Two of the predominant interests in ecology are patterns in the distributions and abundances of organisms and the interrelationships of organisms with their environment. Many naturally occurring phenomena take on self-similar distributions, appearing the same over different spatial scales. I tested

Altered precipitation patterns are a major prediction of climate change models and a recent reality. Changes in climatic variables may affect the evolution of species by affecting the magnitude and direction of natural selection on various traits. Winter precipitation can affect summer-flowering pla

Pollinator populations are decreasing globally constituting a major conservation concern. A decline in a particular pollinator species may cause plant population declines. Certain Bombus species may be more effective pollinators; i.e. they contribute more to female reproductive success of a flower s

Ecological theory holds that edge effects influence species composition and diversity along both anthropogenic and natural forest edges. These ecotonal zones provide abundant microhabitats and opportunity for increased biodiversity. Abiotic factors such as temperature, soil moisture and soil water-h

Mutualistic interactions between ants and plants are common. Understanding the effects on ants with different variables can denote what influences the ant abundance. As an observational study, I censused all 10 sites four times in a two week period reporting the number of flowering stalks, the numbe

The strength of natural selection on phenotypic traits as a result of herbivory can be measured within and among environments by quantifying spatial variation in fitness and herbivory levels in the different environments. High spatial variation among different light gradients can be expected to caus

Multi-species interactions profoundly affect community composition and function of ecosystems. Foraging behavior and resource allocation are two key factors that determine how species interact. This study investigates the role of floral nectaries and plant sex in mediating ant-aphid interactions on

Didymosphenia geminata (didymo) is a species of algae that is native to North America, but has been producing unprecedented blooms during the last several decades. Climate change and nitrogen deposition are two hypothesized drivers of this phenomenon. The purpose of this research project is to bette

Hemiparasitic plants rely on their hosts for some of their nutritional requirements, but are still able to photosynthesize and absorb water and nutrients through their roots. Parasitic plants have been shown to impact plant community diversity by reducing dominant species' competitive ability, thus

Didymosphenia geminata is a diatom native to the U.S. Rocky Mountains, and is found and considered an invasive species in many parts of the world. It grows in massive mats that carpet large portions of the streams it is found in. I tested the effects of removal on Didymosphenia because past studies

Burying Beetles face both intraspecific and interspecific competition throughout the whole process of rearing a brood. Nicrophorus (burying beetles) are a well-studied genus that provides bi-parental care on the carcass resource that they bury for rearing their brood. Because carcasses are often rar

Foraging behavior of pollinators is an extensively researched topic. Research on bee, butterfly, and hummingbird foraging behavior has led to a greater understanding of the impacts of plant community composition on foraging behavior. This research has been further enhanced by fly foraging behavior a

Alpine ecosystems are disassembling and reassembling due to climate change. The phenology of alpine plants has shifted, but empirical evidence for how spatial clustering patterns could impact this shift is lacking. This study investigated the phenology of spatially clustered versus isolated alpine p

As global climate change responses are increasingly observed, theories in macroecology are being tested in order to up-scale species richness data to estimate extinction rates under habitat loss or degradation due to land use and climate change. Insight into effects that anthropogenic warming can ha

Differing sensitivities to predation risk contribute to diversity by allowing similar organisms to coexist. Such is the case with the golden-mantled ground squirrel, Spermophilus lateralis, and the least chipmunk, Tamias minimus. These sciurids are both abundant in the area surrounding the Rocky Mou