Rock varnish is a darkly pigmented coating rich in manganese oxides. Though microbes inhabit varnish deposits, it is unclear whether they are involved in varnish formation. The fungal communities of rock varnish and adjacent rock sites with no visible varnish deposits were examined. Microcolonial fu

Caching decisions have been studied for many species, but large-scale variation of selective preferences due to environmental heterogeneity has rarely been examined. We investigated large-scale patterns of selective caching behavior in the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a non-hibernating general

Hydrologic extremes dominate chemical exports from riparian zones and dictate water quality in major river systems. Yet, changes in land use and ecosystem services alongside growing climate variability are altering hydrologic extremes and their coupled impacts on riverine water quality. In the weste

AbstractClimate change is shifting altitudinal species ranges, with potential to disrupt species interactions. Altitudinal gradient studies and warming experiments can both increase understanding of climate effects on species interactions, but few studies have used both together to improve predictio

Global warming is generally predicted to increase the intensity of herbivore pressure on plants. Support for this prediction often comes from short-term studies, or studies conducted in controlled laboratory settings. We examined the effect of long-term experimental warming on an aphid-sagebrush int

Economic growth is recognized as an important factor associated with species invasions. Consequently, there is increasing need to develop solutions that combine economics and ecology to inform invasive species management. We developed a model combining economic, ecological, and sociological factors

Life-history traits, which are physical traits or behaviours that affect growth, survivorship and reproduction, could play an important role in how well organisms respond to environmental change. By looking for trait-based responses within groups, we can gain a mechanistic understanding of why envir

Bombus flavifrons utiliserait la densite de la plante butinee pour estimer le cout eventuel d'approvisionnement

The relative importance of adult–yearling interaction and individual behavioral phenotypes on dispersal of yearling yellow-bellied marmots was investigated. Two marmot colonies near Gothic, Colorado, were studied; one was treated as an experimental colony from which all adults were removed, while th

Mark-recapture data indicate that daily population sizes are low, most adults remain in residence at the colony only a few days, and there are age-specific sexual differences in movement, with older females perhaps leaving the colony site.

Reproduction in a population of marked pikas (Ochotonaprinceps) was observed over a 3-year period in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Pikas were seasonally polyestrous; all adult females initiated two litters each summer. However, most females (24 of 25) weaned only a single litter. The number of su

AbstractIsotopic information from 81 snowpits was collected over a 5‐year period in a large, Colorado watershed. Data spans gradients in elevation, aspect, vegetation, and seasonal climate. They are combined with overlapping campaigns for water isotopes in precipitation and snowmelt, and a land‐surf

The physiology of torpor in hummingbirds is well known from laboratory studies, but we still do not know when or how often this means of energy conservation is used in nature, whether regularly (the "routine" hypothesis) or only in response to inadequate food intake (the "emergency-only" hypothesis)

Abstract The science of mountainous hydrology spans the atmosphere through the bedrock and inherently crosses physical and disciplinary boundaries: land–atmosphere interactions in complex terrain enhance clouds and precipitation, while watersheds retain and release water over a large range of spatia

Here we review next-generation questions in the study of plant–pollinator interactions mediated by floral volatiles, and the potential for renewed collaboration between biologists and chemists in answering such questions.

Yellow-bellied marmots minimize thermoregulatory costs by concentrating activity at times when the microclimate is favorable, by tolerating hyperthermia at high TA in the field, and by having a conductance lower than that predicted from body size.

Abstract Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon budget. However, our ability to predict carbon fluxes from stream systems remains uncertain, as p CO 2 varies within streams at scales of 1–100 m. This makes direct monitoring of large‐scale CO 2 fluxes impractical. We incorporat

Lead contamination in soils and sediments is a major threat to water quality. In surface and near-surface environments, Pb is not redox active; however, common Pb hosts, including Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides and sulfides, dissolve and precipitate as redox conditions change. Dissolution of Pb hosts may rele

This study tests the hypothesis that selection should result in a positive correlation between numbers of oocytes produced and available oviposition time, in order to avoid wasting nutrients through the formation of unused oocytes in Colias philodice eriphyle Edwards.