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

Soils form a complex part of the environment, providing important functions in systems such as food production, groundwater movement, and ecosystem health. There have been numerous studies on soil geochemistry and the origin of elements within soils, but few studies into quantifying the relationship

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

A change in climate in the western United States has already affected and will continue to affect the onset of snow melt in many parts of the country. The effect of climate change on snow water equivalent, snowmelt runoff and total streamflow with respect to their elevation distribution is examined

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

ANEMONE NARCISSIFLORA, L.-Six inches to a foot high, from a fibrous *Signs used: The degree (°) indicates feet.The minute (') indicates inches.The second ("') indicates lines, i. e. 4; of an inch.The hyphen means, to, i. e. 6-12' is 6 to 12 inches.The figures in parentheses are numbers under which t

With global climate change, we observe phenological changes across all ecosystems. In the Colorado Rocky Mountains, warming is resulting in lower snowpack and earlier spring melt. Since plants use snow melt timing as a cue to start growing, climate change is implicated in accelerated bloom time and

Climate driven shifts in stream hydrology from early, rapid snowmelt may have implications for algae growing within high altitude montane streams. Peak flow scours the benthic layer and clears senesced algal growth and sediment, effectively priming the substrate for new algal growth following peak f

Boechera stricta is a mustard that grows naturally throughout a wide range of altitudes in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. B. stricta has a variety of natural herbivores, which makes it an interesting system in which to study how plant-herbivore relationships vary over an elevational gradient. Through

Road dust has potential impacts on plant metabolism and reproduction even in small amounts. Dust is everywhere and is increasing due to human influence, this has the potential to reduce overall plant pollination worldwide. Since dust is roughly the size of a grain of pollen, it might possibly clog t

Within the next century, ecosystems are projected to experience climate warming, with strong effects in mountain systems. Warming can alter species distributions, with documented upward migrations along elevation gradients. Species interactions may be important factors that promote species establish

Premise of research. Road dust affects the quantity of pollen received by Ipomopsis aggregata flowers, with dusty flowers receiving less pollen than undusty flowers. One possibility is that hummingbird pollinators visit dusty flowers less and deliver less pollen. This could happen if dusty flowers p