Ecological Drivers and Consequences of Bumble Bee Body Size Variation - J. L. Fitzgerald; Jane E. Ogilvie; Paul J. CaraDonna (Environmental Entomology, 2022)
Body size is arguably one of the most important traits influencing the physiology and ecology of animals. Shifts in animal body size have been observed in response to climate change, including in bumble bees (Bombus spp. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]). Bumble bee size shifts have occurred concurrently with the precipitous population declines of several species, which appear to be related, in part, to their size. Body size variation is central to the ecology of bumble bees, from their social organization to the pollination services they provide to plants. If bumble bee size is shifted or constrained, there may be consequences for the pollination services they provide and for our ability to predict their responses to global change. Yet, there are still many aspects of the breadth and role of bumble bee body size variation that require more study. To this end, we review the current evidence of the ecological drivers of size variation in bumble bees and the consequences of that variation on bumble

Confluence: The Colorado River Compact's Centennial - Jason Anthony Robison (Wyoming Law Review, 2022)
Many thanks to Remi Bullock for that introduction and, more broadly, to the Potter

“How Do We Do This at a Distance?!” A Descriptive Study of Remote Undergraduate Research Programs during COVID-19 - S. Farina; A. P. Summers; Rebecca A. Cole; J. C. Ayoob; J. Arnold; C. J. Murren; P. Ordonez; M. Minkara; C. Mathis; A. Osano; E. Padilla-Crespo; S. Palchoudhury; et al. (CBE Life Sciences Education, 2022)
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down undergraduate research programs across the United States. A group of 23 colleges, universities, and research institutes hosted remote under- graduate research programs in the life sciences during Summer 2020. Given the unprec- edented offering of remote programs, we carried out a study to describe and evaluate them. Using structured templates, we documented how programs were designed and im- plemented, including who participated. Through focus groups and surveys, we identified programmatic strengths and shortcomings as well as recommendations for improvements from students’ perspectives. Strengths included the quality of mentorship, opportuni- ties for learning and professional development, and a feeling of connection with a larg- er community. Weaknesses included limited cohort building, challenges with insufficient structure, and issues with technology. Although all programs had one or more activities related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justic

Quantifying Subsurface Flow and Solute Transport in a Snowmelt-Recharged Hillslope With Multiyear Water Balance - Anh Phuong Tran; Amanda Henderson; Jiamin Wan; Tetsu Tokunaga; Wenming Dong; W. S. Brown; Alexander W. Newman; Curtis A. Beutler; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Water Resources Research, 2022)
AbstractQuantifying flow and transport from hillslopes is vital for understanding water quantity and quality in rivers, but remains obscure because of limited subsurface measurements. Using measured hydraulic conductivity K profiles and water balance over a single year to calibrate a transmissivity feedback model for a hillslope in the East River watershed (Colorado) proved unsatisfactory for predicting flow over the subsequent years. Well‐constrained field‐scale K were obtained by optimizing subsurface flux predictions over years having large differences in recharge, and by including estimates of interannual transfer of excess snowmelt recharge. Water and solute exports during high snowmelt recharge occur predominantly via shallow groundwater flow through weathered rock and soil because of their enlarged transmissivities under saturated conditions. Conversely, these shallow pathways are less active in snow drought years when the water table remains deeper within the weathering zone. H

Community College Students in the Field: A review of a Community Conversation on Successful Programs and Strategies - A. N. Robin; K. O'Connell; A. A. Farmer; J. W. Lee; A. K. Varty; J. A. Hewlett (2022)
To explore how field experiences can be designed to engage more community college students, the Undergraduate Field Experience Research Network (UFERN) held a "community conversation" (Community Colleges in the Field: Successful Programs and Strategies) on 15 October 2021. The hour-long virtual meeting featured a panel of instructors who are involved in creating opportunities for community college students to learn in field environments. The goal was to offer insights and foster a conversation about successful strategies, unique challenges, and concrete practices for participants to use in their classes, programs, or institutions. Forty-one people from field stations and marine laboratories, community colleges, and various public universities from within the United States participated in the community conversation. Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs), where student learning occurs in nature, can take a variety of forms, from field laboratories embedded within on-campus courses, day-

Sulfur Biogeochemical Cycling and Redox Dynamics in a Shale-Dominated Mountainous Watershed - Roelof Versteeg; H. Malenda-Lawrence; M. E. Conrad; H. R. Naughton; J. N. Christensen; Benjamin Gilbert; Marco Keiluweit; C. G. Anderson; Christian Dewey; Sergio Carrero; Kristin Boye; Patricia Fox; et al. (Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 2022)
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 cycling of sulfur in soils and the river corridor mediates sulfate exports. In this study, we identified the major forms of sulfur across multiple compartments and scales in a pristine mountainous watershed, including shale bedrock weathering profiles, hillslope soils, and alluvial floodplain sediments, in order to provide insight into biogeochemical sulfur cycling in a hydrologically variable alpine system. X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) analysis of shale weathering profiles showed clear evidence of pyrite oxidation to sulfate, with large accumulations of intermediate S(0) (20%–53%). Micro‐scale XANES showed evidence of reprecipitation of pyrite at fracture surfaces within the pe

Estimating the heritability of female dispersal in yellow-bellied marmots (2022)

Effects of an introduced mustard, Thlaspi arvense, on soil fungal communities in subalpine meadows - A. N. Trautwig; S. D. Frey; M. A. Anthony; K. A. Stinson (Fungal Ecology, 2022)

Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel ( Spermophilus lateralis ) and Yellow-Bellied Marmot ( Marmota flaviventris ) Intraspecific and Interspecific Perch Use and Interaction Dynamics in Gothic, Colorado - A. Dorr (2022)
Golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) and yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) can both be found in abundance at high elevation meadows in the Rocky Mountains. Though different in behavior, both species inhabit and utilize the open meadows of Gothic in very similar ways. Both species utilize perches and respond to each other’s alarm calls. Additionally, here in the Gothic town site, both species’ have been studied and recorded for many years. This research project aims to examine how golden-mantled ground squirrels share habitat features and interact with yellow-bellied marmots in the Gothic town site. This was done by collecting observational data during the summer of 2022 in Gothic, Colorado. Using the

Climate change and phenology - David W. Inouye (WIREs Climate Change, 2022)
Climate change is a defining element of the current ecological landscape, with consequences ranging from global to local environments. One of the first indices of the ecological impact of the ongoing environmental changes was measurement of their effects on phenology, the seasonal timing of Crested Butte, Colorado, 81224, USA. Email: inouye@umd.edu recurring annual events such as the beginning of the growing season, timing of flowering, and breeding seasons of animals. Research has moved beyond Funding information simple descriptions of these temporal changes to investigations of their root National Science Foundation, Grant/ Award Numbers: DEB-0922080, DEB-1354104, DEB-1912006 causes, impacts, and consequences at both ecological and evolutionary time scales. This changing landscape, environmental, ecological, and evolution- ary, makes this an exciting, albeit sometimes depressing, time to be a scientist. Edited by Brendon M.H. Larson, Domain Editor, and Mike Hulme, Editor-in-Chief Thi

The shifting importance of abiotic and biotic factors across the life cycles of wild pollinators - Jane E. Ogilvie; Paul J. CaraDonna (Journal of Animal Ecology, 2022)
Abstract Organisms living in seasonal environments are exposed to different environmental conditions as they transition from one life stage to the next across their life cycle. How different life stages respond to these varying conditions is a fundamental aspect of biology and is critical for understanding how organisms will respond to environmental change. Despite the importance of animal pollinators, we lack a basic understanding of the influence of different environmental factors across their life cycles. We investigated the relative importance of climate conditions, food availability, and previous life stage abundance in a community of wild bumble bee species, asking: how do these three factors influence bee abundance at each life stage? We used a 7-year dataset to examine the i

Marmot mass gain rates relate to their group’s social structure - Sophia Todorov; Conner S. Philson; Daniel T. Blumstein (Behavioral Ecology, 2022)

Genetic and spatial variation in vegetative and floral traits across a hybrid zone - Maya Midzik; Geoffrey Broadhead; Mascha Bischoff; Robert A. Raguso; Diane R. Campbell (American Journal of Botany, 2022)
AbstractPremiseGenetic variation influences the potential for evolution to rescue populations from impacts of environmental change. Most studies of genetic variation in fitness‐related traits focus on either vegetative or floral traits, with few on floral scent. How vegetative and floral traits compare in potential for adaptive evolution is poorly understood.MethodsWe measured variation across source populations, planting sites, and genetic families for vegetative and floral traits in a hybrid zone. Seeds from families of Ipomopsis aggregata, I. tenuituba, and F1 and F2 hybrids of the two species were planted into three common gardens. Measured traits included specific leaf area (SLA), trichomes, water‐use efficiency (WUE), floral morphology, petal color, nectar, and floral volatiles.ResultsVegetative traits SLA and WUE varied greatly among planting sites, while showing weak or no genetic variation among source populations. Specific leaf area and trichomes responded plastically to snow

Life-history traits predict responses of wild bees to climate variation - Z. M. Portman; J. W. Harrison; Pardee G.; Melanie R Kazenel; Sean R. Griffin; M. Stemkovski; Joshua S. Lynn; Rebecca E. Irwin; David W. Inouye (Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2022)
Life-history traits, which are physical traits or behaviours that affect growth, survivorship and reproduction, could play an important role in how well organisms respond to environmental change. By looking for trait-based responses within groups, we can gain a mechanistic understanding of why environmental change might favour or penalize certain species over others. We monitored the abundance of at least 154 bee species for 8 consecutive years in a subalpine region of the Rocky Mountains to ask whether bees respond differently to changes in abiotic conditions based on their life-history traits. We found that comb-building cavity nesters and larger bodied bees declined in relative abundance with increasing temperatures, while smaller, soil-nesting bees increased. Further, bees with narrower diet breadths increased in relative abundance with decreased rainfall. Finally, reduced snowpack was associated with reduced relative abundance of bees that overwintered as prepupae whereas bees tha

Disinfection byproducts formed during drinking water treatment reveal an export control point for dissolved organic matter in a subalpine headwater stream - Jonathon O. Sharp; Stephanie S. Lau; William A. Mitch; Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso; Laura T. Leonard; James C. Stegen; Gary F. Vanzin; Alexander W. Newman; Curtis A. Beutler; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Water research X, 2022)
Changes in climate, season, and vegetation can alter organic export from watersheds. While an accepted tradeoff to protect public health, disinfection processes during drinking water treatment can adversely react with organic compounds to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). By extension, DBP monitoring can yield insights into hydrobiogeochemical dynamics within watersheds and their implications for water resource management. In this study, we analyzed temporal trends from a water treatment facility that sources water from Coal Creek in Crested Butte, Colorado. These trends revealed a long-term increase in haloacetic acid and trihalomethane formation over the period of 2005-2020. Disproportionate export of dissolved organic carbon and formation of DBPs that exceeded maximum contaminant levels were consistently recorded in association with late spring freshet. Synoptic sampling of the creek in 2020 and 2021 identified a biogeochemical hotspot for organic carbon export in the upper domai

Survival rates of translocated Gunnison sage‐grouse - Brad Weinmeister; James H. Gammonley; Scott Wait; Evan Phillips; Daniel J. Neubaum; Jonathan P. Runge; Nathan W. Seward (Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2022)
Abstract Translocations have been used as a management tool for the federally threatened Gunnison sage‐grouse ( Centrocercus minimus ) but have not been rigorously evaluated. We estimated survival of translocated Gunnison sage‐grouse during the first year following release. Survival rates differed among satellite population where grouse were released, and survival was lower during the first 75 days following release than during the remainder of the first year. Age and sex of translocated grouse also influenced survival, but the timing of translocation (spring or fall) was less influential. Survival estimates of translocated Gunnison sage‐grouse were comparable to available estimates for resident Gunnison and greater sage‐grouse ( C. urophasianus ), suggesting that translocations may be an effective management tool for maintaining isolated populations. However, annual m

The social microbiome: the relationship between the microbiome and sociality in a wild mammal - M. Pfau (2022)
The microbiome has a well-documented relationship with host behavior. Greater microbial diversity and specific microbes have been associated with improved fitness, though these associations have been studied almost exclusively in captive animals with implications for human health. In wild populations, the microbiome has important fitness consequences, such as being associated with mass gain and body condition, and specifically, microbial diversity has been associated with increased individual stability and resistance to over-domination of specific microbes. An individual's social behavior also has important fitness consequences for acquiring food resources and avoiding predation. While both factors individually influence fitness, the relationship between the microbiome and sociality is understudied. Here we use social network analysis to quantify the relationship between microbial diversity and a variety of attributes of social relationships in a wild, free-living population of yellow-

Habitat Quality Affecting the Body Mass of Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels - B. Spinner (2022)
In conservation, it is vital to understand how organisms use their habitat and what constitutes high quality habitat. This has become increasingly urgent in ecosystems impacted by direct or indirect human disturbances such as habitat loss or climate change. High elevation ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change, putting pressure on the organisms in these systems. However, local and micro-scale heterogeneity across the landscape potentially offers a buffer against climate change by creating small-scale differences in habitat quaility. Small hibernating Commented [BS1]: Could insert a transition sentence mammals such as the golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) may leverage microclimates to cope the effects of a warming climate. This study used drone imagery to collect fine scale data on factors contributing to habitat quality within home ranges of golden- mantled ground squirrels in the vicinity of Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Thermal var

Combined Effects of Aridity and Herbivory on Plant Performance - L. Duncan (2022)

The Impact of Carrion Insects on Human Impacted Soil - B. Guijosa (2022)
Carrion plays an important role in maintaining ecosystems and providing resources for different forms of life, returning key nutrients to the environment and serving as a food source for animals. While vertebrates who consume carrion are well studied, invertebrates are not as well studied, primarily carrion insects. With the decline of mammalian scavengers due to human impact and removal of large vertebrate carcasses from ecosystems, there is a need to understand how effective insects are as scavengers, as they are common on carrion sources. In this experiment, different carrion insects were placed into containers containing poor soil, and after 3 weeks were removed and seeds were planted into the soil as a bioassay, where the root weight fraction was calculated and used to determine the quality of the soil. The results showed that carrion insects have varying influences on soil nutrients, with carrion beetles having more impact compared to flies and carrion alone.

Tritrophic mutualisms in a changing climate - A. M. Keeler (2022)
Warmer than average temperatures and decreased annual precipitation caused by climate change are affecting the growth and reproduction of many species, including flowering plants. Climatic shifts may affect angiosperm functional traits, such as water use efficiency and nectar sugar concentration, which can in turn alter the strength and incidence of interactions between plants and their mutualists. Climatic stress can separate mutualists, leading to additional alterations in partner traits which may have consequences for plant fitness. Here, we explore how warming temperatures, early snowmelt, and below-average annual precipitation (snow and summer monsoonal rains) can affect plant functional traits such as water use efficiency and lead to a loss of interaction with symbiotic rhizobia, thereby altering legume nitrogen content and leaf carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures. In a snowmelt manipulative experiment, we found that early snowmelt increased nectar sugar concentrations, reduc

Forest Fuels and Management Considerations at the Willey Conservation Easement, Colorado - M. Philips (2022)

Nest Distribution of Bombus spp. Across Different Habitat Types - Wynn R. Walker (2022)
Despite bumble bees’ critical importance as pollinators throughout the montane regions of Colorado, little research has been done on their nesting habits. In order to conserve the populations of Bombus spp. in the West, better knowledge of their nest density and nesting habitats is needed. I hypothesized that (1) a nest searching technique would be successful, (2) Bombus spp. nests would be identified in three distinct habitats, and (3) there would be a difference in nest densities across habitats depending on the bumble bee species. The habitats that I searched were classified as wet meadow, dry meadow, and aspen forest. Across three separate sites, each habitat had a total of 9 plots. Each of these plots was 150 square meters. I spent 30 minutes at each site once a week searching for nests and Bombus activity. Results of this study showed success of the nest searching technique and identification of Bombus nests in all three habitat types, but there was insufficient data to form a co

Revealing the direct and indirect effects of climate change on soil nutrient dynamics and forage resources in mountain ecosystems - Kenna E Rewcastle (2022)
The loss of aboveground plant diversity alters belowground ecosystem function; yet, the mechanisms underpinning this relationship and the degree to which plant community structure and climate mediate the effects of plant species loss remain unclear. Here, we explored how plant species loss through experimental removal shaped belowground function in ecosystems characterized by different climatic regimes and edaphic properties. We measured plant community composition as well as potential carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial extracellular enzyme activity in soils collected from four unique plant removal experiments located along an elevational gradient in Colorado, USA. We found that regardless of the identity of the removed species or the climate at each site plant removal decreased the absolute variation in potential N-mineralization rates and marginally reduced the magnitude of N- mineralization rates. While plant species removal also marginally reduced C- 12 minera

Temporal variation in high elevation plant-pollinator communities - D. Bernal (2022)
Plant-pollinator communities contribute to global diversity and are a good indicator of the health of an ecosystem. Climate change is causing phenological changes of flowering plants and pollinators. Changes in plant phenology can lead to a pollinator not being able to find sufficient pollen and nectar resources, while plants may produce fewer seeds. The focus of this study is to compare species diversity of a plant-pollinator community across three years in Virginia Basin, CO. Species richness and species diversity were greater in 2021 and 2022 compared to 2000. These results support the idea that insects are moving to higher elevation due to climate change. Increasing our sampling effort could give us different results. Further study of plant-pollinator networks across a range of temporal scales is needed, as the ability for plants and pollinators to adapt to mismatch remains unclear.

