower and a bee’s decision to remain on that inflorescence and bumblebee species distribution across patches of plants were also assessed. Contrary to what was expected, the bumblebees did not behave in a way that could be compared to the expected model. Also, no relationship was found between time spent on a flower and departure behavior. Distribution across patches of multiple species did not result in equal net energy gain for each bee species. It was concluded that the use of optimal foraging theory may not be the most complete way to describe bumblebee foraging behavior.

Effects of nectar robbing on pollen deposition and hummingbird-pollinator behavior in Ipomopsis aggregata - P. E. Howell (2009)
Nectar robbing can affect both male and female components of plant reproduction. To understand the mechanisms driving those plant-reproductive outcomes, I studied the effects of nectar robbing on pollen deposition and pollinator behavior in the hummingbird-pollinated host plant Ipomopsis aggregata. To determine the effects of robbing on pollen deposition, I conducted a field experiment in which I observed single hummingbird visits to emasculated robbed and unrobbed flowers. Once a flower was visited, I collected the stigma, stained it, and counted pollen. I hypothesized that less pollen would be found on robbed flowers than unrobbed flowers. Consistent with this hypothesis, the amount of pollen deposited on unrobbed flowers was twice as much as robbed flowers, indicating that the quality of visits to robbed flowers was lower than to unrobbed flowers. To determine the effects of nectar robbing on hummingbird behavior, I first investigated liquid as an honest signal. Previous studies had

Effect of diatom, Didymosphenia geminata, on Invertebrate Abundance and Composition in Rocky Mountain Streams - L. Curtis (2009)
The diatom Didymosphenia geminata has become an increasing concern for aquatic habitats. The algae has spread within its native environment and exhibit invasive characteristics, as well as invade ecosystems outside of its native range. D. geminata does not appear to affect the species richness of an ecosystem, however it does appear to effect the abundance of specific taxa. Three taxa belonging to the Heptageniidae family, specifecially Rhithrogena, Epeorus and Cinygmula, deacrease in the presence of D. geminata. Chironomidae larva appeared in much more larger densities in places where D. geminata was present. The over all trend the experiment exhibited was a decrease in larger taxa in the presence of D. geminata and an increase in smaller invertebrates in the presence of D. geminata. In order to explain this trend we conducted a predator refuge experiment. In this experiment we tested to find if chironomids find refuge in a D. geminata imitation from stonefly predators. The experiment

Environmental forces drive morphological variation in an alpine annual plant - J. B. Curtis (2009)
The way in which plants respond evolutionarily to environmental change partially depends on the magnitude of variation present within populations. In an attempt to understand the evolutionary response of Androsace septentrionalis (Rock Jasime) to current and future climate change in the Elk mountains of Colorado, we investigated environmental and morphological trait variation both within and between natural populations along an elevation gradient. Species richness (environmental factor), rosette width and stalk number (morphological traits) varied most at mid elevation and least at low and high elevations. Stalk length and soil temperature variance decreased from low elevation to high elevation, suggesting a potential causal link between soil temperature and stalk length. Given these results, populations at mid elevation may have a higher potential to respond to environmental change than populations at either low or high elevation. This study begins to shed light on environmentally ind

A test of species-area theory on a high disturbance area of the Gothic earthflow - D. Bartholomew (2009)
The species-area relationship (SAR) is a widely used concept in ecology, yet there is much controversy over its form. It has traditionally been assumed either to have a simple universal power-law form, S = cAz, or to be idiosyncratic, varying from habitat to habitat, taxa to taxa, and spatial scale to spatial scale. Recently, a non-power-law, yet universal, form of the SAR has been derived from the maximum entropy principle. It has been shown to predict well the shapes of SARs across habitats, taxa, and spatial scales, and to allow estimation of species richness at biome scale from small plot data. All prior tests of this new theory have been conducted in relatively undisturbed habitats. This study tests the theory in a highly disturbed habitat on the Gothic Earthflow. While the theoretical prediction, based on 1 m2 data, for species richness in the entire 256 m2 plot was 37% lower than the measured richness, the slope values from the disturbed plot fell within the cluster of values ta

Influence of handling stress and fasting on estimates of ammonium excretion by tadpoles and fish: recommendations for designing excretion experiments - M. R. Whiles; A. D. Huryn; B. W. Taylor; J. D. Reeve (Limnology and Oceanography Methods, 2009)
Excretion rate estimates are important for linking consumers to biogeochemical processes. Short-term incu- bations in chambers are a common approach for studies. This, however, may result in inaccuracies due to a well- documented decline in excretion with time, which is often attributed to fasting. An alternative explanation, how- ever, is that excretion slows during recovery from handling stress. Whereas shorter incubations may reduce fast- ing effects, longer incubations can allow for recovery from handling. Although both views have merit and are not mutually exclusive, attempts to identify optimal incubation times are lacking. We examined effects of han- dling stress and fasting on NH4+ excretion by omnivorous tadpoles and predatory fish. Fasting did not influence tadpole excretion for at least 6 h. Rather, handling stress appeared to cause initially elevated excretion, and thus longer incubations were appropriate. Fasting and handling stress influenced fish excretion, and intermedi

Trapline foraging by pollinators: its ontogeny, economics and possible consequences for plants - K. Ohashi; J. D. Thomson (Annals of Botany, 2009)
We suggest that trapline foraging by pollinators increases variation among plant populations in genetic diversity, inbreeding depression and contributions of floral traits to plant fitness, which should in turn affect the rates and directions of floral evolution. More theoretical and empirical studies are needed to clarify possible outcomes of such a neglected side of pollination.

