Most living organic material goes through the detrital pathway. Detritovores are incredibly important in ecosystems for the recycling of nutrients and energy. This project explores the inter- and intraspecies relationships between two co-dominant detritovores that inhabit the high-elevation rocky mo

Larval food stress for the butterfly Speyeria mormonia causes less pigmentation in female butterflies. For this reason, males may approach females with higher pigmentation more often because it is a sign that they are healthier. Past studies have shown that this could be true, but they have not take

The plant and pollinator mutualism is under increased stress due to climate change, especially in subalpine ecosystems. Climate change is altering the timing of snowmelt in subalpine ecosystems, which changes the flowering phenology and possible the floral abundance of subalpine plants and therefore

Introduced species are thought to be free of natural enemies when they are brought into a new area. Euphydryas gilletti was introduced to RMBL to the south of its native range in the northern Rockies. I used this butterfly to examine whether it has fewer parasitoids in its new environment. To check,

Mexican Cut Preserve in the Elk Mountains is home to a unique system of ponds with a high diversity of aquatic life. Many species of caddisflies inhabit the various temporary, semi- permanent, and permanent ponds, including Asynarchus nigriculus. A. nigriculus is an aggressive caddisfly species that

While plant-pollinator networks are salient markers of biodiversity, their mechanisms remain poorly understood. One theory describing pollination interactions is the Neutral Theory of Biodiversity, which asserts that plant-pollinator interactions are neutral, random processes based on species’ abund

In 2020, wildfires burned more acreage in the United States than in the past twenty-one years.1 Boreal wildfires are the cause of ten percent of all annual atmospheric soot in the Northern Hemisphere, which is alarming because soot is detrimental to both human health and environmental health. Some o

Avian populations at high elevation are well-adapted to extreme and variable abiotic conditions. Species have adapted efficient foraging strategies, as well as well-timed nest incubation patterns. These behavioral traits are essential in order for parents to meet their metabolic needs while simultan

Geranium richardsonii was studied at three different elevations to determine if there was a change in the type of pollinator species that visited it. The purpose of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that flies are more abundant at higher elevations and replace bee species found at lower obs

Nestlings have evolved to communicate their status of need through visual and vocal begging displays. These behaviors allow nestlings to obtain resources, aiding in their chance of reproductive success. I predicted that increased intensity of nestling begging behavior would lead to increased rates o

Climate change is causing warmer temperatures and earlier snowmelt throughout the mountains of Western North America. This study was designed to investigate how these two factors of temperature and snowmelt date influence floral traits, using Ipomopsis aggregata as a model species. While phenologica

Community interactions are shaped by the species’ traits dependent on an array of biotic and abiotic factors, yet relatively little is understood about the importance of these factors. Plants have been shown to adapt based on in situ herbivore pressure and abiotic conditions. As herbivore density is

High elevation plant ecosystems are heavily dependent on snowmelt for maintaining spring soil moisture levels. As climate change alters traditional weather patterns and reduces snowpack, snow is melting earlier and altering flowering phenology. With this change in flowering time potentially exposing

Arizona tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) can thrive in a large variety of environments including high elevation ecosystems where climate change conditions are most drastic. Accurate biophysical models of the water loss and operative temperature for A. m. nebulosum can be used as too

Pollinators play an important role within a variety of ecosystems but are experiencing declines. In recent years, climate change has been affecting the mutualistic relationship between these organisms and the corresponding plants they interact with. It is important to closely study interactions such

High altitude regions are likely to be highly affected by climate change. Pollinators such as bees in these regions may have to change life history traits to survive. Because eusociality is associated with reduced mortality and increased resilience to resource variation, primitively eusocial bees ma

Stridulation is a key behavior to determining survival in Nicrophorus investigator. In this paper, the roles it plays in competition over a carcass, burying process, and larval development have been studied. Their ability to stridulate was manipulated through clipping part of their plectra and they