Predicting the effects of climate change on the cross? scale epidemiological dynamics of a fungal plant pathogen - B. Gray; S. Coffey; M. Stahl; M. Brownell; Juliana Jiranek; C. Jessica Metcalf (Scientific Reports, 2022)

Effects of Environmental Pond Drying Cues on Asynarchus nigriculus Cannibalism Rates - M. Tainatongo (2022)
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 occasionally engages in cannibalism. The factors that cause A. nigriculus to go from a detritivore diet to cannibalism are not fully known. However, there is evidence that pond drying events may prompt a shift to cannibalistic behaviors to provide A. nigriculus individuals with the nutrients necessary to develop quickly. My research tested whether some of the environmental factors associated with pond drying events induce cannibalism. Specifically, I evaluated increased presence of other caddisfly species, increased conductivity, and greater temperature fluctuations as potential cues for cannibalistic behavior. First, species density tests were used to determine how the presence of another

Production of hydrogen peroxide in an intra-meander hyporheic zone at East River, Colorado - Amrita Bhattacharyya; T. D. Waite; T. Liu; X. Yuan; J. A. Davis; Patricia Fox; P. S. Nico; Dipankar Dwivedi; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Scientific Reports, 2022)
Abstract The traditionally held assumption that photo-dependent processes are the predominant source of H 2 O 2 in natural waters has been recently questioned by an increrasing body of evidence showing the ubiquitiousness of H 2 O 2 in dark water bodies and in groundwater. In this study, we conducted field measurement of H 2 O 2 in an intra-meander hyporheic zone and in surface water at East River, CO. On-site detection using a sensitive chemiluminescence method suggests H 2 O 2 concentrations in groundwater ranging from 6 nM (at the most reduced region) to \ 80 nM (in a locally oxygen-rich area) along the intra-meander transect with

Simultaneous niche expansion and contraction in plant–pollinator networks under drought - J. Savage; B. L. Morrison; A. Schiffer; V. A. Reynolds; C. N. Morozumi (Oikos, 2022)
Global climate change threatens to substantially rearrange species interactions, yet we lack clear predictions on how these changes will cascade through communities. Many perturbations associated with climate change, such as droughts, will change resource levels, with consequences for species interactions and thus ecological network structure. Diet theory predicts foraging niche expansion when preferred resources are scarce, yet under severe resource reduction interspecific competition could alternatively increase niche partitioning. Such niche expansion and/or contraction could profoundly shape ecological network structure following perturbations, but whether these predictions hold at the community level is unclear. We studied the impacts of drought on plant–pollinator networks in long‐lived perennial plant communities in which drought affects flower and floral reward production. We assessed whether drought effects on available floral resources altered pollinator dietary niche breadth

Imputation of contiguous gaps and extremes of subhourly groundwater time series using random forests - Deb Agarwal; Boris Faybishenko; Charuleka Varadharajan; Utkarsh Mital; Carl I. Steefel; S. S. Hubbard; Baptiste Dafflon; Dipankar Dwivedi; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Journal of Machine Learning for Modeling and Computing, 2022)
Machine learning can provide sustainable solutions to gap-fill groundwater (GW) data needed to adequately constrain watershed models. However, imputing missing extremes is more challenging than other parts of a hydrograph. To impute missing subhourly data, including extremes, within GW time-series data collected at multiple wells in the East River watershed, located in southwestern Colorado, we consider a single-well imputation (SWI) and a multiple-well imputation (MWI) approach. SWI gap-fills missing GW entries in a well using the same well's time-series data; MWI gap-fills a specific well's missing GW entry using the time series of neighboring wells. SWI takes advantage of linear interpolation and random forest (RF) approaches, whereas MWI exploits only the RF approach. We also use an information entropy framework to develop insights into how missing data patterns impact imputation. We discovered that if gaps were at random intervals, SWI could accurately impute up to 90% of missing

DEFINING THE ENDMEMBER SYSTEM OF US SOILS AND QUANTIFYING RELATIONSHIPS, AND A HYPERSPECTRAL APPROACH TO THE ALTERATION STRENGTH INDEX - Rachel Rulison (2022)
Soils form a complex part of the environment, providing important functions in systems such as food production, groundwater movement, and ecosystem health. There have been numerous studies on soil geochemistry and the origin of elements within soils, but few studies into quantifying the relationships between elements and geographical data on a national scale. Using geochemical data obtained by the USGS, the surficial soils of the US were defined by a 13-endmember system using Polytopic Vector Analysis and mapped in GIS. Correlation matrices provided Pearson’s correlation coefficients for elements in the Top 5 cm soil profile, the A horizon, and the C horizon. The Top 5 cm element concentrations were also correlated with the endmembers, and geographical data for land cover, soil order, and soil pH. The quantification of these relationships supported many of the spatial patterns shown in maps and provided insight into other relationships, especially where correlation is weaker. The high

Phenotypic plasticity and selection on leaf traits in response to snowmelt timing and summer precipitation - Ayaka Paul; Jocelyn Navarro; J. M. Powers; Diane R. Campbell (New Phytologist, 2022)
Summary Vegetative traits of plants can respond directly to changes in the environment, such as those occurring under climate change. That phenotypic plasticity could be adaptive, maladaptive, or neutral. We manipulated the timing of spring snowmelt and amount of summer precipitation in factorial combination and examined responses of specific leaf area (SLA), trichome density, leaf water content (LWC), photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE) in the subalpine herb Ipomopsis aggregata. The experiment was repeated in three years differing in natural timing of snowmelt. To examine natural selection, we used survival, relative growth rate, and flowering as fitness indices. A 50% reduction in summer precipitation reduced stomatal conductance and increased iWUE, and doubled precipitation increased LWC. Combining natural and experimental variation, earlier snowmelt reduced soil moisture, photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, and increased

Evolution and genomic basis of the plant penetrating ovipositor: a key morphological trait in herbivorous Drosophilidae - K. I. Verster; Noah K Whiteman; A. D. Gloss; J. N. Peláez; D. Haji; J. F. Ray; J. L. M. Charboneau; S. Chaturvedi (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2022)
Herbivorous insects are extraordinarily diverse, yet are found in only one-third of insect orders. This skew may result from barriers to plant colonization, coupled with phylogenetic constraint on plant-colonizing adaptations. The plant-penetrating ovipositor, however, is one trait that surmounts host plant physical defences and may be evolutionarily labile. Ovipositors densely lined with hard bristles have evolved repeatedly in herbivorous lineages, including within the Drosophilidae. However, the evolution and genetic basis of this innovation has not been well studied. Here, we focused on the evolution of this trait in Scaptomyza, a genus sister to Hawaiian Drosophila, that contains a herbivorous clade. Our phylogenetic approach revealed that ovipositor bristle number increased as herbivory evolved in the Scaptomyza lineage. Through a genome-wide association study, we then dissected the genomic architecture of variation in ovipositor bristle number within S. f

Integrating natural gradients, experiments, and statistical modeling in a distributed network experiment: An example from the WaRM Network - T. W. Crowther; C. Rixen; M. Rodriguez-Cabal; Jeremiah A Henning; M. J. Hovenden; Kenna E Rewcastle; X. Jing; K. Grigulis; D. B. Metcalfe; S. Wipf; M. N. Barrios-Garcia; E. K. Cameron; et al. (Ecology and Evolution, 2022)
A growing body of work examines the direct and indirect effects of climate change on ecosystems, typically by using manipulative experiments at a single site or performing meta-analyses across many independent experiments. However, results from single-site studies tend to have limited generality. Although meta-analytic approaches can help overcome this by exploring trends across sites, the inherent limitations in combining disparate datasets from independent approaches remain a major challenge. In this paper, we present a globally distributed experimental network that can be used to disentangle the direct and indirect effects of climate change. We discuss how natural gradients, experimental approaches, and statistical techniques can be combined to best inform predictions about responses to climate change, and we present a globally distributed experiment that utilizes natural environmental gradients to better understand long-term community and ecosystem responses to environmental change

Sex-specific reproductive strategies in wild yellow-bellied marmots ( Marmota flaviventer ): senescence and genetic variance in annual reproductive success differ between the sexes - M. B. Petelle; M. N. Dumas; S. St. Lawrence; Julien G. A. Martin; Daniel T. Blumstein (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2022)
Owing to sex-specific reproductive strategies, the mean and variance in annual offspring production may differ between the sexes. In addition, there may be sex-specific changes in reproductive performance with age (e.g. senescence). We used 20 and 50 years of longitudinal data on male and female yellow-bellied marmots, respectively, to investigate sex-specific age effects and genetic variance in annual reproductive success. In both sexes, annual offspring production increased linearly with age until a peak was reached at 7 years. This was followed by a decline in annual offspring production in both sexes, indicative of reproductive senescence. However, the initial increase and the subsequent decline (senescence) in reproductive success were both faster in males compared to females. Genetic variance in annual offspring production was higher in males than in females, but heritability was low for both sexes. Additionally, we found no cross-sex genetic correlation in the number of offsprin

Novel host unmasks heritable variation in plant preference within an insect population - Rebecca S Epanchin-Niell; Rachel A Steward; Carol L. Boggs (Evolution, 2022)
Introductions of novel plant species can disturb the historical resource environment of herbivorous insects, resulting in strong selection to either adopt or exclude the novel host. However, an adaptive response depends on heritable genetic variation for preference or performance within the targeted herbivore population, and it is unclear how heritability of host-use preference may differ between novel and historical hosts. Pieris macdunnoughii butterflies in the Rocky Mountains lay eggs on the nonnative mustard Thlaspi arvense, which is lethal to their offspring. Heritability analyses revealed considerable sex-linked additive genetic variation in host preference within a population of this butterfly. This was contrary to general predictions about the genetic basis of preference variation, which are hypothesized to be sex linked between populations but autosomal within populations. Evidence of sex linkage disappeared when butterflies were tested on methanol-based chemical extracts, sug

A Meteorology and Snow Data Set From Adjacent Forested and Meadow Sites at Crested Butte, CO, USA - Hannah M. Bonner; Eric Smyth; Eric E. Small; Mark S. Raleigh (Water Resources Research, 2022)
AbstractWe present meteorology and snow observation data collected at sites in the southwestern Colorado Rocky Mountains (USA) over three consecutive water years with different amounts of snow water equivalent (SWE) accumulation: A year with above average SWE (2019), a year with average SWE (2020), and a year with below average SWE (2021). This data set is distinguished by its emphasis on paired open‐forest sites in a continental snow climate. Approximately once a month during February–May, we collected data from 15 to 20 snow pits and took 8 to 19 snow depth transects. Our sampling sites were in open and adjacent forested areas at 3,100 m and in a lower elevation aspen (3,035 m) and higher elevation conifer stand (3,395 m). In total, we recorded 270 individual snow pit density and temperature profiles and over 4,000 snow depth measurements. These data are complimented by continuous meteorological measurements from two weather stations: One in the open and one in the adjacent forest. M

Species-specific traits predict whole-assemblage detritus processing by pond invertebrates - C. Leitz; Washko S. E.; O. J. Wilmot; A. Stogsdill; D. M. Krejsa; L. M. Demi; B. Cleveland; M. E. Perchik; M. Vlah; B. W. Taylor; I. D. Shepard; J. A. Balik; et al. (Oecologia, 2022)
Functional trait diversity determines if ecosystem processes are sensitive to shifts in species abundances or composition. For example, trait variation suggests detritivores process detritus at different rates and make different contributions to whole- assemblage processing, which could be sensitive to compositional shifts. Here, we used a series of microcosm experiments to quantify species-specific coarse and fine particulate organic matter (CPOM and FPOM) processing for ten larval cad- disfly species and three non-caddisfly species in high-elevation wetlands. We then compared trait-based models including life history, dietary, and extrinsic traits to determine which traits explained interspecific variation in detritus processing. Finally, we compared processing by mixed caddisfly assemblages in microcosms and natural ponds to additive predictions based on species-specific processing to determine if single-species effects are additive in multi-species assemblages. We found considerabl

Comparative impacts of long-term trends in snowmelt and species interactions on plant population dynamics - Nickolas M. Waser; Mary V. Price; Alison K. Brody; Rebecca E. Irwin; Diane R. Campbell (Journal of Ecology, 2022)
Abstract Climate change can impact plant fitness and population persistence directly through changing abiotic conditions and indirectly through its effects on species interactions. Pollination and seed predation are important biotic interactions that can impact plant fitness, but their impact on population growth rates relative to the role of direct climatic effects is unknown. We combined 13 years of experiments on pollen limitation of seed set and pre‐dispersal seed predation in Ipomopsis aggregata , a subalpine wildflower, with a long‐term demographic study that has documented declining population growth with earlier spring snowmelt date. We determined how pollen limitation and seed predation changed with snowmelt date over 21 years and incorporated t

Variability in observed stable water isotopes in snowpack across a mountainous watershed in Colorado - Jeffrey Deems; S. S. Hubbard; Reed M. Maxwell; Markus Bill; Alexander W. Newman; W. S. Brown; Matthias Sprenger; Curtis A. Beutler; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Hydrological Processes, 2022)
AbstractIsotopic information from 81 snowpits was collected over a 5‐year period in a large, Colorado watershed. Data spans gradients in elevation, aspect, vegetation, and seasonal climate. They are combined with overlapping campaigns for water isotopes in precipitation and snowmelt, and a land‐surface model for detailed estimates of snowfall and climate at sample locations. Snowfall isotopic inputs, describe the majority of δ18O snowpack variability. Aspect is a secondary control, with slightly more enriched conditions on east and north facing slopes. This is attributed to preservation of seasonally enriched snowfall and vapour loss in the early winter. Sublimation, expressed by decreases in snowpack d‐excess in comparison to snowfall contributions, increases at low elevation and when seasonal temperature and solar radiation are high. At peak snow accumulation, post‐depositional fractionation appears to occur in the top 25 ± 14% of the snowpack due to melt‐freeze redistribution of lig

Trout Creek Lycopsid Fossil Forest, Chaffee County, Colorado - Mike Viney; George Mustoe (Rocks & Minerals, 2022)

Column-Test Data Analyses and Geochemical Modeling to Determine Uranium Reactive Transport Parameters at a Former Uranium Mill Site (Grand Junction, Colorado) - C. Doc Richardson; Aaron D. Tigar (Minerals, 2022)
The long-term release of uranium from residual sources at former uranium mill sites was often not considered in prior conceptual and numerical models, as contaminant removal focused on meeting radiological standards. To determine the reactive transport parameters, column tests were completed with various influent waters (deionized water, site groundwater, and local river water) on sediment from identified areas with elevated uranium on the solid phase in (1) vadose-zone (VZ) sediments, (2) saturated-zone sediments with higher organic carbon content, and (3) both vadose- and saturated-zone sediments with additional gypsum content. The gypsum was precipitated when low-pH, high-sulfate, tailings fluids or acidic waste disposal water were buffered by natural aquifer calcite dissolution. In general, the resulting uranium release was higher in the sediments with greater uranium concentrations. However, the addition of deionized water (DI) to the VZ sediments delayed the uranium release until

Variability of Snow and Rainfall Partitioning Into Evapotranspiration and Summer Runoff Across Nine Mountainous Catchments - Michelle Newcomer; Markus Bill; S. S. Hubbard; P. James Dennedy-Frank; Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn; Matthias Sprenger; Alexander W. Newman; W. S. Brown; Curtis A. Beutler; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Geophysical Research Letters,, 2022)
AbstractUnderstanding the partitioning of snow and rain contributing to either catchment streamflow or evapotranspiration (ET) is of critical relevance for water management in response to climate change. To investigate this partitioning, we use endmember splitting and mixing analyses based on stable isotope (18O) data from nine headwater catchments in the East River, Colorado. Our results show that one third of the snow partitions to ET and 13% of the snowmelt sustains summer streamflow. Only 8% of the rainfall contributes to the summer streamflow, because most of the rain (67%) partitions to ET. The spatial variability of precipitation partitioning is mainly driven by aspect and tree cover across the sub‐catchments. Catchments with higher tree cover have a higher share of snow becoming ET, resulting in less snow in summer streamflow. Summer streamflow did not contain more rain with higher rainfall sums, but more rain was taken up in ET.