Variation in the impact of climate change on flowering phenology and abundance: an examination of two pairs of closely related wildflower species - A. J. Miller-Rushing; David W. Inouye (American Journal of Botany, 2009)
Variability in plant phenological responses to climate change is likely to lead to changes in many ecological relationships as the climate continues to change. We used a 34‐yr record of flowering times and flower abundance for four species (two Delphinium [Ranunculaceae] species and two Mertensia [Boraginaceae] species) from a subalpine plant community near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory to test the hypothesis that the phenologies of early‐flowering species change more rapidly in response to climatological and other abiotic cues than do late‐flowering species, a pattern previously found in plant communities in North America and Europe. We also explored a related hypothesis, that flower abundance of late‐flowering species is more responsive to changes in climate than that of early‐flowering species. The Delphinium species did not support these hypotheses, but the Mertensia species did. The difference between the peak flowering times of the early and late Mertensia species is e

Biodiversity scales from plots to biomes with a universal species-area curve - J. Harte; A. T. Smith; D. Storch (Ecology Letters, 2009)
John Harte,1* Adam B. Smith1 and Classic theory predicts species richness scales as the quarter-power of area, yet species– David Storch2,3 area relationships (SAR) vary widely depending on habitat, taxa, and scale range. Because 1 Energy and Resources Group, power-law SAR are used to predict species loss under habitat loss, and to scale species University of California at richness from plots to biomes, insight into the wide variety of observed SAR and the Berkeley, 310 Barrows Hall, conditions under which power-law behavior should be observed is needed. Here we Berkeley, CA 94720, USA 2 derive from the maximum entropy principle, a new procedure for upscaling species Center for Theoretical Study, richness data from small census plots to larger areas, and test empirically, using multiple Charles University & Academy of Sciences of the CR, Jilská 1, 110 data sets, the prediction that up to an overall scale displacement, nested SAR lie along a 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic universal curve,

Nutrient availability and phytoplankton nutrient limitation across a gradient of atmospheric nitrogen deposition - J. J. Elser; M. Kyle; L. Steger; K. R. Nydick; J. S. Baron (Ecology, 2009)
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition to lakes and watersheds has been increasing steadily due to various anthropogenic activities. Because such anthropogenic N is widely distributed, even lakes relatively removed from direct human disturbance are potentially impacted. However, the effects of increased atmospheric N deposition on lakes are not well documented. We examined phytoplankton biomass, the absolute and relative abundance of limiting nutrients (N and phosphorus [P]), and phytoplankton nutrient limitation in alpine lakes of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado (USA) receiving elevated (>6 kg N·ha−1·yr−1) or low (<2 kg N·ha−1·yr−1) levels of atmospheric N deposition. High‐deposition lakes had higher NO3‐N and total N concentrations and higher total N : total P ratios. Concentrations of chlorophyll and seston carbon (C) were 2–2.5 times higher in high‐deposition relative to low‐deposition lakes, while high‐deposition lakes also had higher seston C:N and C:P (but not N:P) ratios. Sh

Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition - J. J. Elser; T. Anderson; J. S. Baron; A. K. Bergstrom; M. Jansson; M. Kyle; K. R. Nydick; L. Steger; D. O. Hessen (Science, 2009)
Nitrogen Overload The cycling of essential nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems has been altered by human activities. Elser et al. (p. 835 ) report a comparative analysis of lakes in Norway, Sweden, and in the United States that suggests that this is also true in aquatic ecosystems such as lakes. Deposition of anthropogenically derived atmospheric nitrogen controls whether N or P is growth-limiting for phytoplankton. Under elevated conditions of atmospheric N inputs, lake phytoplankton become consistently P-limited because the N:P ratio is strongly distorted. This is in contrast to conditions of low N deposition when lake phytoplankton are N-limited. These effects are even observed in remote lakes, demonstrating the indirect yet wide-ranging effects of humans on global food webs.

