Many plants have evolved nutrient rewards to attract pollinators to flowers, but most research has focused on the sugar content of floral nectar resources. Concentrations of sodium in floral nectar (a micronutrient in low concentrations in nectar) can vary substantially both among and within co-occu

Seasonal environmental conditions shape the behavior and life history of virtually all organisms. Climate change is modifying these seasonal environmental conditions, which threatens to disrupt population dynamics. It is conceivable that climatic changes may be beneficial in one season but result in

1. Ants interact with a diversity of organisms. These interactions, coupled with their abundance, cause ants to have ecologically important effects across multiple trophic levels. 2. Empirical study of ant nutritional ecology has led to the prediction that a macronutrient imbalance will affect ant b

Individuals may obtain valuable information about the presence of predators by eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm signals. While playback studies have demonstrated that similarly-sized and taxonomically-related species may respond to the calls of each other, less work has been done to define the

Social behaviour was proposed as a density-dependent intrinsic mechanism that could regulate an animal population by affecting reproduction and dispersal. Populations of the polygynous yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) fluctuate widely from year to year primarily driven by the number of w

Social behavior consists of distinct and measurable social attributes. While many previous studies have categorized species as social or not, or quantified group size, studying the functional correlates of separate attributes may offer more specific insights into the adaptive value of sociality, but

The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is a keystone species in montane/subalpine ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. By excavating nest cavities in aspen trees and sap wells in willow shrubs, sapsuckers indirectly provide nest holes and food, respectively, to many other species.

Animal personality is becoming increasingly relevant behavioral ecology because of its potential impact on reproductive success. Measuring personality however can be difficult because many factors, such as microhabitat variation and habituation, affect how an animal responds to a given test. Using n

A trophic cascade is an ecological process in which predators affect the producer biomass and community composition of an ecosystem by limiting plant consumption by herbivores. Predators not only control herbivore populations through predation, but their mere presence can affect herbivore behavior.

Animal personality typically refers to a behavioral manifestations stable across time and contexts (Sih et al. 2004, Réale et al. 2007). Personality has been shown to shape fitness and may therefore shape population dynamics though such traits as dominance, response to stress, and reproductive perfo

In small temporary ponds (“Kettle Ponds”) near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, several species of detritivorous caddisflies coexist as detritus processors. Three congeneric caddisflies, Limnephilus externus, Limnephilus sublunatus, and Limnephilus tarsalis play an impor

We studied the effects of food availability and predator cues on mayflies at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, CO. Organisms in a wide variety of ecological systems must deal with trade-offs between functions necessary to sustain their populations. Specifically, we were inte