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

Abstract A variety of bird species engage in complicated, elaborate courtship displays to impress potential mates. Such displays include wing flaring, aerial acrobatics, choreographed dances, and tail fanning. Though these behaviors are often well studied, the underlying musculature facilitating the

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

Journal Article The Unsolicited Chronicler: An Account of the Gunnison Massacre, Its Causes and Consequences, Utah Territory, 1847–1859. By Robert Kent Fielding. (Brookline: Paradigm, 1993. xiv, 474 pp. $49.95, ISBN 0-912111-38-0.) Get access James B. Allen James B. Allen Emeritus Brigham Young Univ

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

The period before sexual maturity is a sensitive life stage where most development and change occur. Studies in humans and other animals show that early adverse experiences contribute to poor health and survival. However, the mechanisms are still unclear. Some have found that early life adversity (E

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

In this study I examined the effects of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation to light environment in the crucifer Cardamine cordifolia, at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, in Gothic, Colorado. Previous work by Louda and colleagues showed that plants in sun environments were subject to

Dispersal is the permanent relocation of an individual away from its natal burrow. This phenomenon is male biased in many mammal species and potential causes include inbreeding avoidance or resource competition. In this study, the dispersal behavior and exploratory excursion distances were recorded

Abstract Invasive plants’ ability to extend their range depends upon their local environments and both positive and negative interactions with native species. Interactions between invasive and native plants may be indirectly linked to the soil fungal community, which may enhance or suppress invasion

Behavioral syndromes are widespread and can have important ecological consequences, since correlations between distinct behaviors shape how animals can respond to changing pressures and can limit behavioral plasticity. Various antipredator behaviors have been identified within behavioral syndromes i

Solitary mason bees in the family Megachilidae are known to be important pollinators worldwide. They are important pollinators of natural ecosystems and also are widely used for the commercial pollination of crop plants such as almonds, cherries, peaches, plums, and apples. Given that they are such