Nectar sugar limits larval growth of solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) - L. A. Burkle; R. E. Irwin (Environmental Entomology, 2009)
The bottom-up effects of plant food quality and quantity can affect the growth, survival, and reproduction of herbivores. The larvae of solitary bee pollinators, consumers of nectar and pollen, are also herbivores. Although pollen quantity and quality are known to be important for larval growth, little is known about how nectar quality limits solitary bee performance. By adding different levels of nectar sugar directly to solitary bee provisions in the subalpine of Colorado, we tested the degree to which larval performance (development time, mass, and survival) was limited by nectar sugar. We found that larval growth increased with nectar sugar addition, with the highest larval mass in the high nectar-sugar addition treatment (50% honey solution). The shortest larval development time was observed in the low nectar-sugar addition treatment (25% honey solution). Neither low nor high nectar-sugar addition affected larval survival. This study suggests that, in addition to pollen, nectar-su

The importance of interannual variation and bottom-up nitrogen enrichment for plant-pollinator networks - L. A. Burkle; R. E. Irwin (Oikos, 2009)
Striking changes in food web structure occur with alterations in resource supply. Like predator–prey interactions, many mutualisms are also consumer–resource interactions. However, no studies have explored how the structure of plant–pollinator networks may be affected by nutrient enrichment. For three years, we enriched plots of subalpine plant communities with nitrogen and observed subsequent effects on plant–pollinator network structure. Although nitrogen enrichment affects floral abundance and rates of pollinator visitation, we found no effects of nitrogen enrichment on the core group of generalist plants and pollinators or on plant–pollinator network structure parameters, such as network topology (the identity and frequency of interactions) and the degree of nestedness. However, individual plant and pollinator taxa were packed into the nested networks differently among nitrogen treatments. In particular, pollinators visited different numbers and types of plants in the nested networ

A test of the social cohesion hypothesis: interactive female marmots remain at home - Daniel T. Blumstein; T. W. Wey; K. Tang (Proceedings of the Royal Society, 2009)
Individuals frequently leave home before reaching reproductive age, but the proximate causes of natal dispersal remain relatively unknown. The social cohesion hypothesis predicts that individuals who engage in more (affiliative) interactions are less likely to disperse. Despite the intuitive nature of this hypothesis, support is both limited and equivocal. We used formal social network analyses to quantify precisely both direct and indirect measures of social cohesion in yellow-bellied marmots. Because approximately 50 per cent of female yearlings disperse, we expected that social relationships and network measures of cohesion would predict dispersal. By contrast, because most male yearlings disperse, we expected that social relationships and cohesion would play a less important role. We found that female yearlings that interacted with more individuals, and those that were more socially embedded in their groups, were less likely to disperse. For males, social interactions were relative

Literary rhetoric in the environmental movement: Toward the advocacy of the 2009 proposal of a passenger railway in Colorado - David Weinstein (DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library), 2009)
Thesis (M.A.)–Georgetown University, 2009.; Includes bibliographical references. This thesis explores the rhetorical methods utilized in the environmental movement. I employ the same rhetorical devices in my own environmental essay geared toward advocating for a proposed railway in Colorado.

Water Banking on a Better Day - Troy Lepper (2009)
What sociological attributes characterize the form of an enduring social organization that empowers individually rational self-interested actors to provide themselves with a common property resource and collective good? In order to address this research question, the analyst compared three common property resource and collective goods organizations for water management located in the Arkansas River basin of Colorado to an integrated ideal type model combining the work of David Freeman and Elinor Ostrom. It was the objective of this research to employ empirical observations while giving consideration to existing common property resource theories in an effort to formulate new theory. Implications for policy and theory are also addressed in this dissertation. The conceptual “ideal type” models do identify variables and relationships that can be associated with success and failure of social organizational experiences in the Arkansas Valley. The empirical observations of the three valley or

Foraging behavior of parasitized and non-parasitized voles during new moon and full moon events - M. C. E. Eisel (2009)
According to trade-off theory, animals weigh the benefits of obtaining resources against the risks of being preyed upon during these activities. One major factor that can influence an animal’s risk assessment is its current body condition, for example animals that are of lower body condition may be more desperate for food and thus more willing to take risks in searching for food. Body condition can be influenced by a variety of factors, including parasite burden, which can reduce it considerably. It has commonly been assumed that besides large epidemics mostly due to micro parasites (e.g. viruses, bacteria), macro parasites (e.g. cestodes, ecto-parasites) do not have much impact on their hosts, which allows them to reproduce and be transmitted to other hosts. However, while parasites might not directly manipulate their hosts’ foraging behavior, they may have indirect effects on hosts’ behavior by influencing their risk assessment during foraging by impacting their hosts’ physiology or

Tradeoffs between mounting an immune response and territorial singing behavior in mountain white-crowned sparrows - N. E. Munoz (2009)
Sexually selected traits are often plastic and can thus provide information on infection status and parasite load. Mounting an immune response has been shown to require the diversion of energy and resources away from other life history functions. Previous studies have demonstrated that bird song may be influenced by an immune challenge. We investigated how mounting an immune response by mountain white-crowned sparrows Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha affects specific aspects of territorial song and behavior. We used song playback to simulate a territorial intrusion and elicit baseline song and behavioral defense responses. Individuals were then either injected with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) solution to induce an acute immune response, or a saline control. Post-treatment territorial song and behaviors in response to playback were recorded 1 day and 7 days later. The immune challenge significantly reduced the number of birds that sang compared to control individuals on Day 1. Alarm behav

