Concepts

When organisms dependent on synchronized milestones adapt to environmental changes at different rates, causing their reproductive, feeding, and/or migration patterns to become asynchronous

Global temperature increase and associated changes in precipitation patterns and extreme weather affecting ecosystems worldwide

Changes in species geographic distributions in response to changing climate conditions, typically involving movement to higher elevations or latitudes

Environmental condition characterized by limited water availability

Variation in microclimatic conditions across small spatial scales, including differences in slope, aspect, and elevation that create diverse microclimatic niches

Ability of forest ecosystems to maintain function during water-limited conditions through adaptive water use strategies

The lowest part of the atmosphere directly influenced by the Earth's surface

Food availability timing related to snow melt and vegetation growth potentially mismatched with juvenile foraging periods

Seasonal precipitation system occurring July-September in the central Rocky Mountains bringing significant rainfall to Colorado River headwater basins

Meteorological events that are rare for a particular place or time of year and can have major ecological impacts

Atmospheric turbulence generated by airflow over mountainous terrain leading to enhanced mixing and modified precipitation processes

How changing weather patterns and climate conditions influence animal behavioral strategies

Valley wind that develops due to differential heating between valley floor and surrounding slopes, typically flowing upslope during daytime

The most recent time during the last glacial period when ice sheets were at their greatest extent

Climate pattern characterized by variations in sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that affects global weather patterns

The most recent period in Earth's history (~116-130 ka) when temperatures were persistently warmer than today, specifically the Eemian period at 125 ka

Projected increase in high-latitude forest growth due to warming temperatures

Mountainous regions with significant topographic variability that influences weather and climate processes

Variation in rainfall patterns between years affecting plant growth and flower production

The ongoing drought period in the Upper Colorado River Basin from 2000 to present, characterized by reduced precipitation and increased temperatures

The most recent major glaciation in the Rocky Mountains during the late Pleistocene

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation that increases with elevation and can damage plant tissues

Atmospheric layer with elevated concentration of aerosol particles, detectable through lidar backscatter measurements

Ten percent of all annual atmospheric soot emissions in Northern Hemisphere are from boreal wildfires

Anthropogenic environmental change expected to alter soil moisture availability and increase nitrogen deposition

Global warming and extreme weather events that threaten marmot survival through increasing temperature and changing precipitation patterns

Earlier emergence from hibernation in mid-April, more than a month earlier than in the 1970s, due to climate change effects

Turbulent atmospheric layer near surface that develops during daytime heating, characterized by well-mixed conditions and active convection

Short-term (2-4 week) variation in temperature and precipitation that may interact with long-term climate change effects

Early season dry period that occurs after snowmelt and lasts until the start of the summer monsoon season