Does an achromatic border alter color discrimination of male Speyeria mormonia butterflies during mate searching? - S. Maass (2022)
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 taken into account the markings on the butterflies’ wings. The achromatic black markings in contrast with the orange color stimulus of the wing could cause the male butterflies to perceive the color stimulus differently than they would without the markings. I added a black border to butterfly decoys made from three different colored Pantone papers, representing a super stimulus, high pigmentation, and low pigmentation, and observed approaches by males to see whether the achromatic border makes a difference in the way males perceive the color stimulus. I hypothesized that I would see a 1:1 ratio of approaches to butterfly decoy pairs with the border, and that the ratio for decoy pairs with the bo

Beaver dams overshadow climate extremes in controlling riparian hydrology and water quality (Nature Commnications, 2022)
Hydrologic extremes dominate chemical exports from riparian zones and dictate water quality in major river systems. Yet, changes in land use and ecosystem services alongside growing climate variability are altering hydrologic extremes and their coupled impacts on riverine water quality. In the western U.S., warming temperatures and intensified aridification are increasingly paired with the expanding range of the American beaver-and their dams, which transform hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles in riparian systems. Here, we show that beaver dams overshadow climatic hydrologic extremes in their effects on water residence time and oxygen and nitrogen fluxes in the riparian subsurface. In a mountainous watershed in Colorado, U.S.A., we find that the increase in riparian hydraulic gradients imposed by a beaver dam is 10.7-13.3 times greater than seasonal hydrologic extremes. The massive hydraulic gradient increases hyporheic nitrate removal by 44.2% relative to seasonal extremes alone. A

Dye Tracing and the Effects of Infrastructure in Hidden River Cave, Horse Cave, KY - Alexa Franks (2022)
Hidden River Cave is a stream cave system found in Horse Cave, KY with continuous water flow of its two branches, Wheet River and East River. The infrastructure of the city of Hose Cave, KY was originally designed to utilize natural sinkholes for drainage of all wastewaters. The city uses many of these, now modified, sinkholes for wastewater disposal and storm water drainage. Historically, Hidden River Cave has been severely impacted by unmonitored dumping of contamination. To better understand and identify specific flow paths from sinkholes and infrastructure into Hidden River Cave, this study documented various sinkholes and other infrastructure, such as storm drains, sewer systems, and other undocumented pipes, that could send water from the surface to Hidden River Cave. The study focused on using fluorescent dyes injected into four sites in order to document how the water carrying these dyes moved through the cave system. These dyes were identified using charcoal dye receptors plac

A distributed temperature profiling system for vertically and laterally dense acquisition of soil and snow temperature - J. W. Fitzpatrick; P. McClure; S. Pullman; S. Fiolleau; F. H. Akins; Jack Lamb; I. Shirley; R. Busey; C. Brunetti; John Peterson; Stijn Wielandt; S. S. Hubbard; et al. (The Cryosphere, 2022)
Abstract. Measuring soil and snow temperature with high vertical and lateral resolution is critical for advancing the predictive understanding of thermal and hydro-biogeochemical processes that govern the behavior of environmental systems. Vertically resolved soil temperature measurements enable the estimation of soil thermal regimes, frozen-/thawed-layer thickness, thermal parameters, and heat and/or water fluxes. Similarly, they can be used to capture the snow depth and the snowpack thermal parameters and fluxes. However, these measurements are challenging to acquire using conventional approaches due to their total cost, their limited vertical resolution, and their large installation footprint. This study presents the development and validation of a novel distributed temperature profiling (DTP) system that addresses these challenges. The system leverages digital temperature sensors to provide unprecedented, finely resolved depth profiles of temperature measurements with flexibility i

Population Growth and Municipal Water Insecurity in Mesa County, Colorado - null null; William Wallace (John Heinrichs Scholarly & Creative Activities Day, 2022)
The purpose of this project was to utilize GIS software to develop a population and daily domestic water resource requirement analysis for Mesa County, Colorado by answering the question of what municipalities within the county have the highest potential of developing water insecurities between the years 2000 and 2019. The methods for developing the spatiotemporal population change of Mesa County, Colorado utilize attribute manipulation and statistical tools within ArcGIS Pro. The four municipalities, Clifton, Loma, Fruita , Grand Junction, and Orchard Mesa experienced the greatest population increase and daily water resource requirement increase marking these areas as the most likely to develop water insecurities in the future. While substantial population growth has taken place over the past twenty years through the county, most of the of growth occurred between 2000 and 2010, allowing for municipalities to adapt to the increase in population over the past decade. This project took a

Limnephilus externus Case Grazing Effects on Predation - G. Bobo (2022)
Predator prey interactions are essential components of ecosystems, especially in lower trophic levels as they fuel many other organisms. Many prey organisms have developed tactics to decrease the rate of predation. For example, larval caddisflies build cases out of sedge and other detritus in their environment. These cases provide caddisflies with more protection from predators relative to other aquatic invertebrates. However, one species of caddisfly, Limnephilus externus, has been observed grazing on its case. The reason for this is unknown, but I hypothesized that it could make them more vulnerable to predation. Here, I tested how grazed and ungrazed cases influenced rates of salamander predation on L. externus. Based on the results of the experiment, case grazing does not have a significant effect on predation rates. These results narrow down the possible reasons that L. externus case grazes, but further research needs to be done to determine to why case grazing occurs.

New Upper Cretaceous Microvertebrate Assemblage from the Williams Fork Formation, northwestern Colorado, U.S.A., and its Paleoenvironmental Implications - Nickolas Brand; Israel Sanchez; Andrew B. Heckert; Jaelyn Eberle (Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 2022)
We describe a microvertebrate assemblage from the J&M site, of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) Williams Fork Formation. Breakdown of fossil bearing matrix was achieved with the use of heated dimethyl sulfoxide. Nine of the recovered taxa are new to both the J&M site and the Williams Fork Formation. The sharks Lonchidion griffisi, Chiloscyllium sp., and Cantioscyllium markaguntensis are the first non-batoid elasmobranchs reported from the Williams Fork Formation and are all represented by teeth. The rays Cristomylus and Psuedomyledaphus are also newly reported from teeth. The most common identifiable fossils were teeth of indeterminate amiids, most likely belonging to Melvius. Osteichthyan fossils new to the Williams Fork Formation include teeth of Paralbula, an indeterminate pycnodontid tooth plate fragment, and an indeterminate lungfish tooth fragment. A tooth of the teiid Peneteius is also the first reported from within the Williams Fork Formation. Alligatoroid teeth a

Removing flowers of a generalist plant changes pollinator visitation, composition, and interaction network structure - A. M. Gruver; R. G. Dickson; Justin A. Bain; Paul J. CaraDonna (Ecosphere, 2022)
Abstract Pollination is essential for ecosystem functioning, yet our understanding of the empirical consequences of species loss for plant–pollinator interactions remains limited. It is hypothesized that the loss of abundant and generalized (well‐connected) species from a pollination network will have a large effect on the remaining species and their interactions. However, to date, relatively few studies have experimentally removed species from their natural setting to address this hypothesis. We investigated the consequences of losing an abundant, generalist native species from a series of plant–pollinator networks by experimentally removing the flowers of Helianthella quinquenervis (Asteraceae) from half of a series of 10 paired plots (15 m diameter) within a subalpine ecosystem. We then asked how the localized loss of this species influenced patterns of pollinator visitation, floral visitor composition, and interaction network structure. The experimental removal of Helianthella flow

Abundance and Identification of Hymenopteran Parasitoids in Euphydryas gilletti - C. Rodriquez (2022)
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, this study focuses on a butterfly species (Euphydryas gillettii) introduced experimentally in the vicinity of the RMBL and the potential ecological interactions it has with the other insects in its novel habitat. This butterfly has been studied since it was introduced in 1977 but not much is known about its interactions with parasitoids in the area. I conducted a survey at RMBL of the presence of lepidopteran parasitoids and the amount of parasitism on the butterfly egg masses. I surveyed and located parasitoids by sweep-netting and bagged egg masses to check if parasitoids used the eggs as hosts. There were no significant differences in parasitoids found across subsites or when comparing c

Perils of life on the edge: Climatic threats to global diversity patterns of wetland macroinvertebrates - L. B. Epele; E. Demierre; L. Maltchik; E. E. Scheibler; E. A. Williams-Subiza; M. G. Grech; S. Gascón; A. Boissezon; C. Stenert; O. Loskutova; M. C. Mlambo; Michelle I. Jeffries; et al. (Science of the Total Environment, 2022)
Climate change is rapidly driving global biodiversity declines. How wetland macroinvertebrate assemblages are responding is unclear, a concern given their vital function in these ecosystems. Using a data set from 769 minimally impacted depressional wetlands across the globe (467 temporary and 302 permanent), we evaluated how temperature and precipitation (average, range, variability) affects the richness and beta diversity of 144 macroinvertebrate families. To test the effects of climatic predictors on macroinvertebrate diversity, we fitted generalized additive mixed-effects models (GAMM) for family richness, and generalized dissimilarity models (GDMs) for total beta diversity. We found non-linear relationships between family richness, beta diversity and climate. Maximum temperature was the main climatic driver of wetland macroinvertebrate richness and beta diversity, but precipitation seasonality was also important. Assemblage responses to climatic variables also depended on wetland w

(Socio-)ecological tools and insights for a changing climate - Zachary James Miller (2022)
In one way or another, climate change is impacting all social, economic, and ecological systems on the planet. Scientists worldwide warn of catastrophic and irreversible damage to social and ecological systems in absence of rapid, far-reaching, and unprecedented shifts in energy and land use. Yet, many social systems continue to operate business-as-usual, and decision-making across multiple levels of social organization continues to neglect the use of scientific evidence to minimize long-term risk. Contemporary biodiversity losses are occurring on scales that surpass the major extinction events in geological records, threatening the loss of critical ecosystem services, such as pollination, that underpin myriad facets of human societies as well as ecosystem resilience. In my dissertation, I call into question conventional lethal sampling approaches for bumble bees, an economically and ecologically important pollinator group, and simultaneously advance non-lethal techniques. Additionally

Hibernation slows epigenetic ageing in yellow-bellied marmots - Robert Wayne; M. Pellegrini; C. Farrell; S. Snir; S. M. Horvath; J. Zoller; G. M. Pinho; J. Zhang; Amin Haghani; Julien G. A. Martin; Daniel T. Blumstein (Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2022)
Abstract Species that hibernate live longer than would be expected based solely on their body size. Hibernation is characterized by long periods of metabolic suppression (torpor) interspersed by short periods of increased metabolism (arousal). The torpor-arousal cycles occur multiple times during hibernation, and it has been suggested that processes controlling the transition between torpor and arousal states cause aging suppression. Metabolic rate is also a known correlate of longevity, we thus proposed the ‘hibernation-aging hypothesis’ whereby aging is suspended during hibernation. We tested this hypothesis in a well-studied population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer), which spend 7-8 months per year hibernating. We used two approaches to estimate epigenetic age: the epigenetic clock and the epigenetic pacemaker. Variation in epigenetic age of 149 samples collected throughout the life of 73 females was modeled using generalized additive mixed models (GAMM), wh

Legume germination is delayed in dry soils and in sterile soils devoid of microbial mutualists: Species-specific implications for upward range expansions - A. M. Keeler; Nicole E. Rafferty (Ecology and Evolution, 2022)
Climate change is affecting species and their mutualists and can lead to the weakening or loss of important interspecific interactions. Through independent shifts in partner phenology and distribution, climatic stress can separate mutualists temporally or spatially, leading to alterations in partner functional traits and fitness. Here, we explored the effects of the loss of microbial mutualists on legume germination success and phenology. In particular, we assessed the effects of mutualism loss via soil sterilization, increased drought, and introduction to novel soils found beyond the current distributions of two focal legume species in subalpine environments. Through common garden experiments in controlled environments, we found evidence that soil sterilization (and consequent microbial absence) and dry soils caused species-specific phenological delays of 2-5 weeks in germination, likely as a result of interaction loss between legumes and specialized germination-promoting soil microbe

On the similarity of hillslope hydrologic function: a clustering approach based on groundwater changes - Fadji Maina; P. James Dennedy-Frank; Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn; Haruko M. Wainwright (Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2022)
Abstract. Hillslope similarity is an active topic in hydrology because of its importance in improving our understanding of hydrologic processes and enabling comparisons and paired studies. In this study, we propose a holistic bottom-up hillslope clustering based on a region's integrative hydrodynamic response quantified by the seasonal changes in groundwater levels ΔP. The main advantage of the ΔP clustering is its ability to capture recharge and discharge processes. We test the performance of the ΔP clustering by comparing it to seven other common hillslope clustering approaches. These include clustering approaches based on the aridity index, topographic wetness index, elevation, land cover, and machine-learning that jointly integrate multiple data. We assess the ability of these clustering approaches to identify and categorize hillslopes with similar static characteristics, hydroclimate, land surface processes, and subsurface dynamics in a mountainous watershed – the East River – loc

Revisions to the Wanakah Formation in and around Ouray County, Colorado - Lawrence S. Jones; Cassandra R. Fenton (Mountain Geologist, 2022)
A well-defined type section and consistent nomenclature are fundamental requirements for successful correlation of stratigraphic units and subsequent accurate paleogeographic reconstructions. The exact location of the original type section of the Middle Jurassic Wanakah Formation of the eastern Colorado Plateau was found in Ouray County, Colorado. Two nearby reference sections are described that supplement the lithologic descriptions in the original type section. These reference sections and the original type section constitute a “principal reference section” for the Wanakah Formation. Informal names “upper shale beds”, “marl member”, and “beds at Sawpit” have been used to describe the uppermost member of the Wanakah. These terms are replaced with the formal name, “Crooked Tree Member of the Wanakah Formation”, in the reference sections to avoid confusion, foster consistent usage, and facilitate litho-stratigraphic correlation.

The Evolution and Ecology of Interactions Between Ants and Honeydew-Producing Hemipteran Insects - Annika S. Nelson; Kailen A. Mooney (The Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 2022)
The interactions between ants and certain sap-feeding insects in the order Hemiptera are classic examples of food-for-protection mutualisms. In these associations, herbivorous hemipterans use a highly specialized, straw-like mouthpart to consume sap directly from plant phloem and xylem and, as a result, excrete a sugar-rich waste product called honeydew. Ant foragers use specialized adaptations to collect and share honeydew with nestmates and, in exchange, protect hemipterans against predators. The two key innovations underlying this interaction—hemipteran sap feeding and ant harvesting of honeydew—have driven the evolutionary success and ecological dominance of ants. These interactions also carry unique costs and benefits for each partner and are highly context dependent. Understanding the factors mediating this mutualism is critical, as these interactions have broader ecological consequences for the natural and agricultural ecosystems in which they are embedded.

An equation of state unifies diversity, productivity, abundance and biomass - K. Umemura; E. A. Newman; M. Brush; John Harte (Communications Biology, 2022)
To advance understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem function, ecologists seek widely applicable relationships among species diversity and other ecosystem characteristics such as species productivity, biomass, and abundance. These metrics vary widely across ecosystems and no relationship among any combination of them that is valid across habitats, taxa, and spatial scales, has heretofore been found. Here we derive such a relationship, an equation of state, among species richness, energy flow, biomass, and abundance by combining results from the Maximum Entropy Theory of Ecology and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology. It accurately captures the relationship among these state variables in 42 data sets, including vegetation and arthropod communities, that span a wide variety of spatial scales and habitats. The success of our ecological equation of state opens opportunities for estimating difficult-to-measure state variables from measurements of others, adds support for two current theories

Carrying the moral burden of safe fieldwork - Benjamin Blonder (Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 2022)
Fieldwork in ecology and the environmental sciences often leads to negative physical and emotional outcomes for workers. I argue that this is largely due to an abdication of responsibility on the part of their supervisors, and that supervisors are charged with carrying three interlinked moral burdens: first, the duty of promoting safety; second, the duty of ensuring safe experiences are accessible to all; and third, the duty of continuing to learn and improve. To help, I offer a set of safety actions that supervisors can easily implement. I then offer a set of personal reflections on how we should think about failure, accountability, learning, repair, and forgiveness in the scientific workplace. Key words: field safety; field work; equity; inclusion; ethics; supervisor.

Predators balance consequences of climate-change-induced habitat shifts for range-shifting and resident species - Z. T. Wood; I. D. Shepard; S. A. Wissinger; H. S. Greig (Journal of Animal Ecology, 2022)

The effects of environmental variation on daily abundance patterns and diet breadth of bumble bee species - M. Gorchkova (2022)

Does expanding access to cannabis affect traffic crashes? County‐level evidence from recreational marijuana dispensary sales in Colorado - Christian Gunadi (Health Economics, 2022)
AbstractThis article examines the effect of recreational cannabis dispensary sales on traffic crashes by employing difference‐in‐differences model that exploits the variation in the timing of recreational marijuana dispensary entry across counties within Colorado. Using marijuana‐related hospital discharge as a measure of marijuana abuse/misuse, the results indicate a sizable rise in marijuana‐related hospital discharges after the entry of retail cannabis stores. However, there is a lack of evidence that traffic crash incidents are affected by the entry. The preferred estimate suggests that, at 90% confidence level, a large increase in traffic crashes by more than 5% can be ruled out.