Studies on the ecology of avian malaria in an alpine ecosystem - C. C. Murdock (2009)
Much of global biodiversity is comprised of parasitic organisisms. It is well recognized that the selective pressures imposed by parasites shape host defenses and life-history strategies. Many studies suggest that human changes to the environment facilitate pathogen emergence by disrupting established relationships among parasites, their hosts, and their environment, as is often the case in human-modified landscapes. However, the lack of baseline knowledge of long-term, established host-parasite interactions in wildlife systems challenges our ability to make sound predictions on how future changes to the global environment will affect the health of human, domestic animal, and wildlife populations, as well as global biodiversity. Here we present data from multiple studies on the ecology of avian hemosporidian parasites in a common passerine population, the Mountain White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophyrs oriantha) breeding in a temperate alpine system. The first study (see Chapter

Water-use efficiency may influence the distribution of Ipomopsis aggregata, I. tenuituba, and their natural hybrids along an environmental gradient - C. Wendlandt (2009)
In flowering plants, environment-mediated hybrid fitness plays a large role in hybrid zone dynamics. The relationship of physiological traits to hybrid fitness, however, has not been described for many plant systems. In this study, we investigated the effects of soil moisture on water-use efficiency (WUE), above-ground relative growth rate (RGR), and other leaf traits for Ipomopsis aggregata, I. tenuituba, and their natural hybrids from two contact sites in Gunnison County, Colorado. In nature, hybrids occur in extremely dry, hot conditions, while I. tenuituba and I. aggregata occur in relatively dry and moist conditions, respectively. One contact site (Poverty Gulch), furthermore, appears to be generally drier than the other (Deadman’s Gulch). During the study, all plant types increased WUE as soil moisture decreased, but the effect for hybrids was especially strong. WUE, however, only affected RGR for I. tenuituba, where it dramatically reduced above-ground growth. Differences in sit

The response of four subalpine forbs to supplemental nitrogen within different soil moisture environments - A. Slominski (2009)
Anthropogenic environmental change currently threatens to alter resource availability across the planet, likely driving responses by plant species. In the Colorado Rocky Mountains, climate change is expected to decrease soil moisture availability and increased nitrogen deposition is expected to increase nitrogen availability. This study investigated the resource limitations of Erigeron speciosus, Heliomeris multiflora, Lathyrus leucanthus, and Lupinus spp. near the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab in Gothic, CO to provide a better understanding of what resources limit subalpine forbs and to supply evidence to help predict how subalpine forbs might respond to climate change and increased nitrogen deposition. In addition, a functional group level study was conducted to provide insights into how functional group responses could drive changes to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Growth rates and physiological responses were recorded and compared between plants receiving nitrogen and contro

Effects of water addition on above- and below-ground processes in montane meadows - T. S. Potter (2009)
The carbon balance of a system is particularly sensitive to water availability because carbon availability drives both the mechanisms of photosynthesis and decomposition (Huxman et al. 2004 b, Ignace et al. 2007). The carbon balance of terrestrial plants is mainly a function of (i) carbon fixation through photosynthesis, (ii) carbon release via respiration from autotrophs, and (iii) heterotrophic (microbial and fungal) decomposition of soil organic matter. Soil microbes, (bacteria, fungi) first respond within hours of an irrigation event, while above-ground autotrophs generally do not increase photosynthetic activity until days later (Huxman et al. 2004b). Studying community function at both the species-level and community level over different time scales is needed to reveal the mechanisms controlling carbon balance and the potential impacts of a changing climate on montane systems. I tested the hypotheses that (1) water is a limiting factor for decomposition of organic matter and for

Comparative approaches to estimating repertoires and American Robin individuality - K. R. Peshek (2009)
Song repertoire size is the range of distinct syllables, phrases, and song types created by an individual or population. Variations within songs create complex repertoires, making them difficult to estimate. There are several methods to estimate repertoire size, however prior studies discovered that all but a full numerical count of song types might have substantial inaccuracies associated with them. We evaluated a new method to estimate repertoire size—rarefaction. Ecologists use rarefaction to measure species diversity on individual and population levels. Using the repertoires of American Robins (Turdus migratorius), we compared the common techniques of estimating repertoires to the results of a rarefaction analysis. We found that the rarefaction technique was the best alternative to a full numerical count of song types, which is the most accurate method. American robins have elaborate and unique songs with few syllables shared between individuals. This is important because it can fu

World-building in urban fantasy - Julie Saffel (ThinkTech (Texas Tech University), 2008)
This thesis studies the world-building elements of Urban Fantasy, a genre of popular fiction that emerged in the early 1980’s. I examine the genre as a model-variant of the fantastic that uses elements of traditional Fantasy, Science-Fiction, and the Gothic to construct a believable storyworld inhabited by both humans and non-humans, in which a “breach” has occurred before the opening of a narrative and forced the previously mimetic world model to “adapt” to a supernatural intrusion. Repercussions resulting from the breach are also examined though the works of popular Urban Fantasy authors, such as Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, and Kim Harrison, in order to establish a formula for current Urban Fantasy narratives that has progressed from the early fiction of the genre.

