Nectar robbing has been thought to lead to a reduction in plant fitness, although there is conflicting evidence for this assumption. Little evidence has been done on whether or not primary, or initial, robbing has a differing effect on plant fitness than secondary robbing does. To test the possible

Biotic and Abiotic Drivers of Plant-Pollinator Interaction Rewiring

1. Ecology, like most science, is a rapidly progressing field in which new technologies are constantly being implemented in order to gain a wider and more holistic perspective on plant dynamics. 2. Plants can modulate their temperature via the process of transpiration and shading, which can also lea

Climate change is increasing temperatures globally including aquatic habitats like rivers, directly affecting the biology of many invertebrate species. In freshwater ecosystems, snow melt drives rivers in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Increasing river temperatures can result in increasing metabol

Heidi Joan MacLean: ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN BUTTERFLIES: MORPHOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR (Under the direction of Joel G. Kingsolver and Lauren B. Buckley)

The recreational trails near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) are an important resource for the community. They generate tourist income for the surrounding area. However, human activity can lead to behavioral and ecological changes in wildlife communities. Utilizing triggered camera t

Community ecology and dynamics are often only thought of in terms of the processes selection and speciation. Likewise, plants are often only considered in their immobile, germinated form. However, when it comes to plant community dynamics, seeds and the seedbank are often critical in predicting comm