Advancements in Measuring and Modeling the Mechanical and Hydrological Properties of Snow and Firn: Multi-sensor Analysis, Integration, and Algorithm Development - Tate G. Meehan (2022)
Estimating snow mechanical properties – such as elastic modulus, stiffness, and strength – is important for understanding how effectively a vehicle can travel over snow-covered terrain. Vehicle instrumentation data and observations of the snowpack are valuable for improving the estimates of winter vehicle performance. Combining in-situ and remotely-sensed snow observations, driver input, and vehicle performance sensors requires several techniques of data integration. I explored correlations between measurements spanning from millimeter to meter scales, beginning with the SnowMicroPenetrometer (SMP) and instruments applied to snow that were designed for measuring the load bearing capacity and the compressive and shear strengths of roads and soils. The spatial distribution of snow’s mechanical properties is still largely unknown. From this initial work, I determined that snow density remains a useful proxy for snowpack strength. To measure snow density, I applied multi-sensor electromagn

Habitat selection in a fluctuating ground squirrel population: Density - dependence and fitness consequences - K. Jenderseck; J. R. Aliperti; D. H. Van Vuren (Ecology and Evolution, 2022)
Investigating individual-based habitat settlement decisions is a central theme in ecology, yet studies that quantify density-dependent habitat selection or tie fitness to resource selection decisions remain rare. We quantified habitat selection in golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) across two spatial scales (home-range placement, and occurrence within the home range) by using 11 consecutive years of data on individual space use, and we used resource selection functions and multilevel modeling to address how habitat preferences may be influenced by density or linked to fitness outcomes. Squirrels preferred dry meadow over other habitat types (wet meadow, aspen, spruce, and willow) at both spatial scales. Squirrels were more likely to use dry meadow that contained shorter vegetation and vision-enhancing prominences such as rocks ("perches"). The use of dry meadow at each scale was not influenced by changes in density. The use of dry meadow did not lead t

Causes and consequences of pre-hibernation body mass in golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) - S. Howland (2022)
Mammals that cope with harsh environmental conditions by hibernating show seasonal variation in body mass, as fat reserves are accumulated during summer and depleted during winter. Hence, pre-hibernation mass is often considered a key phenotypic trait in hibernating species that can be an indicator of future survival and reproductive success. We used 30 years of demographic data from a high-elevation population of golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) to identify life-history and environmental variables that influence pre-hibernation mass in females, and to determine if pre-hibernation mass influences overwinter survival or subsequent reproduction. Growth curves revealed female-biased size dimorphism, with adult mass not attained until age 2 years, so we considered three age classes of females, juveniles, yearlings, and adults (≥2 years). We found that earlier snow melt during spring is associated with higher pre-hibernation masses of yearlings and adults, and t

Statistical framework to assess long-term spatio-temporal climate changes: East River mountainous watershed case study - Boris Faybishenko; Eoin L. Brodie; Bhavna Arora; Dipankar Dwivedi (Stochastic environmental research and risk assessment, 2022)
Evaluation of long-term temporal and spatial climatic change in mountainous regions is a critical challenge because of the interactive effects of multiple land and climatic factors and processes. Here we present the application of the statistical framework to the assessment of changes of climatic conditions, using data from 17 meteorological stations across the East River watershed near Crested Butte, Colorado, USA, and spanning the period from 1966 to 2021. The framework is developed based on (1) a time-series analysis of daily, monthly, and yearly averaged meteorological parameters (tem- perature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, etc.), (2) evaluation and time series analysis of potential evapo- transpiration (ETo), actual evapotranspiration (ET), aridity index (AI), standard precipitation index (SPI) and standard precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI), and (3) a temporal-spatial climatic zonation of the studied area based on the hierarchical clustering and PCA an

The Effect of Snowmelt Timing on Pollinator Visitation to Subalpine Wildflowers - J. Moloney (2022)
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 can impact plant and pollinator interactions. Data gathered at RMBL shows that the date of earliest snowmelt and mean summer temperature are increasing at an unsustainable rate. To better understand the consequences of snowmelt timing on plant-pollinator interactions, an early snowmelt manipulation was performed and pollinator observations were conducted on four subalpine species at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. The study consists of a numerous pollinator observation sessions in control and early snowmelt plots on 4 species of wildflowers: Delphinium nuttallianum (DENU), Geum triflorum (GETR), Linum lewisii (GETR), and Delphinium barbeyi (DEBA). The four species represent a grad

Testing for competition, facilitation, and intraguild predation between two co-dominant detritivores: the caddisfly Limnephilus externus and chironomid midges - Mark Ivan Jacobson (2022)
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 mountain ponds: the caddis fly, Limnephlus externus, and chironomid midges. Specifically, we are trying to determine if there is competition, facilitation, or intraguild predation between Limnephilus externus and chironomid midges. With climate change, the permanent and semipermanent ponds are becoming increasingly temporary. The issue this presents is that L.externus cannot survive in temporary ponds due to their long development time. Therefore, identifying the relationships between the two taxa can help us understand how detrital processing may change with the possible loss of L. externus or shifts in species abundances. For this experiment, we used a response surface design and altered the

Balancing model generality and specificity in management-focused habitat selection models for Gunnison sage-grouse - Michael S. O’Donnell (Global Ecology and Conservation, 2022)
Identifying, protecting, and restoring habitats for declining wildlife populations is foundational to conservation and recovery planning for any species at risk of decline. Resource selection analysis is a key tool to assess habitat and prescribe management actions. Yet, it can be challenging to map suitable resource conditions across a wide range of ecological contexts and use the resulting models to identify effective and universal habitat improvement actions. We developed a management-centric modeling approach that sought to balance the need to evaluate the consistency of key habitat conditions and improvement actions across multiple, distinct populations, while allowing context-specific environmental variables and spatial scales to nuance selection responses that form the basis of location-specific management prescriptions. To demonstrate this approach, we developed a set of habitat selection models for Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), a threatened species under the U.S

Microvirus Genomes Identified in Fecal Samples from Yellow - Bellied Marmots - S. Kraberger; A. Varsani; C. L. Tijerino; Daniel T. Blumstein (Microbiology Resource Announcements, 2022)

High-Resolution Snow-Covered Area Mapping in Forested Mountain Ecosystems Using PlanetScope Imagery - K. Yang; J. Hille Ris Lambers; N. Cristea; A. F. Cannistra; A. John; D. Shean; A. Tan (Remote Sensing, 2022)
Improving high-resolution (meter-scale) mapping of snow-covered areas in complex and forested terrains is critical to understanding the responses of species and water systems to climate change. Commercial high-resolution imagery from Planet Labs, Inc. (Planet, San Francisco, CA, USA) can be used in environmental science, as it has both high spatial (0.7–3.0 m) and temporal (1–2 day) resolution. Deriving snow-covered areas from Planet imagery using traditional radiometric techniques have limitations due to the lack of a shortwave infrared band that is needed to fully exploit the difference in reflectance to discriminate between snow and clouds. However, recent work demonstrated that snow cover area (SCA) can be successfully mapped using only the PlanetScope 4-band (Red, Green, Blue and NIR) reflectance products and a machine learning (ML) approach based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). To evaluate how additional features improve the existing model performance, we: (1) build on pr

Floral phenotypic response of Ipomopsis aggregata and related hybrids to changing soil moisture and nitrogen enrichment - A. Aguilar (2022)
Plants are products of their environment. This is also true for flowers, which can be shaped through abiotic factors that lead to plastic response or natural selection. Both floral morphological traits and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have the potential to be impacted by environmental conditions. Floral morphology has long been understood to shape pollinator- plant interactions. VOCs emitted by floral tissues compose a plant’s floral scent, which is important for a variety of reproductive-related interactions. Namely, both the concentration and type of VOCs influence the activity of associated pollinators and herbivores. Learning more about floral morphology and VOCs and their response to abiotic conditions is essential due to their significance to plant reproduction and the current trends in global change. To contribute to this growing collection of knowledge, we investigated the effects of differing soil moisture conditions and nitrogen enrichment on the floral traits and VOC pr

Within Day Temporal Variation Within Plant-Pollinator Networks - D. Gascon (2022)
Plant-pollinator networks are useful tools for understanding species interactions and biodiversity. The structure of interactions within plant-pollinator networks have provided insight into the potential stability and persistence of ecological communities. Current studies of plant- pollinator networks have primarily focused on a temporally static view. These studies have given insight on general patterns within networks, however the temporally static view they take gives less insight on the various temporal scales at which interactions can change, form, and dissolve. If networks have temporally dependent variables, then constructing networks at different time scales can provide information on structural changes that could be overlooked at different temporal scales. Therefore we want to know if plant-pollinator networks change within a day. What we do know is that plant-pollinator network structure and stability can change over years and within seasons, but we know a lot less about the

Comparison of Bee Bowls and Netting for Monitoring Native Bees - M. Mitchell (2022)
This study looked at the differences in bee community composition between estimates obtained from pan traps vs. netting. Comparing species richness, evenness and community composition between the two sampling types from the years 2009-2017 and 2009-2021. Based on a rate of bees caught per hour, without the Bombus genus, bee bowls were more efficient, however, the catch rate of the Bombus genus alone was much higher than the catch rate of the bowls. However, bee bowls still caught a wider range of genus, with the netting still missing around 50 species over the course of the years studied. However, the nets were able to catch larger bodied bees that were missed by the bowls. Overall, it was determined that to get a full understanding of the bee genus/species populations, both bee bowls and netting is needed.

Ant Behavioral Responses to Aphids Colonizing Ligusticum porteri - C. Kennamer (2022)
Ant-aphid mutualisms are keystone interactions that, if altered, have the potential to cause cascading, multitrophic effects on local arthropod and plant communities. In our study system, the flowering stalks of Ligusticum. porteri (Apiaceae) are colonized by the aphid Aphis asclepiadis, which relies on a protection mutualism with ants. We examined the mediating role of phenology in the host plant L. porteri on mutualistic ant behavior in the subalpine zone of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA. To accomplish this, we utilized three tiers of observational data to infer the role of host plant phenology on ant abundance and behavior. First, we compiled six years of census data taken over June through August from 2017-2022 to determine ant abundance during pre-flowering, flowering, and post-flowering phenological stages. In 2022, we recorded focused observations of tending behavior in ants, adding to the census data collected in previous years. Lastly, we used an ethogram to examine eff

Snowmelt Timing Leads to Plasticity and Alters Natural Selection on Leaf Traits in Ipomopsis - Justin Kipness (2022)
Anthropogenic climate change is altering environments, which in turn has the potential to influence plant traits (through phenotypic plasticity) and natural selection. The effect of changing climate on the strength and direction of selection remains unresolved. In this study we quantified the plasticity and strength of selection on vegetative traits of the subalpine herbs Ipomopsis aggregata, Ipomopsis tenuituba, and hybrids. We used long-term data to quantify phenotypic plasticity in these traits and their effects on fitness over 12 years with varying dates of snowmelt in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We hypothesized that the vegetative traits would be under selection that depended on snowmelt date, which affects early-season water availability and temperature. Specific leaf area (SLA) responded plastically to snowmelt timing, with lower SLA found in early snowmelt years and larger SLA found in late snowmelt years. Natural selection on water use efficiency (WUE) changed based on snowm

The Boechera model system for evolutionary ecology - Maggie Wagner; Catherine Rushworth (American Journal of Botany, 2022)

Borgs are giant genetic elements with potential to expand metabolic capacity - Basem Al-Shayeb; Luis E. Valentin-Alvarado; A. Crits-Christoph; Jennifer Doudna; Susan Mullen; Michael J. Wilkins; Rohan Sachdeva; Jacob West-Roberts; M. C. Schoelmerich; Jillian F. Banfield; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Nature, 2022)
Anaerobic methane oxidation exerts a key control on greenhouse gas emissions1, yet factors that modulate the activity of microorganisms performing this function remain poorly understood. Here we discovered extraordinarily large, diverse DNA sequences that primarily encode hypothetical proteins through studying groundwater, sediments and wetland soil where methane production and oxidation occur. Four curated, complete genomes are linear, up to approximately 1 Mb in length and share genome organization, including replichore structure, long inverted terminal repeats and genome-wide unique perfect tandem direct repeats that are intergenic or generate amino acid repeats. We infer that these are highly divergent archaeal extrachromosomal elements with a distinct evolutionary origin. Gene sequence similarity, phylogeny and local divergence of sequence composition indicate that many of their genes were assimilated from methane-oxidizing Methanoperedens archaea. We refer to these ele

Perturbations in plant-pollinator networks: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches to understand responses to global change - C. N. Morozumi (2022)
Perturbations in plant-pollinator networks: integrating theoretical and empirical

Surface parameters and bedrock properties covary across a mountainous watershed: Insights from machine learning and geophysics - Burke J Minsley; K. Zamudio; B. Carr; Sebastian Uhlemann; Craig Ulrich; Nicola Falco; S. S. Hubbard; Baptiste Dafflon; Haruko M. Wainwright; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Science Advances, 2022)
Bedrock property quantification is critical for predicting the hydrological response of watersheds to climate disturbances. Estimating bedrock hydraulic properties over watershed scales is inherently difficult, particularly in fracture-dominated regions. Our analysis tests the covariability of above- and belowground features on a watershed scale, by linking borehole geophysical data, near-surface geophysics, and remote sensing data. We use machine learning to quantify the relationships between bedrock geophysical/hydrological properties and geomorphological/vegetation indices and show that machine learning relationships can estimate most of their covariability. Although we can predict the electrical resistivity variation across the watershed, regions of lower variability in the input parameters are shown to provide better estimates, indicating a limitation of commonly applied geomorphological models. Our results emphasize that such an integrated approach can be used to derive detailed

Understanding the Hydrogeochemical Response of a Mountainous Watershed Using Integrated Surface-Subsurface Flow and Reactive Transport Modeling - Sergi Molins; D. Svyatsky; J. D. Moulton; Ilhan Özgen-Xian; Zexuan Xu; Carl I. Steefel; Dipankar Dwivedi (Water Resources Research, 2022)
Abstract Climate change and other disturbances significantly impact hydrogeochemical exports from mountainous headwater catchments such as the Upper Colorado River Basin. Developing a mechanistic understanding of how the physical and chemical processes interact in time and space in an integrated manner is key to quantifying the future impacts of such disturbances. The hydrogeochemical response of a mountainous catchment in the 2010–2019 period is evaluated quantitatively using a high‐resolution model that simulates integrated hydrology, and transport and reactions for selected solutes and minerals. The model assumes that pyrite is present only at depth while calcite is distributed uniformly, and captures the observed C‐Q reasonably well. Distinct C‐Q dynamics are observed in an average (WY16), a wet (WY17), and a dry (WY18) water year. The model also quantifies the water fraction from surface, shallow and deep groundwater compartments using tracers, and suggests greater groundwater con

Plant removal across an elevational gradient marginally reduces rates, substantially reduces variation in mineralization - Jeremiah A Henning; Kenna E Rewcastle; Quentin D Read; Aimee T Classen; Nathan J. Sanders; Rebecca E. Irwin (Ecology, 2022)
The loss of aboveground plant diversity alters belowground ecosystem function; yet, the mechanisms underpinning this relationship and the degree to which plant community structure and climate mediate the effects of plant species loss remain unclear. Here, we explored how plant species loss through experimental removal shaped belowground function in ecosystems characterized by different climatic regimes and edaphic properties. We measured plant community composition as well as potential carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial extracellular enzyme activity in soils collected from four unique plant removal experiments located along an elevational gradient in Colorado, USA. We found that, regardless of the identity of the removed species or the climate at each site, plant removal decreased the absolute variation in potential N mineralization rates and marginally reduced the magnitude of N mineralization rates. While plant species removal also marginally reduced C mineraliz

Soil feedbacks and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of Linaria vulgaris invasion - L. Novak (2022)
Invasive plants reduce native plant diversity both directly through competition and

BASIN-3D: A brokering framework to integrate diverse environmental data - Madison Burrus; D. S. Christianson; C. Wong; Valerie Hendrix; Deb Agarwal; Charuleka Varadharajan; S. S. Hubbard (Computers & Geosciences, 2022)
Diverse observational and simulation datasets are needed to understand and predict complex ecosystem behavior over seasonal to decadal and century time-scales. Integration of these datasets poses a major barrier towards advancing environmental science, particularly due to differences in the structure and formats of data provided by various sources. Here, we describe BASIN-3D (Broker for Assimilation, Synthesis and Integration of eNvironmental Diverse, Distributed Datasets), a data integration framework designed to dynamically retrieve and transform heterogeneous data from different sources into a common format to provide an integrated view. BASIN-3D enables users to adopt a standardized approach for data retrieval and avoid customizations for the data type or source. We demonstrate the value of BASIN-3D with two use cases that require integration of data from regional to watershed spatial scales. The first application uses the BASIN-3D Python library to integrate time-series hydrologic

Life history consequences of climate change in hibernating mammals: a review - R. Barbier; Stephen T. Nelson; R. Kanaziz; L. M. Aubry; Caitlin P. Wells (Ecography, 2022)
Climatic shifts to warmer and often drier conditions are challenging terrestrial species worldwide. These shifts are occurring more rapidly at higher elevations and latitudes, likely causing disproportionate effects to mammalian hibernators there. While there is some information about how these species' ranges are responding to climatic shifts, we lack an understanding of how climate components are affecting species' life history variation, which is key to individual success and population‐level resilience. We reviewed the literature to identify the direction of life history responses to climate change in mammalian hibernators along three axes: latitudinal, elevational and temporal. We found 39 studies involving 27 species that reported climate effects on our four target life history traits – phenology, body mass/condition and growth, reproduction and survival. We found warmer temperatures are advancing hibernator phenology and increasing reproductive success. By contrast, warming and

Modeling snow dynamics and stable water isotopes across mountain landscapes - Reed M. Maxwell; Jeffrey Deems; Alexander W. Newman; W. S. Brown; Matthias Sprenger; Curtis A. Beutler; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Geophysical Research Letters, 2022)
Abstract A coupled hydrologic and snowpack stable water isotope model assesses controls on isotopic inputs across a mountainous basin. Annually, the most depleted isotope conditions occur in the upper subalpine where snow accumulation is high, and rainfall is low. Snowmelt isotopic evolution over time indicates fractionation processes account for <25% snowmelt enrichment. Meltwater isotopic inputs are largely determined by controls on the amount, phase and isotopic mass of precipitation coincident with the ablation period. Effect of vapor loss from the snowpack on d‐excess in snowmelt is a balance between energy and snow‐availability. It is highest above treeline, and in the grass and aspen‐dominated portions of the upper montane where vegetation shading is low. Deep snowpack in conifer forests limit the influence of vapor loss in the subalpine. Wet years reduce the effects of vapor loss on snowmelt across the basin, except in the lower montane where added snowfall bolsters snow‐lim