Reciprocal benefits in a plant-pollinator mutualism - S. E. Elliott (2008)
Bees feed almost exclusively on nectar and pollen from flowers. However, little is known about how food availability limits bee populations. To gain insights into the potential for food limitation within subalpine bumble bee populations, I examined bee foraging distances and the relationship between forager and flower densities. If floral resources are limited, then bees should fly farther to forage, and they should be more abundant in areas with more flowers. I estimated foraging distances by calculating forager recapture probabilities at increasing distances (up to 3,766 m) from eight marking locations, and I measured natural variation in forager and flower densities for 11 weeks in six half- hectare plots. Because flower availability should be lowest late in the season when bee density is high relative to flower density, I predicted that late in the season I would: (1) recapture foragers at farther distances and (2) find stronger relationships between forager and flower densities. T

Does road dust affect reproduction of Delphinium nelsonii and Ipomopsis aggregata - K. L. Paulino (2008)
In the United States, the 6.2 million kilometers of paved and unpaved public roads and roadsides represent about nineteen percent of the total land area of over nine million Km2 These roadways have major ecological impacts, one of which is dust pollution. When it comes to the effect of dust on plants, research has mainly focused on population abundance as a function of increased pH or physiological effects on water balance or gas exchange. In this study, I looked at the effect of dust on plant reproduction, using Ipomopsis aggregata and Delphinium nelsonii as my study organisms and Gothic road as my site. The aim of my study was to find out whether road dust affects pollinator visitation, fruit production, and seed set. For my methods, I first set out 50-meter-long transects perpendicular to Gothic road and collected dust on filter paper to see whether there was more dust near the road than far away. Then, I recorded observations of hummingbirds visiting Ipomposis aggregata flowers for

Linking drift and benthic density along fishless to fish transitions in Rocky Mountain streams - K. Jarecke (2008)
The influence of predators on drift and benthic density is important for understanding prey community structure in freshwater streams. Drift activity of stream invertebrates in fishless streams does not differ between day and night, but when visual drift-feeding trout are present, stream invertebrates drift nocturnally with peaks just after sunset. Drift and benthic collections from a fishless to fish transition zone in two Rocky Mountain streams were used to evaluate the hypothesis that 1) daytime and nighttime drift remain constant above the fish barrier and 2) benthic density is greater downstream of the fish barrier. Two drift samples (day and night) and six benthic samples were taken within a 100 m reach along the fishless to fish transition. Drift density showed no difference between day and night when sampling just above the fish barrier. Benthic densities were highly variable and no difference was found between the upstream and downstream reach or between sample sites. Average

Climate Change is Causing A Decline in Bombus occidentalis by Reducing its Floral Resources - S. Cloyed C (2008)
Concerns of the decline of pollinators and their services have recently been raised. While several hypothesis have been studied, such has the shift of flowering phenology so it no longer overlaps with pollinators and habitat fragmentation, this study investigated the decline of the nectar robbing bumblebee species Bombus occidentalis and the flower that it robs, Ipomopsis aggregata. B. occidentalis depends on I. aggregata because it is out-competed by other bumblebee species, of which none visit I. aggregata. This study tested the hypothesis that B. occidentalis has declined using data that Graham Pyke collected in 1974. I also tested the hypothesis that using the proportion of robbed I. aggregata is a strong predictor of the abundance of B. occidentalis. I then investigated whether B. occidentalis is dependent on both I. aggregata and a patch of mixed flowers. Lastly, I investigated whether there is more nectar robbing occurring later in the bloom of I. aggregata than early in the blo

What determines the distribution of red-naped sapsuckers in the East River Valley? - M. K. Clapp (2008)
The conservation of keystone species and their associates is of great importance due to the disproportionately large role they play in community and ecosystem structure. The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is considered part of an intricate keystone species complex in the aspen forests of the Rocky Mountains, in which sapsuckers drill nest cavities in aspen infected with heartrot fungus (genus Phellinus) each year. Abandoned nests provide habitat for secondary nesters such as the violet-green swallow, tree swallow, and house wren. Furthermore, the sap wells they drill into aspen and willow trunks provide a high-carbohydrate meal for many species of mammal, bird, and insect. Because willow stands provide such a significant food resource to sapsuckers, previous studies have suggested that proximity to willow is correlated with sapsucker distribution, using sapsucker damage on aspen as a proxy for distribution. However, it is unknown whether other ecological variables within as

Butterfly foraging behavior: can butterflies detect nectar in flowering plants? - A. M. Alonso-Rodriguez; C. L. Boggs (2008)
Optimal foraging theory states that there are benefits and costs from foraging. If the animal shows optimal foraging behavior, the benefits minus the costs from foraging should be maximized. One assumption of optimal foraging theory is that animals can recognize food, which for butterflies means detecting nectar in flowering plants. We tested whether butterflies detect nectar in the field when they are foraging, or if they forage randomly until they find rewarding florets. We exposed each Speyeria mormonia male butterfly to a Pyrrocoma crocea flowerhead that was half nectar rich and half nectar poor. We recorded which side of the flowerhead the butterfly probed first and whether or not it continued probing after finding or not finding a reward. The results demonstrated that this species can detect which side of the flowerhead possesses nectar. The estimated number and proportion of nectar rich florets in the nectar rich side did not differ for individuals choosing the nectar-rich or ne

