Late Devonian fresh-water fishes from the western United States
ANTIARCHIThe peculiar armored placoderm, Bothriolepis, is a characteristic element of Late Devonian fresh-water faunas throughout much of the world.It is common in the western United States, but its remains are usually fragmentary or poorly preserved, so that identi- fication is difficult.Two specie
Direct Observation of the Depth of Active Groundwater Circulation in an Alpine Watershed
AbstractThe depth of active groundwater circulation is a fundamental control on stream flows and chemistry in mountain watersheds, yet it remains challenging to characterize and is rarely well constrained. We collected hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic head, temperature, chemical, noble gas, and 3H/
Selenium impacts on razorback sucker, Colorado River, Colorado
Results from this study suggest that selenium contamination in parts of the upper basin of the Colorado River should be a major concern to recovery efforts for endangered fish.
Porosity Dependence of Deformation Bands In The Entrada Sandstone, La Plata County, Colorado
Close examination of zones of deformation bands in the Entrada Sandstone (Middle Jurassic) near Durango, Colorado suggests that the width of these vertical zones and the displacement across them is directly related to the porosity of the sandstone. Low porosity sandstone is less susceptible to fract
Utilizing sustainability criteria to evaluate river basin decision-making: the case of the Colorado River Basin
Hibernation as a major determinant of life-history traits in marmots
During the downward trend of Quaternary global temperatures, crown-group marmots evolved to occupy harsh, seasonal environments at high latitudes and elevations. Marmots evolved hibernation and large body size, which allowed them to cope with a long, cold season with low, stressful ambient temperatu
The pollination ecology of Aquilegia micrantha (Ranunculaceae) in Colorado
Aquilegia micrantha occurs in canyons of the Southwestern United States. The pinkish-yellow flowers are nodding or semi-nodding, mildly scented, protandrous, and secrete a concentrated nectar (46% total sugars). Seed set in flowers under pollinator exclosures was 25% compared with 63% for open-polli
The flush early and avoid the rush hypothesis holds after accounting for spontaneous behavior
When approached by a predator, prey make economic decisions between remaining where they are and obtaining benefits from their current activity or leaving and enhancing their safety. The "flush early and avoid the rush" hypothesis suggests that animals that flee to escape approaching threats flee so
The dichotomous action of Y chromosomes on the expression of position-effect variegation
Why are some plant-nectar robber interactions commensalisms?
Many plants that bear hidden or recessed floral nectar experience nectar robbing, the removal of nectar by a floral visitor through holes pierced in the corolla. Although robbing can reduce plant reproductive success, many studies fail to find such effects. We outline three mechanistic hypotheses th
Nutrient limitation controls the strength of behavioral trophic cascades in high elevation streams
Indirect effects of predators on primary producers vary over space and time. Key components of the environmental context underlying that variability include the bottom‐up supply of resources and the defense, mobility and foraging efficiency of primary consumers. We manipulated key resources that lim
Metabolic Partitioning across Individuals in Ecological Communities
AbstractThe mechanistic origin and shape of body‐size distributions within communities are of considerable interest in ecology. A recently proposed light‐limitation model provides a good fit to the distribution of tree sizes in a tropical forest plot. The maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE) als
Foraging tactics in alternative heterochronic salamander morphs: trophic quality of ponds matters more than water permanency
Summary1. In lentic freshwater habitats, the composition of animal assemblages shifts along a gradient from temporary to permanent basins. When habitats with different degrees of permanence are at the scale of the home range of species, they constitute alternatives in terms of energy acquisition thr
Social dynamics of juvenile marmots: role of kinship and individual variability
A population of eight juvenile female yellow-bellied marmots was introduced into a marmot locality from which all other marmOTS were removed and the individual behavioral profile of each animal was determined by mirror image stimulation.
Foraging trade-offs along a predator-permanence gradient in subalpine wetlands
Scott A. Wissinger, Howard H. Whiteman, Grace B. Sparks, Gretchen L. Rouse, Wendy S. Brown, Foraging Trade-Offs along a Predator-Permanence Gradient in Subalpine Wetlands, Ecology, Vol. 80, No. 6 (Sep., 1999), pp. 2102-2116
Exploitation of lycaenid-ant mutualisms by braconid parasitoids
Larvae of 17 Lycaenidae butterfly species from Europe, North America, South East Asia and Australia were observed to retain at least some of their adaptations related to myrmecophily even after parasitic braconid larvae have emerged from them. The myrmecophilous glandular organs and vibratory muscle
Assessing seasonal demographic covariation to understand environmental-change impacts on a hibernating mammal
Maria Paniw,1,2* Dylan Z. Natural populations are exposed to seasonal variation in environmental factors that simultane- Childs,3 Kenneth B. Armitage,4 ously affect several demographic rates (survival, development and reproduction). The resulting Daniel T. Blumstein,5,6 Julien covariation in these r
Sulfur Biogeochemical Cycling and Redox Dynamics in a Shale-Dominated Mountainous Watershed
AbstractSulfur (S) is an essential macronutrient and important component of the earth’s crust, and its cycling has critical impacts on trace metal mobility, water quality, and human health. Pyrite weathering is the primary pathway by which sulfur enters surface waters. However, biogeochemical cyclin
Factors affecting oxygen consumption in wild-caught yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris)
It is suggested that basal metabolic rate is not an appropriate measure of the metabolic activity of free-ranging animals because basal metabolism is a stage on a food-deprivation curve.
Coal metamorphism in the Anthracite-Crested Butte quadrangles, Colorado
A district in central Colorado is described in which coals of various ranks occur in a restricted area. Some of these coals have been altered by the intrusion of laccoliths whereas others have been affected only by minor folding. The individual effects of heat and pressure in the development of anth