Sweet and salty: Pollinators and sodium-enriched nectar - Ethan VanValkenburg (2022)

Three-Dimensional Surface Downwelling Longwave Radiation Clear-Sky Effects in the Upper Colorado River Basin - M. Worden; Jiancong Chen; P. James Dennedy-Frank; Daniel Feldman; Nicola Falco; Baptiste Dafflon; Haruko M. Wainwright (Geophysical Research Letters, 2022)
Abstract In complex terrain, non‐parallel surfaces receive emitted radiation from adjacent surfaces. Qualitatively, where surface skin temperatures and lower tropospheric temperature and humidity are not uniform, the downwelling longwave radiation (DLR) will be determined not just by radiation from the atmosphere above a given location, but also by adjacent surface temperatures. We quantify this three‐dimensional longwave radiative effect over the Upper Colorado River Basin in clear‐sky conditions by calculating surface DLR with observed land‐surface temperatures from ECOSTRESS. We find that this effect is due to terrain‐subtended sky‐view and represents ∼22% of the surface longwave flux, rising to ∼28% and ∼24% in the East and Southeast of the Basin, respectively, and can be >50% in extreme cases. The common omission of this effect in atmospheric radiation models leads to an underestimation of DLR in complex terrain, especially at higher elevations, which has significant implicatio

Reconsidering the 1922 Colorado River Compact at 100 - Lawrence J. MacDonnell (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2022)

Effects of a range-shifting caddisfly on life histories of a top predator in high elevation ponds - L. Crayton (2022)
Climate change is creating the opportunity for various species to undertake range expansion, both geographically and elevationally. There has been relatively little research into the ecological effects of these climate-driven range expansions on predators, particularly when the new species to a community fills a phenological gap in prey. The opportunity to learn more about these effects comes in a recent range expansion of a caddisfly species, Nemotaulius hostilis, into a well-studied, high elevation pond complex. I explored how this new species might be influencing the growth and life history of a top keystone predator, paedomorphic tiger salamanders. Using mark and recapture and comparing current collected data to that collected before N. hostilis was abundant, I tested how abundance of a new prey source is affecting salamander ecology. By understanding how a range extension influences top predators, we can gain insight into the direct and indirect effects of climate change on aquati

Watershed zonation through hillslope clustering for tractably quantifying above-and below-ground watershed heterogeneity and functions - Maya Franklin; Burke J Minsley; Michelle Newcomer; Nicholas J. Bouskill; Sebastian Uhlemann; Nicola Falco; S. S. Hubbard; Baptiste Dafflon; Haruko M. Wainwright; Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2022)
Abstract. In this study, we develop a watershed zonation approach for characterizing watershed organization and functions in a tractable manner by integrating multiple spatial data layers. We hypothesize that (1) a hillslope is an appropriate unit for capturing the watershed-scale heterogeneity of key bedrock-through-canopy properties and for quantifying the co-variability of these properties representing coupled ecohydrological and biogeochemical interactions, (2) remote sensing data layers and clustering methods can be used to identify watershed hillslope zones having the unique distributions of these properties relative to neighboring parcels, and (3) property suites associated with the identified zones can be used to understand zone-based functions, such as response to early snowmelt or drought and solute exports to the river. We demonstrate this concept using unsupervised clustering methods that synthesize airborne remote sensing data (lidar, hyperspectral, and electromagnetic sur

Carry-over effects of larval food stress on adult energetics and life history in a nectar-feeding butterfly - Carol L. Boggs (Ecological Entomology, 2022)

Temporal correlations among demographic parameters are ubiquitous but highly variable across species - P. Acker; E. Cam; C. Bonenfant; N. T. Wheelwright; N. G. Yoccoz; Kirsty Macdonald; M. Moiron; A. Nicol-Harper; M. Authier; C. Le Coeur; Christophe Barbraud; Fanie Pelletier; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2022)
Abstract Temporal correlations among demographic parameters can strongly influence population dynamics. Our empirical knowledge, however, is very limited regarding the direction and the magnitude of these correlations and how they vary among demographic parameters and species’ life histories. Here, we use long‐term demographic data from 15 bird and mammal species with contrasting pace of life to quantify correlation patterns among five key demographic parameters: juvenile and adult survival, reproductive probability, reproductive success and productivity. Correlations among demographic parameters were ubiquitous, more frequently positive than negative, but strongly differed across species. Correlations did not markedly change along the slow‐fast continuum of life histories, suggesting that they were more strongly driven by ecological than evolutionary factors. As positive temporal demographic correlations decrease the mean of the long‐run population growth rate, the c

Winters are changing: snow effects on Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystems - I. H. Myers-Smith; S. J. Coulson; P. Convey; C. T. Christiansen; B. Elberling; C. Elphinstone; M. Carbognani; S. Bokhorst; J. Boike; G. Blume-Werry; M. P. Björkman; J. W. Bjerke; et al. (Arctic Science, 2022)
Snow is an important driver of ecosystem processes in cold biomes. Snow accumulation determines ground temperature, light conditions, and moisture availability during winter. It also affects the growing season’s start and end, and plant access to moisture and nutrients. Here, we review the current knowledge of the snow cover’s role for vegetation, plant-animal interactions, permafrost conditions, microbial processes, and biogeochemical cycling. We also compare studies of natural snow gradients with snow experimental manipulation studies to assess time scale difference of these approaches. The number of tundra snow studies has increased considerably in recent years, yet we still lack a comprehensive overview of how altered snow conditions will affect these ecosystems. Specifically, we found a mismatch in the timing of snowmelt when comparing studies of natural snow gradients with snow manipulations. We found that snowmelt timing achieved by snow addition and snow removal manipulations (

How understory bee communities compare to open meadows in the Rocky Mountains - A. Rosenberg (2022)
Forest associated species, bees and otherwise, are among the world's most vulnerable species due human activity such as deforestation. Even though bees are significant to ecosystem health by providing such important services as pollination, basic information on bee biodiversity and factors driving their distributions in temperate coniferous forest ecosystems are relatively scarce. It is likely that there are a minority of bee species that are associated with forest habitats; however, very few have been described. In Colorado, 34% of the landscape is forested. Montane regions such as the Gunnison Valley are predicted to experience the most extreme changes in climate, potentially making bee communities vulnerable. The goals of this research were to determine at which site (meadow or forest) and at what time of day were social and solitary bees most abundant around Gothic, Colorado. We used catch rate as a proxy for abundance. We found that social bees (Bombus spp.) have the same abundanc

“We Are Only Activators” – Virginia Satir and the Mystery of Human Life: A Reflection - Barbara Jo Brothers (2022)
Edited transcription of three lectures, given by Virginia Satir, on the same topic, but presented in three different ways. Lectures were each a part of a month-long seminar given in 1981, 1982, and 1983 during module I of the Avanta Process Community Meetings in Crested Butte, Colorado. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com <Website: https://www.haworthpressinc.com>]

An Extreme Number of Sensors in One Spot - Jessica D. Lundquist (Mt. Views Chronicle, 2022)

Future Colorado River Basin Drought and Surplus - Rama Bedri (Hydrology, 2022)
Historical and future drought and surplus periods in the Colorado River basin are evaluated based on eight climate scenarios. Unimpaired streamflow from 17 stations in the Colorado River are evaluated based on U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, and Coupled Modeled Intercomparison Projection 5 downscaled data from 1950–2099. Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios are considered for four climate models (HadGEM2-ES, CNRM-CM5, CanESM2, MI-ROC5). Drought (surplus) quantities, magnitudes, severities, and water year flows are compared for the historical and future periods. Results indicate that there is a significant difference between the historical record and future projections. The results are not consistent in terms of increase of drought or surplus; however, the intensity (as measured by magnitude and duration) will likely increase for both RCP 4.5 and 8.5. The CanESM2 and CNRM-CM5 models project wetter scenarios, and HadGEM2 and MI-ROC5 mod

From legacy contamination to watershed systems science: a review of scientific insights and technologies developed through DOE-supported research in water and energy security - David Kaplan; E. J. O’Loughlin; S. L. Painter; T. D. Scheibe; M. I. Boyanov; S. C. Brooks; E. M. Pierce; K. M. Kemner; M. Zavarin; Jillian F. Banfield; X. Chen; Bhavna Arora; et al. (Environmental Research Letters, 2022)
Abstract Water resources, including groundwater and prominent rivers worldwide, are under duress because of excessive contaminant and nutrient loads. To help mitigate this problem, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has supported research since the late 1980s to improve our fundamental knowledge of processes that could be used to help clean up challenging subsurface problems. Problems of interest have included subsurface radioactive waste, heavy metals, and metalloids (e.g. uranium, mercury, arsenic). Research efforts have provided insights into detailed groundwater biogeochemical process coupling and the resulting geochemical exports of metals and nutrients to surrounding environments. Recently, an increased focus has been placed on constraining the exchanges and fates of carbon and nitrogen within and across bedrock to canopy compartments of a watershed and in river–floodplain settings, because of their important role in driving biogeochemical interactions with contaminants

Is flight initiation distance associated with longer-term survival in yellow-bellied marmots ( Marmota flaviventer )? - M. Sanchez (2022)
The distance at which animals move away from threats, flight initiation distance (FID), is often used to study antipredator behavior and risk assessment. Variation in FID is explained by a variety of internal and external biotic and physical factors, including anthropogenic activities. Most prior studies focused on unidentified individuals, so our understanding of the fitness consequences of FID is relatively limited. We asked whether consistent individual differences in variation in flight initiation distance is associated with variation in summer survival or winter survival in an individually- marked population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer). We found no clear association between flight initiation distance and summer survival or flight initiation distance and winter survival. This suggests that FID decisions, while demonstrably optimizing current survival, may not have longer-term fitness consequences. Our results may have been explained by the relatively modest repe

Building Resilience in the Face of a Dwindling Colorado River - Jane Palmer (Eos, 2022)
Policymakers, industry and conservation professionals, and tribal members explore pathways to a sustainable future for the millions of people reliant on the “lifeblood of the American West.”

Determining changes in floral volatile composition of Ipomopsis aggregata in response to nectar robbing and its associated microorganisms - J. Stryker (2022)
Mutualisms involve complex relationships between multiple types of organisms. Traditionally, mutualisms like pollination have been studied using a pairwise perspective – only focusing on two individual species or groups of species with similar functions involved in the relationship. Including third-party organisms in pollination research allows for a greater understanding of how those mutualisms can persist or break down depending on the different types of interactions. Studying these dynamics are essential to maintaining the ecosystem services provided by pollination and understanding how these mutualisms are able to persist despite interference and exploitation. Ipomopsis aggregata, a hummingbird pollinated montane herb, experiences nectar robbing from native bumble bees, Bombus occidentalis and Bombus mixtus, which reduces hummingbird visitation, pollen transfer, and the reproductive success of I. aggregata. In this study, I examined how nectar robbers and the microbes they disperse

Review of Vesicular Stomatitis in the United States with Focus on 2019 and 2020 Outbreaks - John Humphreys; Lee W. Cohnstaedt; Robert L. Ewing; Miranda R. Bertram; Angela M. Pelzel‐McCluskey; Luis L. Rodrı́guez; Rachel M. Tell; Robert Keener; Brad Christensen; Debra P. C. Peters (Pathogens, 2021)
Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a vector-borne livestock disease caused by vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) or vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV). The disease circulates endemically in northern South America, Central America, and Mexico and only occasionally causes outbreaks in the United States. Over the past 20 years, VSNJV outbreaks in the southwestern and Rocky Mountain regions occurred with incursion years followed by virus overwintering and subsequent expansion outbreak years. Regulatory response by animal health officials is deployed to prevent spread from lesioned animals. The 2019 VS incursion was the largest in 40 years, lasting from June to December 2019 with 1144 VS-affected premises in 111 counties in eight states (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming) and was VSIV serotype, last isolated in 1998. A subsequent expansion occurred from April to October 2020 with 326 VS-affected premises in 70 counties in eight states (Ar

Unraveling the ecological and evolutionary impacts of a plant invader on the pollination of a native plant - Wilnelia Recart; Diane R. Campbell (Biological Invasions doi 10.1007/s10530-021-02457-z, 2021)
The results show how the presence of an invasive plant and year-to-year variation in plant-pollinator interactions affect the pollination and components of pollinator-mediated selection in native plants.

Climate and multiple dimensions of plant diversity regulate ecosystem carbon exchange along an elevational gradient - P. Meidi; X. Jing; D. A. Wardle; S. Lavorel; M. K. Sundqvist; C. M. Prager; Jeremiah A Henning; Quentin D Read; Aimee T Classen; Nathan J. Sanders (Ecosphere, 2021)
Abstract The impacts of warming on communities and ecosystems are predicted to be significant in mountain ecosystems because physiological processes, including rates of carbon (C) cycling, are often more temperature‐sensitive in colder environments. Plant biodiversity can also influence C exchange, yet few studies integrate how biotic and abiotic factors may directly or interactively impact ecosystem C flux. Here, we examine the link between simultaneous changes in multiple dimensions of plant diversity and peak growing season ecosystem C uptake across a climatic gradient in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA. We found that taxonomic diversity (species richness), functional diversity (functional evenness), and phylogenetic diversity (mean pairwise distance) were significantly and positively related to peak growing season ecosystem C uptake (i.e., net ecosystem exchange) when considered independently. However, when abiotic and biotic factors were integrated in a structural equation mode

Archaeological Research Design and Field Methods - David J. Meltzer; Mark Stiger; Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

A hybrid data-model approach to map soil thickness in mountain hillslopes - J. Kwang; Qina Yan; Sebastian Uhlemann; Carl I. Steefel; Nicola Falco; Haruko M. Wainwright; Baptiste Dafflon; S. S. Hubbard (Earth Surface Dynamics, 2021)
Abstract. Soil thickness plays a central role in the interactions between vegetation, soils, and topography, where it controls the retention and release of water, carbon, nitrogen, and metals. However, mapping soil thickness, here defined as the mobile regolith layer, at high spatial resolution remains challenging. Here, we develop a hybrid model that combines a process-based model and empirical relationships to estimate the spatial heterogeneity of soil thickness with fine spatial resolution (0.5 m). We apply this model to two aspects of hillslopes (southwest- and northeast-facing, respectively) in the East River watershed in Colorado. Two independent measurement methods – auger and cone penetrometer – are used to sample soil thickness at 78 locations to calibrate the local value of unconstrained parameters within the hybrid model. Sensitivity analysis using the hybrid model reveals that the diffusion coefficient used in hillslope diffusion modeling has the largest sensitivity among a

Comparison of Drought Response between Taraxacum officinale and Delphinium nuttallianum - P. Daly (2021)

References - David J. Metlzer; Mark Stiger; Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

The Mountaineer Site - David J. Meltzer; Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

From animals to ecosystem processes: Predicting functional outcomes of climate-driven changes in animal communities through species traits - J. A. Balik (2021)
Functional trait diversity within species assemblages ultimately determines whether or not ecosystem processes are sensitive to shifts in relative abundances or species composition. For example, trait variation suggests detritivores process detritus at different rates and make different relative contributions to whole-assemblage processing, which is therefore likely sensitive to global change-driven shifts in assemblage composition. Here, we address three main questions: 1) what is the magnitude of interspecific variation in detritus processing within the detritivore guild in high-elevation wetlands, 2) which traits drive interspecific variation in processing among larval caddisflies, 3) are larval caddisflies’ single-species effects additive in multi-species assemblages? We used a series of microcosm experiments to quantify species-specific coarse and fine particulate organic matter (CPOM and FPOM) processing for ten closely-related larval caddisfly species and three non-caddisfly spe

From the ground up: Building predictions for how climate change will affect belowground mutualisms, floral traits, and bee behavior - A. Rose-Person; Nicole E. Rafferty; A. M. Keeler (Climate Change Ecology, 2021)
Climate change affects species and their interactions, resulting in novel communities and modified ecosystem processes. Through shifts in phenology and distribution, climatic change can disrupt interactions, including those between mutualists. Mutualisms influence the structure and stability of communities and can link species to a common fate. However, research on climate change has focused on pairwise mutualisms, neglecting the higher-order interactions that can arise when species interact with multiple mutualists. We explore the effects of climate change on tripartite interactions involving belowground mutualists, namely soil bacteria and fungi, flowering plants, and pollinators. We outline how climate change is predicted to affect the phenology and distribution of these belowground mutualists, emphasizing the consequent effects on host plant floral traits, plant-pollinator interactions, and bee behavior. We find evidence that warming, advanced snowmelt, and drought are likely to ca

The Mountaineer Folsom Projectile Point Assemblage - Metin I. Eren; David J. Meltzer (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

The effect of early snowmelt on pollination: A study of four Rocky Mountain subalpine plant species - C. Rigby (2021)
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 plants to increased physical stressors including drought and frost, changes in floral characteristics may consequently affect pollination. This study aimed to understand the impacts of climate change-induced early snowmelt on the pollination of four subalpine plant species at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab of Gothic, Colorado in the summer field season of 2021. I conducted pollinator observations to assess pollination within manipulated early snowmelt plots and control plots upon four wildflower species that flower at different times throughout the summer: Delphinium nuttallianum, Linum lewisii, Hymenoxys hoopesii, and Delphinium barbeyi. I hypothesized that the early snowmelt’s potentia