Hydraulic and geomorphic effects on mayfly drift in high-gradient streams at moderate discharges - A. Wilcox; B. L. Peckarsky; B. W. Taylor; A. C. Encalada (Ecohydrology, 2008)
We investigated relationships between geomorphic and hydraulic factors and invertebrate drift in high-gradient streams. We measured drift density of a highly mobile mayfly (Baetis bicaudatus) into and out of 12 stream reaches in western Colorado, as well as benthic density and abiotic variables within those reaches, during a time of moderate discharge. Multiple regression analysis indicated that drift propensity (drift density/benthic density), a measure of drift standardized by the benthic density of the source population, was significantly related to Reynolds number, a dimensionless ratio of fluid inertial forces to viscous forces, and Shields number, a dimensionless ratio of shear stress to submerged particle weight that quantifies flow competence. Drift propensity was positively correlated with Reynolds number, but counter to our hypothesis that stronger hydraulic forces would be associated with higher drift, mayflies in reaches with greater flow competence (Shields number) showed

Effects of aggregation size and host plant on the survival of an ant-tended Membracid (Hemiptera: Membracidae): potential roles in selecting for generalized host plant use - J. Reithel; Diane R. Campbell (Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 2008)
Abstract Insect herbivores that are tended by ants exhibit a range in host plant use from specialists to extreme generalists. Potential factors that may influence relative suitability of different host plants include the presence or absence of ants and the size of aggregations formed by nymphs feeding on a host. We used a membracid-ant mutualism to test whether presence of ants or aggregation size (from 20 to 320 nymphs per plant) resulted in variable selection for host use by the generalist membracid Publilia modesta (Uhler) (Hemiptera: Membracidae) that feeds on host species Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Hook.) Nutt. and Wyethia spp., among others. Survival of nymphs as mid-instars and the percentage of nymphs developing into adults on C. viscidiflorus were greater for nymphs in small than in large aggregations. Survival of nymphs as mid-instars on Wyethia spp. was also greater in smaller aggregations, but the percentage of nymphs developing into adults was independent of aggregation

Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predators on metacommunities of competing prey - J. J. Orrock; J. H. Grabowski; J. H. Pantele; S. D. Peacor; B. L. Peckarsky; E. L. Preisser; A. Sih; E. E. Werner (Ecology, 2008)
Although predators affect prey both via consumption and by changing prey migration behavior, the interplay between these two effects is rarely incorporated into spatial models of predator–prey dynamics and competition among prey. We develop a model where generalist predators have consumptive effects (i.e., altering the likelihood of local prey extinction) as well as nonconsumptive effects (altering the likelihood of colonization) on spatially separated prey populations (metapopulations). We then extend this model to explore the effects of predators on competition among prey. We find that generalist predators can promote persistence of prey metapopulations by promoting prey colonization, but predators can also hasten system‐wide extinction by either increasing local extinction or reducing prey migration. By altering rates of prey migration, predators in one location can exert remote control over prey dynamics in another location via predator‐mediated changes in prey flux. Thus, the effe

Indirect fitness benefits do not compensate for the loss of direct fitness in yellow-bellied marmots - M. K. Oli; Kenneth B. Armitage (Journal of Mammalogy, 2008)
Abstract The contribution of indirect fitness to inclusive fitness is expected to increase as the reproductive skew increases, with indirect fitness being the only component of inclusive fitness of sterile individuals in eusocial species. However, the relative contribution of indirect fitness to inclusive fitness has rarely been evaluated empirically. Using data from a long-term study (1962–2003), we show that female yellow-bellied marmots that have a later age of 1st successful reproduction incur a substantial loss of direct fitness with no corresponding gain in indirect fitness. Additionally, although females that survive to reproductive age but do not successfully reproduce have a greater indirect fitness than those that reproduce at least once, indirect fitness benefits of foregoing reproduction are insufficient to compensate for the loss of direct fitness resulting from later reproduction. Although indirect fitness composed 22.2% of the inclusive fitness of females that reproduced

Senescence rates are determined by ranking on the fast-slow life-history continuum - C. Jones; J. M. Galliard; S. Tuljapurkar; J. S. Alho; Kenneth B. Armitage; P. H. Becker; P. Bize; J. Brommer; Anne Charmantier; M. Charpentier; T. H. Clutton-Brock; F. S. Dobson; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2008)
AbstractComparative analyses of survival senescence by using life tables have identified generalizations including the observation that mammals senesce faster than similar‐sized birds. These generalizations have been challenged because of limitations of life‐table approaches and the growing appreciation that senescence is more than an increasing probability of death. Without using life tables, we examine senescence rates in annual individual fitness using 20 individual‐based data sets of terrestrial vertebrates with contrasting life histories and body size. We find that senescence is widespread in the wild and equally likely to occur in survival and reproduction. Additionally, mammals senesce faster than birds because they have a faster life history for a given body size. By allowing us to disentangle the effects of two major fitness components our methods allow an assessment of the robustness of the prevalent life‐table approach. Focusing on one aspect of life history – survival or re

Do yellow-bellied marmots respond to predator vocalizations? - Daniel T. Blumstein; L. Cooley; J. C. Winternitz; J. C. Daniel (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2008)

