As temperatures warm, the climate crisis is having a significant influence on species all across the world and altering their distributions. Colorado's high elevation ponds have recently observed a species range shift, traveling to higher altitudes than they have previously inhabited. The Mexican Cu

In this lab I analyzed the species composition of arthropods in bee bowl bycatch. The results of an analysis of these different communities show a significant difference in the compositional Orders of arthropods found in both the bowl colors and among the different sites along an elevational gradien

Many mammals disperse from the area they were born in. Dispersal is done to avoid inbreeding, resources, and mate competition. Dispersal in mammals tends to be male-biased as juvenile males are the ones that often leave their natal burrow, and females do not. The cost of dispersal is expensive as ma

We investigated habitat selection in Nicrophorus investigator, an obligate carrion breeder. The source-sink hypothesis states that some environments will be resource rich and produce a high amount of offspring while other environments will be resource low and produce a low amount of offspring. Carca

Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) sedimentary rocks within the Paradox Basin Four Corners area of the western United States afford a unique opportunity to study the development of sedimentary successions in a complex marine to nonmarine depositional setting. The close association of thick intervals of no

This collection of short literary fiction springs loosely from a contemplation of the enduring influence of Washington Irving’s Gothic in the Hudson Valley. The first story, “Life Is Good,” centers on a fictionalized account of a morbidly obese bear named Allen and a resilient child, Henny, who form

The study of plant-insect interactions and pollination has just begun to scratch the surface of the microbes that inhabit many of the surfaces involved in these interactions. While most microbial studies have focused on the roles of obligate nectar yeasts in mediating pollinator behavior and fitness

Beavers are ecological engineers, benefitting the aquatic ecosystems with their dams and ponds. The beaver ponds change over time; beaver ponds of different ages will have different characteristics. These differences will influence what types of aquatic invertebrates will inhabit these ponds. Unders

In 1846, the United States of America began a war with the Republic of Mexico. When it was over, one of the results was the acquisition of much of current California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, southern Colorado and New Mexico. The region was occupied by Catholic Mexicans, a fact not lost on the America

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 dynam

Understanding the effects of water stress on flowering plants is crucial for ecosystem sustainability. Changing water availability due to climate shifts and persistent drought conditions have significant implications for the reproduction and survival of subalpine plants and their pollinators. This p

Predator prey interactions are essential components of ecosystems, especially in lower trophic levels as they fuel many other organisms. Many prey organisms have developed tactics to decrease the rate of predation. For example, larval caddisflies build cases out of sedge and other detritus in their

Golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) and yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) can both be found in abundance at high elevation meadows in the Rocky Mountains. Though different in behavior, both species inhabit and utilize the open meadows of Gothic in very similar ways.

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

The Global list of endangered species of flora and fauna is growing, with the most highly specialized species often at ‘critically endangered’ status. Managing these populations effectively involves numerous and varied organizations, conflicting motivations, arbitrary anthropogenic boundaries and of

Carrion plays an important role in maintaining ecosystems and providing resources for different forms of life, returning key nutrients to the environment and serving as a food source for animals. While vertebrates who consume carrion are well studied, invertebrates are not as well studied, primarily

Most living organic material goes through the detrital pathway. Detritovores are incredibly important in ecosystems for the recycling of nutrients and energy. This project explores the inter- and intraspecies relationships between two co-dominant detritovores that inhabit the high-elevation rocky mo