A deep learning hybrid predictive modeling (HPM) approach for estimating evapotranspiration and ecosystem respiration - Jiancong Chen; Anh Phuong Tran; Nicola Falco; S. S. Hubbard; Baptiste Dafflon (Hydrology and Earth Systems Science, 2021)
Abstract. Climate change is reshaping vulnerable ecosystems, leading to uncertain effects on ecosystem dynamics, including evapotranspiration (ET) and ecosystem respiration (Reco). However, accurate estimation of ET and Reco still remains challenging at sparsely monitored watersheds, where data and field instrumentation are limited. In this study, we developed a hybrid predictive modeling approach (HPM) that integrates eddy covariance measurements, physically based model simulation results, meteorological forcings, and remote-sensing datasets to estimate ET and Reco in high space–time resolution. HPM relies on a deep learning algorithm and long short-term memory (LSTM) and requires only air temperature, precipitation, radiation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and soil temperature (when available) as input variables. We tested and validated HPM estimation results in different climate regions and developed four use cases to demonstrate the applicability and variability of

Using Fission-Track Radiography Coupled with Scanning Electron Microscopy for Efficient Identification of Solid-Phase Uranium Mineralogy at a Former Uranium Pilot Mill (Grand Junction, Colorado) - Susan M. Hall; Aaron D. Tigar (Geosciences, 2021)
At a former uranium pilot mill in Grand Junction, Colorado, mine tailings and some subpile sediments were excavated to various depths to meet surface radiological standards, but residual solid-phase uranium below these excavation depths still occurs at concentrations above background. The combination of fission-track radiography and scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) provides a uniquely efficient and quantitative way of determining mineralogic associations of uranium that can influence uranium mobility. After the creation of sample thin sections, a mica sheet is placed on those thin sections and irradiated in a nuclear research reactor. Decay of the irradiated uranium creates fission tracks that can be viewed with a microscope. The fission-track radiography images indicate thin section sample areas with elevated uranium that are focus areas for SEM-EDS work. EDS spectra provide quantitative elemental data that indicate the mineralogy of individu

Ecological factors influence balancing selection on leaf chemical profiles of a wildflower - Kathryn Ghattas; Kasavajhala V. S. K. Prasad; Carrie Olson-Manning; Rose Keith; Judith Wang; Julius Mojica; C. L. Nunez; Lee C-R; Emily Chan; Baosheng Wang; Catherine Rushworth; Maggie Wagner (Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2021)
Balancing selection is frequently invoked as a mechanism that maintains variation within and across populations. However, there are few examples of balancing selection operating on loci underpinning complex traits, which frequently display high levels of variation. We investigated mechanisms that may maintain variation in a focal polymorphism—leaf chemical profiles of a perennial wildflower (Boechera stricta, Brassicaceae)—explicitly interrogating multiple ecological and genetic processes including spatial variation in selection, antagonistic pleiotropy and frequency-dependent selection. A suite of common garden and greenhouse experiments showed that the alleles underlying variation in chemical profile have contrasting fitness effects across environments, implicating two ecological drivers of selection on chemical profile: herbivory and drought. Phenotype–environment associations and molecular genetic analyses revealed additional evidence of past selection by these drivers. Together, t

Characterizing the role of phosphorus availability and periphytic algae in the food choice and performance of detritivorous caddisflies (Trichoptera:Limnephilidae) (Freshwater Science, 2021)

The Mountaineer Faunal Remain - Andrew R. Boehm (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

Analyzing Atmospheric Carbonaceous Material Influenced by Wildfires Through Raman Spectroscopy - K. Benton (2021)
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 of the negative effects of soot come from the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content, which plays a role in the formation of soot. In order to study the structural information of PAH in atmospheric soot from wildfires, a free space Raman spectrometer was built and then used to analyze PAH samples. Raman spectra from anthracene (a PAH), graphite, and o-xylene were collected, showing the spectrometer is in working condition. On collection surfaces, as the height above the fire increased, the areas of dark soot decreased, leading to the belief that the area of observable PAH increases with increasing height. If so, PAH travel farther than soot and spread to greater distances. Suspending

Can flowers affect land surface albedo and soil microclimates? - Heidi Steltzer; A. Blazquez-Castro; A. Walwema; Amy M. Iler (International Journal of Biometeorology, 2021)
The phenology of vegetation, namely leaf-out and senescence, can influence the Earth’s climate over regional spatial scales and long time periods (e.g., over 30 years or more), in addition to microclimates over local spatial scales and shorter time periods (weeks to months). However, the effects of flowers on climate and microclimate are unknown. We investigate whether flowers can influence light reflected by the land surface and soil microclimate in a subalpine meadow. We conducted a flower removal experiment with a common sunflower species, Helianthella quinquenervis, for 3 years (2015, 2017, and 2019). The flower removal treatment simulates the appearance of the meadow when Helianthella flowers earlier under climate change and loses its flowers to frost (other plant structures are not damaged by frost). We test the hypotheses that a reduction in cover of yellow flowers leads to a greener land surface, lower reflectance, warmer and drier soils, and increased plant water stress. Flowe

Block D - Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

War - John Harner (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)

God - John Harner (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)

Liberty - John Harner (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)

Are vigilance and flight initiation distance correlated in yellow-bellied marmots? - I. DeVito (2021)
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 in many species, and therefore studying the structure of potential behavioral syndromes is important for understanding an animal’s overall behavioral response to predators. This study focused on two antipredator behaviors in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer): time allocation to vigilance during foraging, which represents an individual’s baseline level of wariness, and flight initiation distance (FID), which quantifies the flightiness of an animal in response to a predator. We estimated the correlation between these traits by fitting bivariate model on data collected over 18 years and found a modest correlation between vigilance and FID at the individual level.

Introduction - Mark Stiger; David J. Meltzer; Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

Spatial Characterization of the Large Rock Patterns in Blocks C, X, and Y - Kalanka P. Jayalath; Richard G. Gunst; David J. Meltzer (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

Effects of nectar robbing on the volatile organic compounds and nectar chemistry of intraindividual flowers in Corydalis caseana ssp. brandegeei - M. Long (2021)
Plants are able to change volatile organic compounds in response to herbivory, and these chemicals can communicate with other parts of the same plant and with other plants. Nectar robbers like Bombus mixtus introduce a new microbial community to a flower’s nectar that is different from the one introduced by legitimate pollinators, and this impacts chemical phenotype. This study asks: Does nectar robbing affect the nectar chemistry and volatiles of other flowers on the same inflorescence or the same plant? To answer this question, I compared sugar concentration and volatile organic compound composition of untreated, artificially robbed, and naturally robbed flowers and other flowers on the same Corydalis caseana ssp. brandegeei plant. Sugar concentration is lower in robbed flowers than in unrobbed flowers since rain can enter the nectary through natural or artificial robbing holes, but variation in our data between naturally robbed, artificially robbed, and control plants’ sugar concent

A Review of Recent Activity in Colorado Water Law - Gary L. Greer (Digital Commons - DU (University of Denver), 2021)
Recent legislative, administrative, and judicial developments have significantly modified the procedures for adjudicating and administrating water rights in Colorado.In this article, Mr. Greer focuses on the procedures outlined in S. 81, noting in particular the shortcomings of S. 81 with respect to the problem of integrating the priorities of surface and ground water users.He also points out the major administrative developments which stem from the conflict between the use of ground and surface water and discusses the requirements of Fellhauer as well as subsequent decisions which deal with the promulgation of rules and regulations for the administration of waters of the state.He concludes by considering the case of United States v. District Court, wherein the Colorado Supreme Court found that the water rights of the United States were subject to the jurisdiction of the Colorado district courts under their plenary powers, and the case of Pikes Peak Golf Club, Inc. v. Kuiper, wherein t

Geology, Site Formation, and Geochronology - Brooke Morgan; Andrew R. Boehm; Mark Stiger; Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

Predispersal Seed Predation Obscures the Detrimental Effect of Dust on Wildflower Reproduction - V. Ramirez; D. A. Lopez; C. Rosas; Nickolas M. Waser; Mary V. Price (International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2021)

Block A - Mark Stiger (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

Larval Feeding Ability on a Drought-Stressed Invasive Plant - K. Asselin (2021)
Native species are threatened by the introduction of non-native and invasive organisms.

Folsom Point Diggings: The Johnson Site in the Foothills of Larimer County, Colorado - Jason M. LaBelle; Kelton A. Meyer; Raymond V. Sumner (PaleoAmerica, 2021)
The Johnson site is a Folsom occupation in Larimer County, Colorado. T. Russell Johnson discovered the site in 1935, which led to excavations by the Colorado Museum of Natural History in 1936 and later work in 1960 by the University of Wyoming. Little is known of the site due to limited reporting of the excavation and the Folsom assemblage. Our examination of the site collections gathered between 1935 and 1936 reveals an assemblage of 96 items, consisting of Folsom points, preforms, and channel flakes, as well as other tools including end scrapers, gravers, bifaces, and flake tools. Technological analysis of the Folsom points and byproducts of hunting-tool production suggests that site occupants fluted and finished points made from preforms of non-local materials, while additional tools and a few points were made from materials locally available in the Front Range foothills. As such, Johnson represents at minimum a hunting-weaponry-replacement locale.

Habituation or sensitization? Long-term responses of yellow-bellied marmots to human disturbance - K. Uchida; Daniel T. Blumstein (Behavioral Ecology, 2021)
Abstract Continuous exposure to humans causes wildlife to either habituate or sensitize. Although increased tolerance may play an important role in coexistence with humans, the mechanisms and fitness outcomes of long-term changes of tolerance are not fully understood because only a few studies have assessed individual- and population-level responses over many years. We developed a novel predictive framework to study habituation and sensitization to humans and applied it to yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) in areas of high and low human disturbance. We focused on two antipredator behaviors—time allocation to vigilance during foraging to quantify baseline vigilance levels and flight initiation distance (FID)—to quantify subsequent responsiveness to threat. We used the rate of body mass gain during the active season as a fitness outcome. Assessing 15 years’ population and individual-level responses to human disturbances, marmots in highly disturbed colonies allocated more time

Understanding pollen specialization in mason bees: a case study of six species - S. Killingsworth; M. McAulay; Jessica R.K. Forrest (Oecologia, 2021)
Many bee species are dietary specialists and restrict their pollen foraging to a subset of the available flowers. However, the reasons for specialization—and the reasons certain plant taxa support numerous specialists—are often unclear. Many bees specialize on the plant family Asteraceae, despite evidence its pollen is a poor food for non-specialists. Here, we studied six mason bee (Osmia) species, including three Asteraceae specialists, to test whether observed pollen-usage patterns reflect larval nutritional requirements, to investigate what aspects of Asteraceae pollen make it unsuitable for non-specialists, and to understand how Asteraceae specialists tolerate their seemingly low-quality diet. We reared larval bees on host and nonhost pollen and found that Asteraceae specialists could develop on nonhost provisions, but that other bees could not survive on Asteraceae provisions. These effects did not seem related to nutritional deficiencies, since Asteraceae provisions were not amin

Concentration-Discharge Relationships of Dissolved Rhenium in Alpine Catchments Reveal Its Use as a Tracer of Oxidative Weathering - C. R. Lawrence; A. Hayton; R. G. Hilton; M. Dellinger; J. M. Turowski; Patrick Schleppi; M. West; Matthew Winnick; Katharine Maher; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Water Resources Research, 2021)
Abstract Oxidative weathering of sedimentary rocks plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. Rhenium (Re) has been proposed as a tracer of rock organic carbon (OC petro ) oxidation. However, the sources of Re and its mobilization by hydrological processes remain poorly constrained. Here, we examine dissolved Re as a function of water discharge, using samples collected from three alpine catchments that drain sedimentary rocks in Switzerland (Erlenbach and Vogelbach) and Colorado, USA (East River). The Swiss catchments reveal a higher dissolved Re flux in the catchment with higher erosion rates, but have similar [Re]/[Na + ] and [Re]/[SO 4 2− ] ratios, which indicate a dominance of Re from OC petro . Despite differences in rock type and hydro‐climatic setting, the three catchments have a positive correlation between river water [Re]/[Na + ] and [Re]/[SO 4 2− ] and water discharge. We propose that this reflects preferential routing of Re from a near‐surface, oxidative weathering

Selection of floral traits by pollinators and seed predators during sequential life history stages - Paula Sosenski; Mascha Bischoff; Robert A. Raguso; Heather M. Briggs; Diane R. Campbell (American Naturalist, 2021)
AbstractOrganismal traits often influence fitness via interactions with multiple species. That selection is not necessarily predictable from pairwise interactions, such as when interactions occur during different life cycle stages. Theoretically, directional selection during two sequential episodes (e.g., pollination and seed survival) can generate quadratic or correlational selection for a set of traits that passes both selective filters. We compared strength of selection during pollination versus seed predation in the field and tested whether interactions with multiple species give rise to nonlinear selection on floral traits. We planted common gardens with seeds of two species of Ipomopsis and hybrids at sites where pollination was primarily by hummingbirds or also included hawk moths. We examined selection on six floral traits, including corolla width, sepal width, color, nectar, and two scent compounds. Female fitness (seeds) was broken down into fitness during (1) pollinat

Hidden Processes During Seasonal Isolation of a High-Altitude Watershed - L. L. Lapham; Jessica Buser-Young; Fredrick Colwell; Andrew Thurber; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Frontiers in Earth Science, 2021)
Biogeochemical processes capable of altering global carbon systems occur frequently in Earth’s Critical Zone–the area spanning from vegetation canopy to saturated bedrock–yet many of these phenomena are difficult to detect. Observation of these processes is limited by the seasonal inaccessibility of remote ecosystems, such as those in mountainous, snow- and ice-dominated areas. This isolation leads to a distinct gap in biogeochemical knowledge that ultimately affects the accuracy and confidence with which these ecosystems can be computationally modeled for the purpose of projecting change under different climate scenarios. To examine a high-altitude, headwater ecosystem’s role in methanogenesis, sulfate reduction, and groundwater-surface water exchange, water samples were continuously collected from the river and hyporheic zones (HZ) during winter isolation in the East River (ER), CO watershed. Measurements of continuously collected ER surface water revealed up to 50 μM levels of disso

Investigating the air temperatures of different taxa in an alpine plant community - M. Hensley (2021)
1. Ecology, like most science, is a rapidly progressing field in which new technologies are constantly being implemented in order to gain a wider and more holistic perspective on plant dynamics. 2. Plants can modulate their temperature via the process of transpiration and shading, which can also lead to modified air and surface temperatures. 3. One of the goals of this research was to investigate whether there is variation in air temperature modification across alpine plant taxa. Because climate change has been shown to have a larger effect on plants at higher elevations, we can use the information from this study to predict how plants will likely cluster in the future as their environment warms. 4. Our results showed minimal variation between the microclimate temperature of the plant and the microclimate temperature of the substrate. Consistently, the plants were in fact cooler than the bare substrate around them but there was no evidence suggesting that certain plant species were abl

Energy Fluxes of Terrestrial and Aquatic Invertebrates in the East River - B. Cleveland (2021)
Climate change is increasing temperatures globally including aquatic habitats like rivers, directly affecting the biology of many invertebrate species. In freshwater ecosystems, snow melt drives rivers in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Increasing river temperatures can result in increasing metabolism, and thus prey demand for riverine fishes. Climate change may also affect the temporal dynamics of prey availability by effects on aquatic insect development, which is accelerated under warm conditions, creating mismatching in prey demand and prey abundance. Trout may compensate be feeding on terrestrial prey. Energy flux change throughout the summer season in rivers the temporal dynamics of terrestrial invert fluxes to streams and comparing to the proportion of terrestrial inverts in trout diets. EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) and Non-EPT (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera ect.) had close measurements, potential conflicts were weather which was not to be expected. Be

Block C - Brooke Morgan; Brian N. Andrews; David J. Meltzer (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

The Environmental Context - Cathy L Whitlock; Steven D. Emslie; Christy E. Briles; Brian N. Andrews; David J. Meltzer (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
which, following Aldenderfer (2006), we define as locations at elevations greater than 2,500 meters above sea level (e.g.,

Development of Keras image classification model for use with a study on the effects of recreational trail use on small mammal species richness and activity - D. Novoa (2021)
The recreational trails near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) are an important resource for the community. They generate tourist income for the surrounding area. However, human activity can lead to behavioral and ecological changes in wildlife communities. Utilizing triggered camera traps for small mammals implemented from a study conducted in 2019 and 2020, along with trail cameras, we investigated the effects of recreational trails on small mammals along different habitats. This study developed a Keras image classification model for the rodent activity from bucket camera trapping. The Keras model successfully categorized the diurnal golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) and least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) but was unable to distinguish between the more similar deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and montane vole (Microtus montanus). We found that different levels of pedestrian and biker activity did not affect the presence of the small mammals ove

The benefits of being dominant: Health correlates of male social rank and age in a marmot - S. A. Vydro; R. Ng; John Ward Smith; K. Uchida; Daniel T. Blumstein (Current Zoology, 2021)
The benefits of dominance may not come without costs, particularly for males. For example, the “immunocompetence handicap hypothesis” states that males with enhanced mating success allocate resources to enhance reproductive output at a cost to their current health, whereas the “resource quality hypothesis” predicts that high-ranking males may benefit from increased reproduction and good health. While the predictions from each have been well tested in captive animals and in a variety of highly social primates, fewer studies have been carried out in free-living, facultatively social animals. Using adult male yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer), we evaluated predictions of these hypotheses by examining the relationship between social rank and two health indicators–fecal corticosterone metabolite (FCM) levels, and neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratios–after accounting for variation explained by age, body mass, and seasonality. We found that higher-ranking males tended to have a low