Insect herbivore stoichiometry: the relative importance of host plants and ant mutualists - P. Abbot; J. B. Grinath; J. B. Brown; E. Peeden; D. M. Erickson; Ian Billick (Ecological Entomology, 2008)
Abstract 1. Mutualistic associations can vary over spatial and ecological gradients. For herbivorous insects that engage in mutualisms with ants, plant quality can be a particularly important source of variation, because of the upward transfer of nutrients from plants to herbivores to ants. 2. A previous study demonstrated that mutualistic ants, Formica obscuripes , exert a top‐down effect on the carbon and nitrogen concentrations (stoichiometry) in an herbivorous membracid, Publilia modesta . We characterised the consequences of mutualism for carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry between the same species pair, yet on an alternative, geographically‐distinct host plant. 3. We found no top‐down effect of ants on the carbon or nitrogen in the herbivore, but a strong, bottom‐up effect of individual pla

Diet and a developmental time constraint alter life-history trade-offs in a caddis fly (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) - J. E. Jannot; S. A. Wissinger; J. R. Lucas (Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008)
Environmental factors influence variation in life histories by affecting growth, development, and reproduction. We conducted an experiment in outdoor mesocosms to examine how diet and a time constraint on juvenile development (pond-drying) influence life-history trade-offs (growth, development, adult body mass) in the caddis fly Limnephilus externus (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). We predicted that: (1) diet supplementation would accelerate larval growth and development, and enhance survival to adulthood; (2) pond-drying would accelerate development and increase larval mortality; and (3) the relationship between adult mass and age at maturity would be negative. Diet supplementation did lead to larger adult mass under nondrying conditions, but did not significantly alter growth or development rates. Contrary to predictions, pond-drying reduced growth rates and delayed development. The slope (positive or negative) of the female mass–age at maturity relationship depended on interactions wit

Microbes on mountainsides: contrasting elevational patterns of bacterial and plant diversity - J. A. Bryant; C. A. Lamanna; H. Morlon; A. J. Kerkhoff; Brian J. Enquist; J. L. Green (PNAS, 2008)
The study of elevational diversity gradients dates back to the foundation of biogeography. Although elevational patterns of plant and animal diversity have been studied for centuries, such patterns have not been reported for microorganisms and remain poorly understood. Here, in an effort to assess the generality of elevational diversity patterns, we examined soil bacterial and plant diversity along an elevation gradient. To gain insight into the forces that structure these patterns, we adopted a multifaceted approach to incorporate information about the structure, diversity, and spatial turnover of montane communities in a phylogenetic context. We found that observed patterns of plant and bacterial diversity were fundamentally different. While bacterial taxon richness and phylogenetic diversity decreased monotonically from the lowest to highest elevations, plants followed a unimodal pattern, with a peak in richness and phylogenetic diversity at mid-elevations. At all elevations bacteri

Interactions between nectar robbers and seed predators mediated by a shared host plant, Ipomopsis aggregata - Alison K. Brody; R. E. Irwin; M. L. McCutcheon; E. C. Parsons (Oecologia, 2008)

Vail, Colorado, as a Voluntary Culture Region - Christopher Jost Fertig (KU ScholarWorks (The University of Kansas), 2008)
Abstract. Geographers considering the subjects of tourism and tourist destinations have by in large focused on inherent environmental and economic impacts. Culturally, areas of leisure and recreation, termed "pleasuring places" by Wilbur Zelinsky, are often dismissed as artificial and being devoid of any real meaning. Precious little has been written that builds upon or is in response to Zelinsky's theory of voluntary culture regions. Contrary to the prevailing outlook, honest reflection reveals that such places have a great deal to say about current the attitudes and direction of modern society. Thus, areas centered upon pleasure and the therapeutic provide a critical lens for the examiner of culture, and are likewise, dynamic cultural phenomenon. Vail, Colorado, in particular, has transcended place into becoming a potent cultural icon, exemplifying the unique values of pleasuring places in its history, singularity in purpose and function, material culture, and sense of place.

Wildfire and development : why stronger links to land-use planning are needed to save lives, protect property, and minimize economic risk - Molly Mowery (DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), 2008)
Exploding growth along the Colorado Front Range has expanded the wildland-urban interface-the area where homes and vegetation mix.This area, known as the WUI, is at high risk of wildfires.Wildfire risk is based on both natural conditions, such as invasive species and climate change, and human development decisions that allow continued growth in fire-prone areas.This thesis examines the approaches to wildfire risk mitigation taken by six counties along the Front Range.I argue that these mitigation approaches are effective but do not tackle important aspects of the wildfire problem, including who pays and how risks continue to increase.Counties should minimize development in the WUI by adopting strong policies that incorporate the full costs of fire protection into local jurisdictional budgets and address growth management in the WUI.This requires a greater incorporation of the land-use planning process into decisions that put people and property at risk to wildfire.

