Burying beetle stridulation has been observed and documented when caring for their young, as well as among agonistic beetles competing for carrion. Burying beetles in the genus Nicrophorus require a small carcass, typically 16-50 grams, in order to reproduce. Once located, the carcass is buried by t

Age effects on maximum running speed (MRS) in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) were examined to see whether this performance trait varied with age. Individuals were trapped in Tomahawk livetraps, then released and encouraged to run to burrows by yelling and chasing over varying distance

Parents can adjust both the size and number of offspring they produce in order to maximize their own fitness payoff (Smith & Fretwell 1974). Optimal parental investment is dependent in part on likelihood of offspring survival, which is impacted by predation and parasitism. When risk of predation or

Diptera play a critical role in alpine and subalpine ecosytems, though they are little studied in terms of what guides their timing and abundance. In order to reveal what cues dipteran timing this study was conducted for 24 years, using a Malaise trap to capture the insects, dipteran distributions w

Amphibians have been hit particularly hard by the recent era of biodiversity loss (Collins 2009). Understanding the factors that influence their growth and development can help us understand their global decline as well as the dynamics of populations in widely different habitats. Growth rates have b

The subalpine region of Colorado hosts a variety of aquatic habitats. The organisms that inhabit these ecosystems are presented with many ecological adversities and differing predator guilds. Limnephilus externus caddisfly larvae native to montane and subalpine ponds of the Elk Mountains of Colorado

Subalpine ecosystems in Colorado occur between 9,000-11,000ft in elevation and are composed of several species of conifers. The elevation range of each species is slightly different, but they tend to form established communities, such as the Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir community. It has been show

Predator-prey interactions extend beyond direct predation and can influence prey behavior and habitat use. This “ecology of fear” has been studied in a wide variety of taxa, and differences in perceived predation risk have been demonstrated to impact species coexistence. Previous research (Smith 199

Despite the ecological significance of prominent coniferous forests surrounding RMBL, there are few comprehensive studies on these systems, particularly regarding transpiration dynamics. Their critical role in carbon sequestration, microclimate dynamics, and water resource management in the Upper Co

Density dependence—the impact of neighbors on the survival, growth, or reproduction of individuals—strongly impacts the size and dynamics of populations. However, it is unknown how the effects of density dependence vary across species ranges, which will be integral knowledge in the face of climate c