Bridging animal personality with space use and resource use in a free-ranging population of an asocial ground squirrel - N. A. Fangue; A. E. Todgham; B. E. Davis; J. R. Aliperti; D. H. Van Vuren (Animal Behaviour, 2021)

The influence of orbital parameters on the North American Monsoon system during the Last Interglacial Period - Nadja Insel; Max Berkelhammer (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2021)
ABSTRACTThe response of summer precipitation in the western United States to climate variability remains a subject of uncertainty. For example, palaeoclimate records indicate the North American Monsoon (NAM) was stronger and spatially more extensive during the Holocene, whereas recent modelling suggests a weakened NAM response to increasing temperatures. These illustrate diverging pictures of the NAM response to warming. Here, we examine summer precipitation in the southwestern US related to Last Interglacial insolation forcing. Using a high‐resolution climate model, we find that Eemian insolation forcing results in overall wetter conditions throughout most of the southwestern US, but significantly drier than present conditions over Arizona. The overall wetter conditions are associated with a northward shift of the anticyclonic circulation aloft and increased moisture in the lower and mid‐troposphere during the Eemian. Increased advection of Gulf of Mexico moisture is responsible for i

Analysis of the Potential for Events Similar to the Deadly West Salt Creek Landslide, Grand Mesa Area, Colorado - Paul Michael Santi; Omid Arabnia; Emily Sparks; Edward Emmens (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021)

Global Warming, Advancing Bloom and Evidence for Pollinator Plasticity from Long-Term Bee Emergence Monitoring - J. Cane (Insects, 2021)
Global warming is extending growing seasons in temperate zones, yielding earlier wildflower blooms. Short-term field experiments with non-social bees showed that adult emergence is responsive to nest substrate temperatures. Nonetheless, some posit that global warming will decouple bee flight and host bloom periods, leading to pollination shortfalls and bee declines. Resolving these competing scenarios requires evidence for bees’ natural plasticity in their annual emergence schedules. This study reports direct observations spanning 12–24 years for annual variation in the earliest nesting or foraging activities by 1–4 populations of four native ground-nesting bees: Andrena fulva (Andrenidae), Halictus rubicundus (Halictidae), Habropoda laboriosa and Eucera (Peponapis) pruinosa (Apidae). Calendar dates of earliest annual bee activity ranged across 25 to 45 days, approximating reported multi-decadal ranges for published wildflower bloom dates. Within a given year, the bee H. rubicundus eme

Tests for Elevational Gradients in Herbivore Abundance and Plant Resistance in the Rocky Mountain Ecosystem - G. Klens; Kailen A. Mooney (2021)
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 theorized to decrease with elevation, plant resistance to herbivores should thus decrease in response. We surveyed grasshopper communities to document changes in herbivore abundance along an elevational gradient and quantified associated shifts in plant palatability through feeding bioassays with grasshoppers. We related grasshopper abundance to elevation at the community level by surveying at 10 sites along an elevational gradient of 488m and related plant palatability to elevation at the species level through feeding bioassays in the lab. In congruence with the decrease in herbivore abundance with elevation, we observed that high elevation plants experienced almost double the herbivore da

The Colorado East River Community Observatory Data Collection - Erek Alper; David W. Johnson; M. Henderson; Zarine Kakalia; Madison Burrus; Valerie Hendrix; Roelof Versteeg; D. S. Christianson; Eoin L. Brodie; Deb Agarwal; Charuleka Varadharajan; Wenming Dong; et al. (Hydrologic Processes, 2021)
Abstract The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Colorado East River Community Observatory (ER) in the Upper Colorado River Basin was established in 2015 as a representative mountainous, snow‐dominated watershed to study hydrobiogeochemical responses to hydrological perturbations in headwater systems. The ER is characterized by steep elevation, geologic, hydrologic and vegetation gradients along floodplain, montane, subalpine, and alpine life zones, which makes it an ideal location for researchers to understand how different mountain subsystems contribute to overall watershed behaviour. The ER has both long‐term and spatially‐extensive observations and experimental campaigns carried out by the Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area (SFA), led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and researchers from over 30 organizations who conduct cross‐disciplinary process‐based investigations and modelling of watershed behaviour. The heterogeneous data generated at the ER include hydrological,

How social behaviour and life-history traits change with age and in the year prior to death in female yellow-bellied marmots - Svenja B. Kroeger; Julien G. A. Martin; Daniel T. Blumstein (Philosophical Transactions B, 2021)
Studies in natural populations are essential to understand the evolutionary ecology of senescence and terminal allocation. While there are an increasing number of studies investigating late-life variation in different life-history traits of wild populations, little is known about these patterns in social behaviour. We used long-term individual based data on yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to quantify how affiliative social behaviours and different life-history traits vary with age and in the last year of life, and how patterns compare between the two. We found that some social behaviours and all life-history traits varied with age, whereas terminal last year of life effects were only observed in life-history traits. Our results imply that affiliative social behaviours do not act as a mechanism to adjust allocation among traits when close to death, and highlight the importance of adopting an integrative approach, studying late-life variation and senescence across mul

Modeling geogenic and atmospheric nitrogen through the East River Watershed, Colorado Rocky Mountains - James E. Sample; Taylor Maavara; Fadji Maina; Reed M. Maxwell; K. Dana Chadwick; Michelle Newcomer; Nicholas J. Bouskill; Carl I. Steefel; Wenming Dong; Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn; Kenneth Hurst Williams (PloS one, 2021)
There is a growing understanding of the role that bedrock weathering can play as a source of nitrogen (N) to soils, groundwater and river systems. The significance is particularly apparent in mountainous environments where weathering fluxes can be large. However, our understanding of the relative contributions of rock-derived, or geogenic, N to the total N supply of mountainous watersheds remains poorly understood. In this study, we develop the High-Altitude Nitrogen Suite of Models (HAN-SoMo), a watershed-scale ensemble of process-based models to quantify the relative sources, transformations, and sinks of geogenic and atmospheric N through a mountain watershed. Our study is based in the East River Watershed (ERW) in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The East River is a near-pristine headwater watershed underlain primarily by an N-rich Mancos Shale bedrock, enabling the timing and magnitude of geogenic and atmospheric contributions to watershed scale dissolved N-exports to be quantified

Sources of Controversy in the Law of the Colorado River: An Upper Basin View - Lawrence J. MacDonnell (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021)

High-discharge disturbance does not alter the seasonal trajectory of nutrient uptake in a montane stream - D. C. West; B. W. Taylor; J. A. Balik (Hydrobiologia, 2021)

Power of place and landscape - J.M. Scott (2021)
This chapter presents and compares three military landscapes encountered by the United States (US) Army’s Second World War 10th Mountain Division, the only wartime US formation dedicated to mountain warfare. The Division’s training in the Rocky Mountains was more than adequate for their task of scaling mountain heights at the centre of the German Wehrmacht Gothic Line in 1945. This chapter is concerned with the military landscapes of specialized mountain training and mountain battle-zones. It proceeds from the view that landscapes are not just a material concept but exist also as memories which can be recalled to navigate physical as well as social landscapes. Signs and symbols associated with and found within the landscape are rarely universal; their meanings are culturally, contextually, and temporally determined.

Yampa River-Colorado River Drainage Divide Origin Determined from Topographic Map Evidence, Southern Routt County, Colorado, USA - Eric Clausen (Open Journal of Geology, 2021)
Detailed topographic map evidence and a new Cenozoic geologic and glacial history paradigm are used to determine the previously unexplained Yampa River-Colorado River drainage divide origin. The Yampa River now flows in a north direction away from the Colorado River (between the Park Range to the east and the Flat Tops region to the west) before turning in a west direction to reach the Unita Mountains where it joins the south-oriented Green River, which eventually joins the southwest-oriented Colorado River. Topographic maps show the Yampa-Colorado River drainage divide is asymmetric with steeper slopes leading to the Colorado River, barbed (south-oriented) tributaries leading to north-oriented Yampa River headwaters (especially near the Yampa River turn to the west), and evidence of a large north-to-south oriented diverging and converging channel complex that preceded present-day drainage routes. Map evidence is interpreted to mean massive south-oriented floods flowed through what are

From tree to tap: The impacts of climate change on biogeochemical processes during conifer needle distribution and broader implications for water quality in Colorado - Laura T. Leonard (2021)
Recent climate change has contributed to large-scale tree mortality across forested regions in Colorado. As forest health declines, concern for associated terrestrial biogeochemical and hydrologic shifts is mounting. These shifts are related to reduced tree canopy cover, cessation of belowground rhizospheric processes, and increased organic inputs to the system. This can in turn affect terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycling at the tree scale and downstream water quality. These processes within the forest are complex, however, and the observed changes in soil and stream chemistry can vary across watersheds depending on the land cover, local climate, and location. This dissertation explores biogeochemical processes associated with conifer litter decomposition, a source of terrestrial organic matter contributions, and more broadly the associations between forest health and water quality in Colorado. This work includes field-based experiments beginning at the tree-scale and concludes more

Improving predictions of stream CO2 concentrations and fluxes using a stream network model: A case study in the East River watershed, CO, USA - Brian Saccardi Saccardi; Matthew Winnick (Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2021)
Abstract Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon budget. However, our ability to predict carbon fluxes from stream systems remains uncertain, as p CO 2 varies within streams at scales of 1–100 m. This makes direct monitoring of large‐scale CO 2 fluxes impractical. We incorporate CO 2 input and output fluxes into a stream network advection‐reaction model, representing the first process‐based representation of stream CO 2 dynamics at watershed scales. This model includes groundwater (GW) CO 2 inputs, water column (WC), benthic hyporheic zone (BHZ) respiration, downstream advection, and atmospheric exchange. We evaluate this model against existing statistical methods including upscaling and multiple linear regressions through comparisons to high‐resolution stream p CO 2 data collected across the East River Watershed in the Colorado Rocky Mountains (USA). The stream network model accurately captures GW, evasion, and respiration‐driven p CO 2 variability and significan

Cold adaptation drives population genomic divergence in the ecological specialist, Drosophila montana - M. Kankare; R. A. W. Wiberg; V. Tyukmaeva; M. G. Ritchie; A. Hoikkala (Molecular Ecology, 2021)

Seasonal habitat suitability models for a threatened species: the Gunnison sage-grouse - Mindy B. Rice; Kevin Aagaard; Scott Wait; Evan Phillips; Julie R. Stiver; Daniel J. Neubaum; Nathan W. Seward (Wildlife Research, 2021)
Abstract Context The Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) has experienced range-wide declines and has been listed as Threatened by the USA Fish and Wildlife Service to receive protections under the USA Endangered Species Act. A draft Recovery Plan was recently completed. No seasonal habitat models have been developed for the small isolated populations. Aims To develop a habitat suitability model that was collaboratively developed between modellers and conservation practitioners to predict the probability of use by Gunnison sage-grouse during the breeding and summer seasons in designated occupied critical habitat, and extrapolate to adjacent designated unoccupied critical habitat. Methods We captured, marked and tracked Gunnison sage-grouse in nine different studies sp

Preface - John Harner (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)

Empirical studies of escape behavior find mixed support for the race for life model - K. Wrensford; W. E. Cooper; J. Gutierrez; Daniel T. Blumstein (Current Zoology, 2021)
Escape theory has been exceptionally successful in conceptualizing and accurately predicting effects of numerous factors that affect predation risk and explaining variation in flight initiation distance (FID, predator-prey distance when escape begins). Less explored is the relative orientation of an approaching predator, prey, and its eventual refuge. The relationship between an approaching threat and its refuge can be expressed as an angle we call the “interpath angle” or “Φ”, which describes the angle between the paths of predator and prey to the prey’s refuge and thus expresses the degree to which prey must run towards an approaching predator. In general, we might expect that prey would escape at greater distances if they must flee toward a predator to reach its burrow. The ‘race for life’ model makes formal predictions about how interpath angle should affect FID. We evaluated the model by studying escape decisions in yellow-bellied marmots Marmota flaviventer, a species which flees

Variation of Pollen Mass Across Species, Habitat Types, and Time - K. Flores (2021)
Bumble bees are crucial pollinators in both agricultural and wild ecosystems, and as pollinators they rely almost exclusively on floral resources as a source of food. However, in many natural and agricultural areas there has been a decrease in floral diversity and abundance, which in turn has caused nutritional stress for wild pollinators. As a result, many wild bumble bee populations are declining. Therefore, scientists are beginning to research the nutritional requirements of wild bumble bees and the nutrients available in the pollen and nectar they collect. However, there has yet to be any research attempting to quantify the mass of pollen available at the landscape-scale. We addressed this knowledge gap by looking into the variation of pollen mass per flower across species, habitat types, and time. The study was done by collecting flower anthers that have not undergone dehiscence and weighing them out wet and dry to get an estimation of pollen mass. We found that there was signific

Abundance and elevational range shifts of three species of burying beetle in Gunnison County, Colorado and importance of stridulation during reproduction in burying beetles - A. Rawinski (2021)

Testing how density affects caddisfly distribution along a detritus quality gradient - A. E. Adams (2021)
As ecosystems continue to change, the ability to find high-quality habitats is becoming a valuable skill. Caddisflies are often found in pond environments with a variety of habitat qualities, such as food (detritus) quality. Asynarchus nigriculus, being highly mobile and having a unique dietary need for protein are a prime subject for testing the ability of caddisflies to find high-quality habitats when given a range of detritus qualities. A. nigriculus showed a preference for high-quality habitats both individually and in groups. Density was a relatively insignificant factor in their distribution, and aggressive interactions did not increase with density. This indicates that their distribution is based more on the availability of resources than on intraspecific interference interactions.

Comparative study on pollinator visits to high elevation plant communities in Virginia Basin, Gothic, Colorado - D. Gascon (2021)
Plant-pollinator networks are intricate systems that can give insight on a location’s biodiversity and response to environmental changes. By studying pollination networks at different elevations, researchers can evaluate how varying environmental conditions influence how plant and pollinator species interact with one another. In this project, I assessed two plant- pollinator communities in the Virginia Basin at 3500m and at 3350m. Plant-pollinator interactions were recorded by sampling 20x1m transects at each site while censusing flower abundance for five weeks during the summer of 2021. When looking at the overall abundance of flowers at both sites there was no difference between sites abundance or mean visitation per abundance. However, when analyzing the plant species found at both site there was a significant difference between the mean visitation, with plants at the mid site receiving more visits. This difference may be due to harsh conditions at the higher site or the greater pla

Water - John Harner (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)

How do humans impact yellow-bellied marmots? An integrative analysis - J. Nelson; E. Foli; R. Monclus; L. Chunwang; A. Morgan; Daniel T. Blumstein (Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2021)
While many studies document specific human impacts on the behaviour and physiological responses of wildlife to humans

The genome of the Margined White butterfly (Pieris macdunnoughii): sex chromosome insights and the power of polishing with PoolSeq data - Y. Okamura; Hans Ulrich Vogel; C. W. Wheat; Rachel A Steward; Carol L. Boggs (Genome Biology and Evolution, 2021)
We report a chromosome-level assembly for Pieris macdunnoughii, a North American butterfly whose involvement in an evolutionary trap imposed by an invasive Eurasian mustard has made it an emerging model system for studying maladaptation in plant-insect interactions. Assembled Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-article/doi/10.1093/gbe/evab053/6178793 by guest on 15 April 2021 using nearly 100X coverage of Oxford Nanopore long reads, the contig-level assembly comprised 106 contigs totaling 316,549,294 bases, with an N50 of 5.2Mb. We polished the assembly with PoolSeq Illumina short-read data, demonstrating for the first time the comparable performance of individual and pooled short reads as polishing datasets. Extensive synteny between the reported contig-level assembly and a published, chromosome-level assembly of the European butterfly Pieris napi allowed us to generate a pseudo-chromosomal assembly of 47 contigs, placing 91.1% of our 317 Mbp genome into a chromosomal

Experimental Validation of Biophysical Models of Tiger Salamanders ( Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum ) - L. Rowley; K. E. Reider (2021)
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 tools to investigate two major environmental constraints faced by amphibians under climate change: exposure to water loss and extreme temperatures. The purpose of this study was to validate plaster biophysical models to use in future Arizona tiger salamander ecophysiology research. Objective 1 was to construct a constant humidity chamber for the biophysical model validation experiments. The chamber maintained a 55 ± 5% relative humidity at 17 ℃ with a saturated magnesium chloride solution. Objective 2 was to compare model water loss and temperature to live tiger salamanders in the constant humidity chamber. A model and a live salamander were placed into individual mesh containers in the constan

Changes in hunting season regulations (1870s–2019) reduce harvest exposure on greater and Gunnison sage-grouse - Jacob D. Hennig; Courtney J. Duchardt; Jeffrey L. Beck; Jonathan B. Dinkins (PLOS ONE, 2021)
Hunter harvest is a potential factor contributing to population declines of sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.). As a result, wildlife agencies throughout western North America have set increasingly more conservative harvest regulations over the past 25 years to reduce or eliminate hunter success and concomitant numbers of harvested greater (C.urophasianus) and Gunnison (C.minimus) sage-grouse. Sage-grouse hunting has varied widely over time and space, which has made a comprehensive summary of hunting management challenging. We compiled data on harvest regulations among 11 western U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces from 1870–2019 to create a timeline representative of hunting regulations. We compared annual harvest boundaries and area-weighted average hunting regulations, 1995–2018, relative to administrative boundaries and areas of high probability of sage-grouse occupation. We also summarized estimated numbers of birds harvested and hunters afield, 1995–2018, across both species’ range

Producer-scrounger relationships in yellow-bellied marmots - A. W. Evans; Dana M. Williams; Daniel T. Blumstein (Animal Behaviour, 2021)

How does incorporating microclimate data into ecological niche models change our estimates of the climatic niche of vascular plant species? - A. Wells (2021)

Experimental test of the ability of plants to regulate their temperatures under climate change: Using transplanted communities, thermal imaging, and arcGIS across an elevation gradient - S. Buchholtz (2021)
The question of thermoregulation in plants is increasingly important in a rapidly changing climate. Plants have long been considered poikilotherms, where internal temperatures are decided by the external environment. However, observations show that plants have some ability to thermoregulate. If plants are heterotherms, then they have the potential to be more resilient to the warming climate. This project seeks to examine thermoregulation through technology, specifically FLIR imagery. At three different sites in Washington Gulch, plants were moved to examine the effects of a warmer or cooler environment. This project will use thermal imagery on those transplants in order to study how the temperature of plant communities change when moved to a new climate.

