Protocols

Uses phylogenetically independent contrasts and concentrated changes tests to examine relationships between species traits while controlling for shared evolutionary history. Employs multiple algorithm...

Individual larvae were reared in floating screen chambers that allowed natural pond conditions while preventing mixing between treatments.

Pin hole marking system in beetle wing cases using numbered pattern in quadrants to track individuals across experimental treatments.

Logistic regression modeling with AIC-based model selection to identify climatic and habitat drivers of pika persistence, using Nagelkerke's max-rescaled R² for model evaluation.

Identification of parasitoid wasps and seed predators through morphological characteristics including size, mouth parts, and coloration, supplemented by microscopic examination.

Experimental approach using stocking to encase plants with apparent egg sacks or larvae, and growing galls in moisture-controlled conditions to verify trophic relationships.

Process-based dynamic global ecosystem modeling using IBiS to simulate terrestrial carbon storage responses to climate change, CO2 fertilization, and plant migration constraints. Uses leaf-level calcu...

Frequent visits to wild meerkat groups to record births, deaths, emigration, and social status changes over 20 years of continuous observation.

Field surveys to document presence/absence of Thlaspi arvense at butterfly sampling sites using standardized threshold of minimum plant abundance during flowering period.

Chemical treatment of leaf samples with iodine-potassium iodide solution to enhance X-ray absorption contrast for improved visualization of venation networks. Leaves are incubated in contrast solution...

Standard suite of sediment physical and chemical analyses including bulk density, pH, loss-on-ignition, and root biomass content to characterize biogeochemical properties of pond sediments.

Deep learning neural network model development using Keras library to automatically classify small mammal species from camera trap photographs.

Standard Kjeldahl digestion method for determining total nitrogen and phosphorus content in plant tissues through acid digestion followed by colorimetric analysis.

Modified bucket system for continuous collection of snowmelt with drainage and sampling capabilities, based on Kormos (2005) design for tracking temporal evolution of snowmelt isotopic composition.

Spectrophotometric assay measuring phenol oxidation capacity using L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine substrate with absorbance detection at 460 nm. Widely used to quantify oxidative enzyme activity includi...

Extraction of plant metabolites using methanol/acetonitrile/water solvent followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Characterizes plant metabolomic profiles for correlation with fu...

Machine learning approach using USGS LOADEST software to develop concentration time-series models by combining discharge and concentration data. Used to extrapolate long-term trends and fill data gaps...

Controlled laboratory rearing of lycaenid larvae to assess developmental performance parameters including mass gain, prepupal duration, and survival under different ant attendance treatments.

Controlled laboratory experiments using pulverized Mancos Shale under simulated groundwater conditions to investigate thorium release mechanisms under different redox conditions.

Method to reconstruct continuous daily NDVI time series from sparse Landsat satellite observations using LSTM neural networks with cloud masking and gap-filling.

Novel index combining landscape ecology fragmentation metrics to quantify snow patchiness. Integrates configuration metrics (patch number, spatial arrangement) with composition metrics (fractional cov...

Transfer of third-instar larvae between ant colonies to manipulate nestmate relatedness and test worker responses to genetic cues in sex allocation decisions.

Controlled food deprivation during larval development by reducing feeding frequency to half that of controls, creating 3-4 periods of 24h food absence. Used to simulate natural resource limitation dur...

Eggs and larvae were monitored from oviposition through pre-pupal development on native and non-native host plants to quantify survival differences and fitness consequences of host choice.

Systematic excavation of limestone cave deposits containing mammalian fossils spanning the late Quaternary. Involves stratigraphic excavation in controlled levels with radiocarbon dating for chronolog...

Field measurement of leaf temperature and air temperature relationships across multiple species and ecosystems to characterize thermal response slopes (β values). Data collection involves simultaneous...

Iterative procedure removing single data points, refitting models, and predicting missing values to assess model accuracy using NRMSE.

Weekly sampling and counting of rhizobial nodules on marked legume individuals to track mutualistic interactions over time. Includes root collection, laboratory processing, and nodule enumeration.

A bioinformatics and immunological approach to develop species-specific antibodies for lepidopteran FOXO and mTOR proteins using transcriptome data, sequence analysis, epitope identification, and poly...

A whole-mount immunostaining protocol optimized for visualizing FOXO and mTOR protein localization in butterfly fat body tissue using species-specific antibodies. The protocol involves tissue fixation...

Method to convert continuous lidar-measured snow depth to binary snow presence/absence using a fixed depth threshold. Standard approach for creating training data from airborne lidar surveys.

Systematic weekly monitoring of plant phenology, insect abundance, and herbivore impacts on Osha plants along established transects. Includes detailed counts of aphids, ants, and other insects on flow...

Statistical method to determine phenological onset and end dates using linear interpolation between census dates to estimate when 10% and 90% of samples were counted for both syrphids and flowering pl...

Assessment of linear regression performance for temperature-elevation relationships using R² values as measure of model fit. Linear lapse rates calculated only for days with exceptionally good linear ...

Statistical approach using linear mixed-effect models to partition variance in repeated morphometric measurements into individual, temporal, and measurement error components. Includes resampling analy...

Statistical analysis approach using linear regressions to test relationships between elevation and biological response variables. Includes model comparison and evaluation of various regression types i...

Systematic review and synthesis of published literature on quaking aspen ecology, fire regimes, and population dynamics in the Rocky Mountain region. Integration of findings across multiple spatial an...

Comprehensive review of published studies examining relationships between egg densities and subsequent juvenile stages across multiple taxa and ecosystems. Used established conceptual framework to pro...

Systematic compilation of acoustic parameters for rodent alarm calls from published sources, focusing on maximum and minimum frequencies and bandwidth measurements from adult male individuals.

Fitting logistic growth models to disease prevalence time series to extract key epidemiological parameters for subsequent environmental correlation analysis.

Systematic documentation of avalanche occurrence, characteristics, and runout distances over multiple decades to establish baseline hazard patterns and return periods.

Repeated capture and measurement of individually marked wild mammals over multiple years to quantify measurement error and individual variation in hind-foot length. Uses species-appropriate trapping m...

A worldwide survey of principal investigators conducting long-term ecological and evolutionary studies to assess attitudes toward data archiving requirements and sharing practices.

Repeated photographic measurement of individual fungal pustules over time to quantify replication rates and disease progression. Uses standardized macro photography with consistent framing and lightin...

Comprehensive method for extracting quinolizidine and piperidine alkaloids from plant tissues using acid-base extraction followed by GC/FID and GC/MS analysis for identification and quantification.

Time-sensitive hierarchical modeling using logit link function in program MARK to analyze daily nest survival with multiple covariates and model selection using AICc criteria.

Estimation of genetic parameters including heritability and genetic variance-covariance matrices using generalized linear mixed models with Bayesian MCMC methods.

Calculation of snow and vegetation indices from MODIS spectral bands including NDSI, NDSI7, NDFSI, NDVI, and NDFSI for characterizing surface properties relevant to snow cover.

Steady-state groundwater solution with particle tracking to determine flow paths and residence times. Particles released to water table surface in each model cell excluding stream cells, with cumulati...

Extremely randomized trees regression model to predict subsurface electrical resistivity from surface geomorphological and vegetation parameters, enabling watershed-scale bedrock characterization.