Protocols

Hierarchical Bayesian models predicting vital rates from individual and neighborhood characteristics, with population-level random effects and model selection via WAIC.

Systematic measurement of plant morphological characteristics (leaf number, leaf area, stalk count, etc.) before plant extraction to develop predictive relationships with total plant biomass. Differen...

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...

Statistical method using continuous two-phase models to identify the age at which body mass growth stabilizes at adult levels in golden-mantled ground squirrels.

Fecal sample collection and zinc sulfate flotation protocol for detecting intestinal parasites including Ascaris, Eimeria, and Entamoeba in marmot feces.

Standardized measurement of individual larval dry mass using precision microbalance after oven-drying at controlled temperature. Applied to assess growth and biomass responses to experimental treatmen...

Intensive monitoring of juvenile emergence and movements using daily visual observations and grid-based distance calculations to characterize dispersal timing, distance, and settlement patterns.

Linear mixed effect models to estimate individual body mass at key seasonal transition points, accounting for day-of-year effects and random variation among years, sites, and individuals. Provides sta...

Nested sampling design to construct species-area relationships across multiple spatial scales by subdividing plots into equal-area quadrats and averaging species counts across equivalent areas.

Integrates multiple spatial data layers including lidar, airborne geophysics, hyperspectral remote sensing, and satellite data to characterize hillslope properties. Computes average values and percent...

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...

Standard colorimetric method for measuring soluble reactive phosphorus and total dissolved phosphorus in water samples using spectrophotometry. Total dissolved phosphorus samples are first digested wi...

Genomic sequencing and demographic modeling using GADMA2 to estimate historical gene flow patterns and migration rates between populations across elevational gradients.

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...

Combined direct visual observation during peak activity periods with motion-activated camera bucket traps to determine species presence/absence in meadow habitats. Camera traps used small entry holes ...

Standardized pellet count method for estimating deer density using systematic transect surveys with random placement. Identifies scat to species level where possible to distinguish herbivore types usi...

Blood collection and analysis to determine neutrophil and lymphocyte counts for calculating neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios as a measure of immune response activity.

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.

Time-lapse photography of individual flowers using motion-activated cameras to capture and quantify hummingbird feeding visits. Combined with machine learning image processing to automate detection.

Comprehensive measurement of forewing length, wing melanism, and setal length from pinned butterfly specimens using digital micrometry, photography, and microscopy. Wing melanism quantified using stan...

Time-lapse electrical resistivity imaging using dipole-dipole array configuration to map subsurface electrical conductivity patterns and estimate soil moisture distribution across the hillslope.

Field census method to quantify pollen receipt patterns in populations of gynodioecious plants with varying sex ratios and floral densities. Involves systematic counting of flowers by sex and measurem...

Extraction and quantification of desulfated glucosinolates from plant leaves using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and charged aerosol detection. Follows established desulfatio...

Systematic recording and quantification of animal behaviors using standardized ethogram categories and time budget analysis with JWatcher software.

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...

Standard bird capture protocol using Potter's traps baited with seed, followed by individual banding and morphological measurements for population monitoring and identification.

Active nest searching technique using a 12m rope with attached aluminum cans dragged through suitable habitat to flush female birds from concealed ground nests.

Comprehensive deployment of precipitation, atmospheric, and surface energy budget sensors across elevation and topographic gradients in complex terrain. Network includes core sites with full instrumen...

Systematic collection of snowpack samples across elevation gradients using snow pits dug at 10 cm increments to obtain SWE-weighted composite isotopic signatures representative of accumulated snowpack...

Standard protocol for measuring leaf traits by scanning fresh leaves, counting trichomes using ImageJ, then drying and weighing leaves to calculate specific leaf area. Uses ImageJ software for digital...

Standard enzyme electrophoresis technique used to determine genotypes at the 6PGD-2 locus for parentage assignment. Distinguishes between homozygous medium (MM) and homozygous slow (SS) allelic varian...

Systematic establishment of gridded plots across watersheds followed by long-term monitoring of tagged individual trees for mortality and recruitment rates. Combined with environmental characterizatio...

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...

Modified gastric-lavage technique to obtain stomach contents for prey identification, enumeration, and biomass/caloric calculations using published conversion factors.

Standard live-trapping protocol using Longworth traps in grid arrays for mark-recapture population estimation of small mammals with individual marking and release.

Collection and isotopic analysis of xylem and soil water to determine plant water sources using δ18O and δ2H signatures combined with Bayesian mixing model to quantify proportional contributions from ...

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...

Collection of female halictid bees at nest sites using nets or vacuum devices, with individual storage and cryopreservation for chemical analysis. Includes morphological measurement and ovarian stage ...

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...

Cytotype inference using twelve multinational microsatellites with 97% correct classification for cytotype. Individual plants defined as diploid or triploid based on maximum number of alleles observed...

RASTER-based spatial analysis to quantify multiple metrics of anthropogenic disturbance including distance to infrastructure and proportion of impervious surfaces within species-specific buffer zones.

Comprehensive measurement of leaf morphological, physiological, and chemical traits including stomatal conductance, leaf mass per area, nitrogen content, and spectral properties to characterize plant ...

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.

Comprehensive measurement of soil nutrients, moisture, pH, topographic aspect, and interpolated climate variables to characterize abiotic conditions at vegetation sampling sites.

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