Competition between Nicrophorus investigator, Nicrophorus defodiens, and Thanatophilus lapponica for carrion resources - C. Cloyed; K. Jarecke; C. Jessee; D. Winkler (2008)

Seasonal reproductive potential and iteroparity of the burying beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) - D. Winkler (2008)

True history of some of the pioneers of Colorado - L. Donald Shaw (Digital Collections of Colorado (Colorado State University), 2008)
Chapter I. Cause of the combination of the three tribes against the Whites / as told by W.S. Coburn – Chapter II. Watson S. Coburn – Chapter III. My first trip across the Plains / by W.S. Coburn – Chapter IV. Raid up the Platte / as told by W.S. Coburn – Chapter V. Massacre of the Hungate family – Chapter VI. Jim Reynolds and his gang – Chapter VII. Alston Knox Shaw – Chapter VIII. Proceedings of Company "A" / as told by A.K.Shaw – Chapter IX. John Patterson – Chapter X. Proceedings of Company "C" / by John Patterson – Chapter XI. Est Pinosa, the Mexican desperado – Chapter XII. Sand Creek fight / as told by Patterson and Shaw – Chapter XIII. Few incidents during the fight – Chapter XIV. Cause of the Sand Creek fight – Chapter XV. Justice of the fight – Chapter XVI. Sand Creek a decisive battle – Chapter XVII. Yellow Haired Boy – Chapter XVIII. March to Fort Larnard / by A.K. Shaw and John Patterson – Chapter XIX. Shaw and the horses – Chapter XX. Little happenings i

Creedite: Cresson Mine, Cripple Creek Teller County, Colorado - Robert B. Cook (Rocks & Minerals, 2008)

River incision histories of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Unaweep Canyon: Interplay between late Cenozoic tectonism, climate change, and drainage integration in the western Rocky Mountains - Andres Aslan; Karl E. Karlstrom; William C. Hood; Rex D. Cole; Thomas W. Oesleby; Charles Betton; Molina Sandoval; Andy Darling; Shari A. Kelley; Adam M. Hudson; B. M. Kaproth; Shane D. Schoepfer; et al. (Geological Society of America eBooks, 2008)

Effective mitigation of debris flows at Lemon Dam, La Plata County, Colorado - Victor G. deWolfe; Paul Michael Santi; J. Ey; Joseph E. Gartner (Geomorphology, 2008)

Demographics of Crested Butte, Colorado in the late 19th and early 20th centuries - C. Cloyed; D. Winkler; K. Jarecke; C. Jessee (2008)

Explaining pollinator shifts from bees to birds: convergence, divergence, and directionality - J. D. Thomson; P. Wilson (International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2008)

Effects of drying regime on microbial colonization and shredder preference in seasonal woodland wetlands - M. D. Inkley; S. A. Wissinger; B. L. Baros (Freshwater Biology, 2008)

Behavioral ecology of silver prospectors in late 19th century Gothic, Colorado: migration, group formation and central place foraging - S. M. Glover (2008)

The bigger the patch the better the buzz: pollinator visitation in relation to floral display in Delphinium barbeyi - C. Cloyed; K. Jarecke; D. Winkler (2008)

A mitochondrial-DNA-based phylogeny for some evolutionary-genetic model species of Colias butterfly (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) - C. W. Wheat; W. B. Watt (Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2008)

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE TIMING AND ABUNDANCE OF DIPTERA IN A SUBALPINE MEADOW - E. M. Johnston (2008)
Diptera play a critical role in alpine and subalpine ecosytems, though they are little studied in terms of what guides their timing and abundance. In order to reveal what cues dipteran timing this study was conducted for 24 years, using a Malaise trap to capture the insects, dipteran distributions were sampled once a week for 48 hours. Local climate changes have been observed at the study area at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, CO. This along with the anthropogenic forcings that have been observed around the world indicate that a warmer climate is likely in the future. Changes in temperature and precipitation have shown to affect the phenology of many species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains but flies have been previously unstudied. In this study the Diptera order was studied as a whole along with the dipteran families of the syrphids (Syrphidae), tephritids (Tephritidae), and the crane flies (Tipulidae). The June temperatures appear to have the most effect on the ti

VoxNet: an interactive, rapidly-deployable acoustic monitoring platform - M. Allen; L. Girod; R. Newton; S. Madden; Daniel T. Blumstein; D. Estrin (ISPN 2008: Information Processing in Sensor Networks, 2008)
Distributed acoustic sensing underlies an increasingly important class of sensor network applications, from habitat monitoring and bioacoustic census to security applications and virtual fences. VoxNet is a complete hardware and software platform for distributed acoustic monitoring applications that focuses on three key goals: (1) rapid deployment in realistic environments; (2) a high level programming language that abstracts the user from platform and network details and compiles into a high performance distributed application; and (3) an interactive usage model based on run-time installable programs, with the ability to run the same high level program seamlessly over live or stored data. The VoxNet hardware is self-contained and weather-resistant, and supports a four-channel microphone array with automated time synchronization, localization, and network coordination. Using VoxNet, an investigator can visualize phenomena in real-time, develop and tune online analysis, and record raw d

Social network analysis of animal behaviour: a promising tool for the study of sociality - T. W. Wey; Daniel T. Blumstein; W. Shen; F. Jordan (Animal Behaviour, 2008)
A prospective overview of social network analysis' general utility for the study of animal social behaviour is provided and relevance and constraints of some network measures are highlighted.