Anthropogenic actions are rapidly changing ecological systems, and the species specific responses to this change are expected to have great impacts on ecological organization, natural resource abundance, and human health. Scientists urgently need accurate forecasts to help inform social, political,

Chronic stress can have detrimental effects on long-term health of amphibians. Sex and morph may cause variation in stress within salamanders such as the Arizona tiger salamaders (​Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum)​ at the Mexican Cut Nature Preserve due to differences in biotic or abiotic conditions (

Interactions between plants and pollinators are complex and a change to one can cause a significant impact on the other. Environmental perturbations like drought can alter plant- pollinator systems, changing the relative abundance of flower species, shifting species distribution, and decreasing flor

Alpine climates are seemingly adverse environments for plants. These habitats directly impact plants via pollinator scarcity and abiotic factors like extreme temperatures and precipitation that influence resource allocation. As a result, elevational gradients are natural laboratories that can be use

While many ecological studies have investigated the impacts of recreation and trails on wildlife, we lack an understanding of how wildlife respond to recreational trails that exhibit seasonally dynamic levels of human activity. We used camera traps to assess changes in the presence of mammals along

Global climate change is a threat that continues to affect nearly every ecosystem on the planet through warmer temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and many other manifestations of a warmer world. Warming directly and indirectly affects plants and ecosystem functioning. In the natural wo

Thermoregulation is an important factor for bee flight which ultimately contributes to an individual’s ability to forage and produce offspring. Rising temperatures could benefit insects by increasing their efficiency in reproduction and provisioning. However, warming could negatively impact floral r

Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity. Invasive plant species can alter ecosystems by outcompeting natives, lowering biodiversity, and change soil ecology. Additionally, invasive species can be costly to manage. Linaria vulgaris, a non-native noxious weed from Europe and Asia, was used

High-alpine ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Thus, many ecosystem patterns are shifting due to warming temperatures, extreme weather events, and seasonal changes. This becomes an issue for birds that breed and live in high-elevation environments, as they may not be able to c

Climate change in Colorado has already increased temperatures by 2 ℉ and is predicted to continue to rise. Precipitation during winter months is predicted to increase, while projected precipitation for the spring, summer and fall is still uncertain. It is important to understand how saxicolous liche

Bumble bees (​Bombus ​spp.) are eusocial insects that typically consist of three castes, with each caste emerging and foraging at different times. Bumble bee queens and workers differ morphologically in several measurable traits, but morphological variation within species and within caste has not be

Abiotic and biotic factors influence plant fitness by altering the physical environment and resource availability. According to the stress gradient hypothesis, increasing physical stress in an environment increases positive plant-plant interactions and decreases negative interspecies interactions. I