This paper describes the timing of floral color change with Lupinus argenteus and the behavior of pollinator visitation to manipulated treatments. In theory plants my benefit from color change in two ways. One way is to direct pollinators to rewarding flowers. This may increase the foraging efficien

Animals frequently exhibit variation in their behavior. In the past this variation has been treated as statistical error, but research has identified correlated behaviors across contexts, referred to as behavioral syndromes. We focused on yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) and examined vi

This collection of short literary fiction springs loosely from a contemplation of the enduring influence of Washington Irving’s Gothic in the Hudson Valley. The first story, “Life Is Good,” centers on a fictionalized account of a morbidly obese bear named Allen and a resilient child, Henny, who form

Snowfall, temperature and wind are three factors that quickly change avalanche conditions. Ridge-top winds have been used to assess avalanche conditions with mixed success due to high variability. Few analyses have tested the effect upper atmospheric winds have on avalanche conditions. This study at

Mayflies in high-elevation streams in Colorado are more vulnerable to risk of predation based on their relative drift propensisties. Baetis bicaudatis, a mayfly that has high drift propensity, has been shown to respond to predation risk by accelerating its metamorphosis into an adult, which results

I investigated the pollination ecology of Cardamine. Cordifolia, and how pollinators affected fruit and seed production especially in relation to variation in herbivory and habitat type in 2 different sites. Site 1 was more exposed to the sunlight and site 2 was less exposed to the sunlight. I inves

Cheaters affect most mutualisms, but their effects remain misunderstood. This thesis

A Mid-Tertiary igneous intrusion into the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale provides an excellent natural laboratory to study the thermal effects of an intrusion on the organic geochemistry and water-rock system across a contact metamorphic profile. The intrusion, is believed to have established a high

When entering torpor, oxygen consumption decreased prior to the decline in body temperature for all 15 marmots used in this study. Most mean Q1o values were greater than 3.0, which supports metabolic inhibition rather than passive decline of metabolism because of the drop in body temperature. Change

In the northeast San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado lie the Powderhorn and La Garita Wilderness Areas, full of high peaks and alpine plateaus bordered by volcanic hoodoos, vast forests, and arid steppe. A floristic inventory was performed to describe and catalog the vascular plant diversity of

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