Protocols

A method to experimentally add nectar rewards to naturally pollen-only rewarding flowers by depositing measured volumes of artificial nectar solution onto flower structures accessible to pollinators. ...

Experimental addition of outcross pollen to flowers to test whether natural pollination limits plant reproductive success, comparing reproductive output between hand-pollinated and naturally pollinate...

A large-scale reciprocal transplant experiment across five elevational gardens with factorial snow and temperature manipulations to test local adaptation and evolutionary rescue potential under climat...

Controlled experiment manipulating predator presence by establishing artificial aphid colonies, protecting them from natural predators, then adding lygus bugs to treatment plants. Includes ant bridge ...

2x2 factorial design manipulating temperature and conductivity to test environmental drying cues on caddisfly development and survival. Uses shade manipulation and salt additions to simulate pond dryi...

Shade cloths suspended 3m above treatment plots accelerate snowmelt by 5-7 days when snowpack reaches ~1m depth, simulating earlier spring snowmelt conditions. Cloths removed after complete treatment ...

Field experiment comparing reproductive success of burying beetle species across habitat types using breeding pairs, mouse carcasses, and environmental monitoring. Measures burial success, development...

Controlled experimental system using circular plastic tanks to test mayfly larval responses to chemical cues by measuring foraging behavior on substrate surfaces before and after treatment application...

A 2×2 factorial experiment combining passive warming using open-top chambers with dominant plant species removal across elevational gradients at multiple global mountain sites to test interactive effe...

Choice feeding trials where individual grasshoppers are offered leaves from different plant treatments to measure relative herbivory rates. Herbivory is quantified by measuring leaf area consumed usin...

A factorial field experiment manipulating snowmelt timing using black shade cloth and summer precipitation using rainout shelters in a split-plot design to simulate climate change effects.

Controlled choice experiments measuring butterfly oviposition preference between plant species using matched plant materials in screen cages. Preference quantified as proportion of eggs laid on test p...

Infrared heaters suspended above experimental plots to simulate warming effects on montane vegetation communities across moisture gradients. Heating power adjusted over time to maintain consistent war...

Multi-site common garden experiment using controlled crosses to partition genetic and environmental variance in vegetative and floral traits across a hybrid zone. Seeds from multiple genetic families ...

Experimental manipulation using physical barriers to exclude ants from aphid colonies while maintaining control colonies with ant access. Uses paired treatment design on same plants to test effects of...

29-year experimental warming using overhead infrared radiators to increase soil temperature by 2°C in subalpine grassland plots. Heat flux of 22 W/m² applied continuously from 1991-2019.

Factorial experiment crossing nitrogen addition treatments with dominant species removal treatments in replicated plots to test community responses to multiple global change drivers. Includes both sel...

Paired experimental design comparing floral development and longevity between plants receiving daily road dust applications versus undusted controls, with detailed tracking of flower developmental sta...

Experimental manipulation of summer precipitation levels (doubled, halved, ambient) to assess effects on plant physiological and fitness traits in a common garden setting over multiple years.

A controlled field experiment testing the effects of nitrogen addition and reduction on plant community composition over 8 years. Annual percent cover monitoring tracked responses of invasive and nati...

Controlled microcosm experiments measuring invertebrate-mediated breakdown of sedge detritus by quantifying mass loss of coarse and fine particulate organic matter over time. Uses standardized biomass...

Experimental removal of flower buds to simulate frost damage effects, allowing comparison of microclimate conditions between plots with and without flower displays in subalpine meadow.

Factorial experimental design using artificial stream channels to test temperature and nutrient effects on algae growth. Solar heating systems create temperature gradients while drip systems deliver c...

Controlled feeding trials in plastic mesocosms where starved salamanders are presented with multiple prey types and their consumption and foraging behavior is observed and quantified over a fixed time...

Controlled experiment using artificial flowers with discrete bullseye phenotypes exposed to UV-present vs UV-absent treatments to test UV-mediated selection on floral traits. Pollen viability measured...

Controlled playback experiments using modified alarm calls to test receiver behavioral responses to different acoustic features including added noise and nonlinear phenomena.

Greenhouse factorial experiment manipulating water availability (3 levels) and nutrient supply (2 levels) to test resource limitation effects on fitness components. Plants grown from field-collected s...

Laboratory experiment transferring bee eggs between different pollen provision types to test effects on larval survival. Eggs moved between Taraxacum and native Asteraceae provisions in a balanced rec...

Factorial greenhouse experiment testing effects of soil inoculum source and sterilization on alpine grass growth, traits, and fungal colonization. Plants grown in standardized sand-inoculum mixtures w...

Controlled experiments testing marmots' ability to distinguish between individuals using acoustic and olfactory cues to assess recognition capabilities within social groups.

Standard litterbag method deployed across elevation gradient to study litter decomposition rates and microbial succession. Involves placing known masses of litter in mesh bags and retrieving over time...

Controlled experiment using feeding stations paired with predator scent cues to test antipredator behavioral responses. Individual feeding times are recorded to quantify vigilance behavior in response...

Short-term incubation of caddisfly larvae in filtered pond water to measure nitrogen and phosphorus excretion rates under ambient conditions. Five larvae per species were incubated for one hour in sha...

A controlled field experiment transplanting grass species across elevational gradients with manipulated fungal soil communities to test effects of plant-fungi mismatches on plant performance during cl...

A factorial experiment manipulating both flowering phenology (by moving plants between elevations) and water availability (through differential watering regimes) using potted native plants in field ar...

Organisms are incubated in filtered pond water for one hour to measure nitrogen and phosphorus excretion rates through water chemistry analysis before and after incubation.

Larvae offered multiple food choices in aquatic containers with instantaneous behavioral sampling over extended time periods to quantify feeding preferences.

Standardized 4-minute test immediately following open field test where a mirror is revealed to measure sociability and aggressive responses toward conspecific image, recorded via overhead camera.

Transplant butterflies between high and low elevation sites to quantify differences in flight initiation timing and thermal sensitivity across elevation gradients using caged trials.

Experimental clipping treatment designed to reduce plant photosynthetic capacity by approximately 50% through removal of stems. Used to simulate herbivory stress and examine effects on mycorrhizal ass...

Experimental manipulation of natural floral orientations combined with pollen supplementation to test effects on seed set and female fitness.

Artificial stream channels with controlled flow regimes and nutrient treatments to test effects of phosphorus availability on D. geminata growth and bloom formation.

Live-trapping of marmots to assess docility through standardized behavioral responses during capture and handling, including alarm calling propensity in trap situations.

Flowers are bagged to prevent natural parasitism, then exposed to controlled introductions of parasitoid wasps or ambient parasitoid activity, followed by assessment of parasitism effects on seed pred...

Deployment of novel puzzle boxes with multiple solution pathways to test problem-solving ability and innovation in wild animals. Video recorded trials allow detailed behavioral analysis of problem-sol...

Field experiment testing seed germination of different genotypes/treatments in natural microhabitats of related species to assess niche requirements and differentiation.

Controlled factorial experiment manipulating both water availability and pollen supplementation to test for interactive effects on plant reproduction.

Systematic presentation of conspecific, heterospecific competitor, and control songs to territorial males followed by standardized behavioral observation and scoring. Uses randomized treatment order w...

A two-phase field protocol using training baits scented with plant chemicals followed by two-choice tests to assess whether ants form associative memories linking plant odors to carbohydrate rewards. ...

Controlled experiment using marker bacterium to track microbial transfer from inoculated donor flowers to recipient flowers via butterfly foraging behavior.