Ant-aphid mutualisms are keystone interactions that, if altered, have the potential to cause cascading, multitrophic effects on local arthropod and plant communities. In our study system, the flowering stalks of Ligusticum. porteri (Apiaceae) are colonized by the aphid Aphis asclepiadis, which relie

Anthropogenic climate change is altering environments, which in turn has the potential to influence plant traits (through phenotypic plasticity) and natural selection. The effect of changing climate on the strength and direction of selection remains unresolved. In this study we quantified the plasti

1. Compensatory growth is well-studied and exhibited across a variety of taxa, including plants, invertebrates, and a variety of vertebrates. Compensatory mechanisms allow individuals to recover from adverse conditions, potentially enhancing survival and fitness. However, to compensate for a low bod

Pollinator-mediated selection cannot explain why flower colour polymorphisms exist in self-pollinating plants. There is a tight link between plant stress response and anthocyanin pigment production, which means that abiotic stress, such as UV radiation or drought, and biotic stress, such as herbivor

The movement of water through a plant’s parts, out its stomata, and into the atmosphere begins with moisture available in the soil. Soil water availability is determined by rates of evaporation from the Earth’s surface, which increases with temperature. Alteration of water content determines the soi

This study looked at the differences in bee community composition between estimates obtained from pan traps vs. netting. Comparing species richness, evenness and community composition between the two sampling types from the years 2009-2017 and 2009-2021. Based on a rate of bees caught per hour, with

Forest associated species, bees and otherwise, are among the world's most vulnerable species due human activity such as deforestation. Even though bees are significant to ecosystem health by providing such important services as pollination, basic information on bee biodiversity and factors driving t

Understanding the dynamic interactions between aquatic invertebrates is critical in forming an accurate illustration of mountain stream ecology. Aquatic detritivores, such as A. Nigriculus, form the majority of the biomass in mountain ponds and rivers around Colorado, as they are usually the primary

Mutualisms involve complex relationships between multiple types of organisms. Traditionally, mutualisms like pollination have been studied using a pairwise perspective – only focusing on two individual species or groups of species with similar functions involved in the relationship. Including third-

The spatial clustering of plants occurs for a variety of reasons, including the evolution of concentrated floral displays to attract more pollination. Within clusters, traits that attract pollinators may differ from non-cluster conditions– such as increasing floral display size andscent, which can c