Roadkill or Motor Vehicle Collisions are highly studied amongst larger species. This research will solely focus on a smaller species, specifically Golden Mantled-Ground Squirrels (​Callospermophilus lateralis)​ in Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) Gothic, Colorado. Percentages of adult mal

Bumble bees are crucial pollinators in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. For effective conservation of this important group of pollinators, it is essential to understand their basic ecology, such as their interactions with floral food resources. In this study, we used a long-term dataset (5

Dispersal, the movement of individual from their natal site to breeding sites or between breeding sites, is one of many mechanisms that species establish to increase the gene flow among population. Population density, which associates with competition, can have a great effect on the dispersal rate t

Warming temperatures are altering ecosystems, including the plants and soil communities that regulate the carbon cycle. Warming can directly alter the carbon cycle by altering plant and soil community respiration; however, altering plant communities can also have impacts on the carbon cycle. The dom

With earlier snowmelt, the impacts of a late frost in the Rocky Mountains have been more consequential for the production of flowers in species such as Erigeron speciosus. Several species of Tephritid flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are pre-dispersal seed herbivores of E. speciosus. The neighborhood ar

One of the ongoing challenges in studying the effects of global change on biodiversity is finding credible baseline data of prior conditions. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado is located in a valley with a wide range of plant species and communities due to its diversity of

It’s common for scientists to apply experimental practices that have worked well in another study to their own studies without a complete consideration of how that manipulation may impact their system. Open-top warming chambers and pollinator exclusion bags are two such common experimental manipulat

Insect pollinators serve vital roles in natural and agricultural systems. There is a lack of long-term data on wild bee populations in North America, so standardized sampling protocols have been developed to address this need. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 10 years of long

Predation and mutualism take up a large part of interactions within communities. These multi-trophic level interactions affect the makeup of the community. We explored how predation impacts the strength of mutualism between ants and aphids on the plant Ligusticum porteri. It has been a base assumpti

Studies have shown that there have been pollinator declines occurring worldwide (e.g., Beismiejer et al. 2006; Potts et al. 2010; Burkle et al. 2013; Goulson et al. 2015). It is important to understand plant-pollinator interactions as thoroughly as possible, including which species are interacting w

Rusts are pathogens of rapidly growing plant tissue and are of particular concern in agricultural settings due to their reduction of plant fitness. These phytopathogens depend heavily on abiotic features such as humidity, temperature, and UV strength, and with a changing climate, the rust ranges may

Management and restoration are important in helping the ecosystem recover back to an original form. Native plant species and pollinators are a highlight of ecological restoration. Nitrogen is a nutrient source that most plants use to thrive to grow bigger. In high alpine communities, the soil is nit

Native bumble bees play key roles in their ecosystems as pollinators, but little is known about the quantity and quality of floral resources on which they depend in natural areas across a season. Additionally, how those resources might be affected by abiotic factors, many of which are being altered

The mustard family Brassicaceae includes many crop species, model plant systems, and invasive species. Many of these species produce a class of secondary defense to deter herbivory with a class of chemicals called glucosinolates (Carlsson et. al, 2009; Keeler & Chew, 2008). Thlaspi arvense is a non-

Caddisflies are the dominant detritivores in ponds and wetlands in many high elevation freshwaters. By processing detritus, caddisflies mobilize nutrients and energy that are not used by primary consumers which can play an important role in secondary production and nutrient cycling. Thus, caddisflie

The production and structure of animal signals may be condition dependent and may provide more than one type of information to receivers. While alarm calls are not typically viewed as condition dependent, recent studies have suggested that their structure and possibly their propensity to be emitted

Mutualisms are the species interaction in which both mutualist partners benefit from the relationship. Most mutualisms involve multiple interacting species and associating with multiple mutualist partners can be beneficial if they provide complementary benefits. Yet, mutualist species may also compe

Terrestrial soils store more carbon than exists in the atmosphere and all plant life combined. Thus, small changes in the amount of carbon stored in soil or released back to the atmosphere from soil can have large impacts on atmospheric carbon concentrations and climate change. As climate change pro