Vegetative traits of plants can respond directly to changes in the environment, such as those occurring under climate change. That phenotypic plasticity could be adaptive, maladaptive, or neutral. We manipulated the timing of spring snowmelt and amount of summer precipitation in factorial combinatio

Stressful juvenile developmental conditions can affect performance and fitness later in life. In holometabolous insects such as butterflies, development under stressful conditions may lead to smaller adult size, lower reproductive output and shorter lifespan. However, how larval developmental stress

Many studies have demonstrated the negative effects of hemiparasites on host performance, such as decreased host biomass and reproductive capabilities. Much less work, however, has examined the role of hemiparasites in shaping plant community structure, though it has been proposed that the effect of

While the impacts of pollinator species on selection for floral traits in angiosperms are relatively well-studied, less is known about the contributions of herbivores towards selection on floral traits. We investigated the relationship among a variety of floral traits (including volatile emissions a

• Premise of the study: Novel microsatellite primers were developed for the native wildflower Ipomopsis aggregata to facilitate ongoing studies of the genetics of local adaptation and patterns of hybridization with closely related species within the genus.• Methods and Results: Thirteen primer sets

• Premise of study: A difference in chromosome numbers (ploidy variation) between species is usually considered a major barrier to gene flow. Therefore, it is surprising that little is known about whether ploidy variation, both within and among species, influences spatial patterns of interspecific h

The ability of plants to tolerate, or compensate for, herbivore damage is highly variable and has been the subject of much research. Although many plants can compensate for herbivore damage, and some even overcompensate, we cannot yet generalize about the conditions that promote a positive response

Carol L. Boggs1,2* and David W. Weather drives population dynamics directly, through effects on vital rates, or indirectly, through effects on the Inouye1,3 populationÕs competitors, predators or prey and thence on vital rates. Indirect effects may include non-additive 1 Rocky Mountain Biological in

Multi-species interactions profoundly affect community composition and function of ecosystems. Foraging behavior and resource allocation are two key factors that determine how species interact. This study investigates the role of floral nectaries and plant sex in mediating ant-aphid interactions on

The phenology of plants in the alpine environment of the Rocky Mountains is heavily dependent on snowmelt time (Inouye and McGuire 1991, Thomson 2010). In this study we have manipulated the timing of snowmelt in order to change the phenology of Delphinium nuttallianum in the subalpine environment of

Pollinator exclusion bags for small herbaceous plants are much more convenient to apply and remove if their bottom edge is made in the form of a cloth tunnel loaded with sand to conform to the terrain. Damage and inadvertent selfing of flowers are minimized.

1. The extent to which flower colour and other visual cues influence butterfly flower choice in the field is poorly understood, especially in comparison with choices by Hymenoptera. 2. Using a novel approach to studies of visitation behaviour by butterflies, flower colour of four Asteraceae species

Seasonal change in pollinator-mediated selection on style length may help maintain variation in this trait in M. fusiformis, but adaptation to local flowering time is not apparent. The prevalence of short styles in these populations requires further explanation.

1. Shifts in the spatial and temporal patterns of flowering could affect the resources available to pollinators, and such shifts might become more common as climate change progresses. 2. As mid-summer temperatures have warmed, we found that a montane meadow ecosystem in the southern Rocky Mountains