Investigating the comparison between bird diversity and apex aquatic predators in sub-alpine beaver ponds - A. Haeseler (2021)
Predation of native salamanders by non-native trout in Colorado is a wildlife concern. Understanding the dynamics of how the different species interact is important. Cascade effects in the environment are caused by declines of species in a community. Birds, fish, and amphibians are deeply connected, therefore observing birds may help understand the ecosystem. Bird diversity is a crucial indicator to understand environmental changes and health. The research focused on the effects of different apex aquatic predators and the number of different bird species near beaver ponds. Point counts were conducted to observe birds visually and aurally for 15 minutes. The comparison between pond type and number of different species was significant, suggesting that different aquatic predators may affect bird communities. In future research, analyzing the tree canopy and pond depth would provide a useful distinction of each pond.

Chemical Variation among Castes, Female Life Stages and Populations of the Facultative Eusocial Sweat Bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) - R. J. Paxton; S. Schulz; I. Steitz; M. Ayasse; I. Steitz; S. Schulz; M. Ayasse; R. J. Paxton (Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2021)
In eusocial insects, chemical communication is crucial for mediating many aspects of social activities, especially the regulation of reproduction. Though queen signals are known to decrease ovarian activation of workers in highly eusocial species, little is known about their evolution. In contrast, some primitively eusocial species are thought to control worker reproduction through physical aggression by the queen rather than via pheromones, suggesting the evolutionary establishment of chemical signals with more derived sociality. However, studies supporting this hypothesis are largely missing. Socially polymorphic halictid bees, such as Halictus rubicundus, with social and solitary populations in both Europe and North America, offer excellent opportunities to illuminate the evolution of caste-specific signals. Here we compared the chemical profiles of social and solitary populations from both continents and tested whether (i) population or social level affect chemical dissimilarity an

Developing Parameter Constraints for Radar-based SWE Retrievals (UWSpace (University of Waterloo), 2021)
Terrestrial snow is an important freshwater reservoir with significant influence on the climate and energy balance. It exhibits natural spatiotemporal variability which has been enhanced by climate change, thus it is important to monitor on a large scale. Active microwave, or radar remote sensing has shown frequency-dependent promise in this regard, however, interpretation remains a challenge. The aim of this thesis was to develop constraints for radar based SWE retrievals which characterize and limit uncertainty with a focus on the underlying physical processes, snowpack stratigraphy, the influence of vegetation, and effects of background scattering.
The University of Waterloo Scatterometer (UWScat) was used to make measurements at 9.6 and 17.2 GHz of snow and bare ground in a series of field-based campaigns in Maryhill and Englehart, ON, Grand Mesa, CO (NASA SnowEx campaign, year 1), and Trail Valley Creek, NT. Additional measurements from Tobermory, ON, and Churchill, MB (Cana

Topographic Map Analysis of the North Platte River-South Platte River Drainage Divide Area, Western Larimer County, Colorado, USA Eric Clausen - Eric Clausen (Earth Science Research, 2021)
The United States Supreme Court settled legal disputes concerning four different Larimer County (Colorado) locations where water is moved by gravity across the high elevation North Platte-South Platte River drainage divide, which begins as a triple drainage divide with the Colorado River at Thunder Mountain (on the east-west continental divide and near Colorado River headwaters) and proceeds in roughly a north and northeast direction across deep mountain passes and other low points (divide crossings) first as the Michigan River (in the North Platte watershed)-Cache la Poudre River (in the South Platte watershed) drainage divide and then as the Laramie River (in the North Platte watershed)-Cache la Poudre River drainage divide. The mountain passes and nearby valley and drainage route orientations and other unusual erosional features can be explained if enormous and prolonged volumes of south-oriented water moved along today’s north-oriented North Platte and Laramie River align

Demographic Consequences of Phenological Shifts in Response to Climate Change - E. Post; Jessica R.K. Forrest; Amy M. Iler; Paul J. CaraDonna (Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 2021)

Do microorganisms obey macroecological rules? - S. E. Turner; A. Padukone; D. Yaffar; K. S. Sheldon; R. Swenie; C. Winfrey; J. Dickey; K. K. Beals; Stephanie N. Kivlin (Authorea, 2021)
Understanding the factors controlling the relative abundance, distribution, and diversity of organisms is a fundamental challenge in ecology. For plants and animals, macroecological rules have been developed that describe these large-scale distributional patterns and attempt to explain the underlying physiological and ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit patterns in relative abundance, distribution, and diversity across space and time, yet it remains unclear the extent to which microorganisms follow macroecological rules initially developed for macroorganisms. With rapid advancements in sequencing technology, we have seen a recent increase in microbial studies that utilize macroecological frameworks. Here we review and synthesize these macroecological microbial studies with two main objectives: (1) to determine to what extent macroecological rules explain the distribution of host-associated and free-living microorganisms, and (2) to understand which envir

Biotic interactions at species’ range limits in a changing climate - I. D. Shepard (2021)

Effects of early snowmelt on plant phenophase timing and duration across an elevation gradient - Chelsea Wilmer (2021)
EFFECTS OF EARLY SNOWMELT ON PLANT PHENOPHASE TIMING AND DURATION ACROSS AN

The Influence of Summer Precipitation and Temperature on Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel Pup Foraging. - M. Nickson (2021)
Golden-mantled ground squirrels (GMGS) at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) spend the majority of the year, from October to May, hibernating in order to save energy during the winter seasons in Gothic, Colorado. Once the winter season is over, the squirrels emerge from their burrows and spend spring and summer foraging in preparation for next winter. Foraging behavior is highly important during these months since food only starts to become available when snow melts, stimulating green vegetation growth. However, vegetation quality may depend on weather conditions: drier years may decrease vegetation quality, while wetter years may increase vegetation quality. Though behavioral flexibility is one of the most common modes of response across most mammal species, there is a lack of knowledge on how acute climate stress changes animals’ foraging behavior. Behavioral flexibility is the ability of having diverse behavioral traits, which is important for species to adapt to any ch

Open-top warming chambers reduce animal pollination of two subalpine herbs - C. Adamson; Amy M. Iler (Journal of Pollination Ecology, 2021)
Open top chambers (OTCs) are a popular method for studying the biological effects of climate change through passive heating, but their effects on biotic interactions are poorly understood, especially for pollination. Here we use the subalpine plants Delphinium nuttallianum and Potentilla pulcherrima to examine the possibility that the effects of OTCs on plant reproduction are not the result of warming but rather OTCs acting as barriers to pollinator movement. Pollinator observations were conducted and stigmas collected from plants inside and outside of OTCs in a meadow in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA. Very few visitors were observed inside of OTCs, which led to severe reductions in visitation rates, by 92% in Delphinium and 85% in Potentilla. The number of conspecific pollen grains on stigmas was 73% lower in OTCs for Delphinium but not Potentilla, likely because it is capable of autogamous self-pollination. This study clearly shows that OTCs can reduce animal pollination, whic

Estimation of Evapotranspiration Rates and Root Water Uptake Profiles From Soil Moisture Sensor Array Data - W. Li; H. Zhou; D. M. Tartakovsky; Qina Yan; Roelof Versteeg; Yuxin Wu; Haruko M. Wainwright; Baptiste Dafflon (Water Resources Research, 2021)
AbstractEvapotranspiration is arguably the least quantified component of the hydrologic cycle. We propose two complementary strategies for estimation of evapotranspiration rates and root water uptake profiles from soil‐moisture sensor‐array data. One is our implementation of ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF); it treats the evapotranspiration sink term in the Richards equation, rather than soil moisture, as the observable to update. The other is a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) applied to the same observable; it is supplemented with the Fisher information matrix to quantify uncertainty in its predictions. We use numerical experiments to demonstrate the accuracy and computational efficiency of these techniques. We found our EnKF implementation to be two orders of magnitude faster than either the standard EnKF or MLE, and our MLE procedure to require an order of magnitude fewer iterations to converge than its counterpart applied to soil moisture. These findings render our methodologies a

Probabilistic Evaluation of Geoscientific Hypotheses With Geophysical Data. Application to Electrical Resistivity Imaging of a Fractured Bedrock Zone - Alex Miltenberger; T. Mukerji; Lijing Wang; Sebastian Uhlemann; Baptiste Dafflon; Haruko M. Wainwright; Kenneth Hurst Williams (Journal of Geophysical Research, 2021)
AbstractAs climate changes and populations grow, groundwater sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Hydrogeologic models, which are based on a conceptual understanding of the subsurface, are crucial tools for informing decisions. Conceptual models of the subsurface incorporate knowledge of geological processes, and, frequently, observations from geophysical data into a common subsurface parameterization where the parameters may still be uncertain. Many methods exist to test how different conceptual subsurface parameterizations compare to geophysical data, but a frequent problem in hydrogeologic model development occurs when multiple geological phenomena could explain a single subsurface parameterization. In this work, we present a framework for testing geological hypotheses in conditions where a geological feature is observed in geophysical data, but its physical characteristics are uncertain. The framework uses Popper‐Bayes methods developed in previous studies, and is app

DynaMETE: a hybrid MaxEnt-plus-mechanism theory of dynamic macroecology - M. Brush; K. Umemura; John Harte (Ecology Letters, 2021)
John Harte,1,2,3* The Maximum Entropy Theory of Ecology (METE) predicts the shapes of macroecological met- Kaito Umemura4 and rics in relatively static ecosystems, across spatial scales, taxonomic categories and habitats, using Micah Brush5 constraints imposed by static state variables. In disturbed ecosystems, however, with time-varying state variables, its predictions often fail. We extend macroecological theory from static to dynamic by combining the MaxEnt inference procedure with explicit mechanisms governing disturbance. In the static limit, the resulting theory, DynaMETE, reduces to METE but also predicts a new scaling relationship among static state variables. Under disturbances, expressed as shifts in demo- graphic, ontogenic growth or migration rates, DynaMETE predicts the time trajectories of the state variables as well as the time-varying shapes of macroecological metrics such as the species abundance distribution and the distribution of metabolic rates over individuals. An

The influence of human recreational trail use has on rodent and predator activity using motion triggered cameras - V. Rodriguez (2021)
The recreational trails in Gunnison County, Colorado near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) are a valuable resource for the community. RMBL is a prominent field station surrounded by a largely intact ecosystem whose diverse native plants and animals are key to its scientific research and education programs. Human recreation near these areas generates touristic income for the surrounding cities. However, human recreation can lead to behavioral changes in wild animals. Knowing whether the current regulations being implemented on the trails are sufficient to protect the wildlife is imperative. Utilizing methods from RMBL studies conducted in 2019 and 2020, we studied the effects of human use of recreational trails on small mammals and predators. This three-part study used motion triggered cameras to (1) compare the effectiveness of the non-invasive bucket camera traps with live rodent trapping, (2) measure the impact that human activity on trails has on rodents, and (3) meas

Chemical Variation among Castes, Female Life Stages and Populations of the Facultative Eusocial Sweat Bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) (Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2021)
In eusocial insects, chemical communication is crucial for mediating many aspects of social activities, especially the regulation of reproduction. Though queen signals are known to decrease ovarian activation of workers in highly eusocial species, little is known about their evolution. In contrast, some primitively eusocial species are thought to control worker reproduction through physical aggression by the queen rather than via pheromones, suggesting the evolutionary establishment of chemical signals with more derived sociality. However, studies supporting this hypothesis are largely missing. Socially polymorphic halictid bees, such as Halictus rubicundus, with social and solitary populations in both Europe and North America, offer excellent opportunities to illuminate the evolution of caste-specific signals. Here we compared the chemical profiles of social and solitary populations from both continents and tested whether (i) population or social level affect chemical dissimilarity an

Nanda-Hamner Curves Show Huge Latitudinal Variation but No Circadian Components in Drosophila Montana Photoperiodism - P. Lankinen; C. Kastally; A. Hoikkala (Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2021)

Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes explain mass gain variation in an obligate hibernator (bioRxiv, 2021)
Abstract Body condition is an important life history challenge that directly impacts individual fitness and is particularly important for hibernating animals, whose maintenance of adequate body fat and mass is essential for survival. It is well documented that symbiotic microorganisms play a vital role in animal physiology and behaviour. Recent work demonstrates that gut microbes are associated with fat accumulation and obesity; Firmicutes is consistently associated with obesity while Bacteroidetes is associated with leanness both in humans and other animals. The focus of most microbiome studies has been on human health or involved lab reared animals used as a model system. However, these microbes likely are important for individual fitness in wild populations and provide potential mechanistic insights into the adaptability and survival of wildlife. Here we test whether symbiotic microorganisms within the phyla of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are associated with summer mass gain in an

Green Light for Adaptive Policies on the Colorado River - Jacob A. Fleck; Anne J. Castle (Water, 2021)
The Colorado River is a critical source of water supply for 40 million people in nine states spanning two nations in western North America. Overallocated in the 20th century, its problems have been compounded by climate change in the 21st century. We review the basin’s hydrologic and water management history in order to identify opportunities for adaptive governance to respond to the challenge of reduced system flows and distill the ingredients of past successes. While significant advances have been made in the first two decades of the 21st century, these past actions have not been sufficient to halt the declines in the basin’s reservoirs. We find that the mix of federal, state, and local responsibility creates challenges for adaptation but that progress can be made through a combination of detailed policy option development followed by quick action at hydrologically driven moments of opportunity. The role of directives and deadlines from federal authorities in facilitating difficult c

Meanders as a scaling motif for understanding of floodplain soil microbiome and biogeochemical potential at the watershed scale - S. Diamond; M. R. Olm; A. D. Thomas; R. Meéheust; A. Sharrar; S. Lei; P. B. M. Carnevali; A. Lavy; A. Crits-Christoph; Jillian F. Banfield; Michelle Newcomer; Nicholas J. Bouskill; et al. (Microbiome, 2021)
Abstract Biogeochemical exports of C, N, S and H 2 from watersheds are modulated by the activity of microorganisms that function over micron scales. This disparity of scales presents a substantial challenge for development of predictive models describing watershed function. Here, we tested the hypothesis that meander-bound regions exhibit patterns of microbial metabolic potential that are broadly predictive of biogeochemical processes in floodplain soils along a river corridor. We intensively sampled floodplain soils located in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the East River in Colorado and reconstructed 248 draft quality genomes representative at a sub-species level. Approximately one third of the representative genomes were detected across all three locations with similar levels of abundance, and despite the very high microbial diversity and complexity of the soils, \ 15% of species were detected in two consecutive years. A core floodplain microbiome was enriched in bacterial c

How worthwhile are pollination networks? - James D. Thomson (Journal of Pollination Ecology, 2021)

The Mountaineer Site: A Folsom Winter Camp in the Rockies - David J. Meltzer; Mark Stiger; Brian N. Andrews (University Press of Colorado eBooks, 2021)
A decade's worth of archaeological research conducted at Mountaineer, a Paleoindian campsite in Colorado's Upper Gunnison Basin. Extensively excavated, long-term Folsom occupations with evidence of built structures. The site provides a record of stone tool manufacture and use offering insight into adaptive strategies from a region in a waning Ice Age.–Provided by publisher.

Porewater Lead Concentrations Limited by Particulate Organic Matter Coupled With Ephemeral Iron(III) and Sulfide Phases during Redox Cycles Within Contaminated Floodplain Soils - Christian Dewey; John R. Bargar; Scott Fendorf (Environmental Science & Technology, 2021)
Lead contamination in soils and sediments is a major threat to water quality. In surface and near-surface environments, Pb is not redox active; however, common Pb hosts, including Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides and sulfides, dissolve and precipitate as redox conditions change. Dissolution of Pb hosts may release Pb to porewater, leading to spikes in dissolved Pb concentrations and potential transport into surface or groundwater. Here, we examine the impacts of hydrologically coupled redox transitions on Pb partitioning in contaminated floodplain soils. We find that the affinity of Pb for particulate organic matter (POM), inclusive of mineral-associated organic matter, ensures that across redox transitions Pb is retained in the solid phase, despite host-phase (Fe(III)-(hydr)oxide and sulfide) dissolution. As seasonal hydrologic dynamics shift porewater redox conditions, Pb-bearing Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides (Pb-HFO) and sulfides (PbS) are dissolved and (re)precipitated. However, despite these shifts in