Mutualistic interactions are ubiquitous in nature. These type of interactions generally provide benefits to interacting species. Insects and plants are commonly involved in diverse forms of mutualism, however little is known if genetic variation among plants allows for a positive symbiosis with arth

Hemiparasites such as those in the genus Castilleja have important effects on the plant communities they are found in. For example, hemiparasitic plants may reduce the abundance of dominant plant species, opening niche space for sub- ordinates. This effect may be driven by direct parasitism of Casti

Boechera stricta, a native forb common to the Rocky Mountain range in western North America, is a model species at the forefront of genetics and ecology. Over millennia, in response to herbivory, plants have developed secondary metabolite defensive compounds to deter wide ranges of herbivores. Gluco

Climate change in Colorado has already increased temperatures by 2 ℉ and is predicted to continue to rise. Precipitation during winter months is predicted to increase, while projected precipitation for the spring, summer and fall is still uncertain. It is important to understand how saxicolous liche

Climate warming affects the phenology, abundance and distributions of plants and pollinators. Despite this, there is still limited knowledge on how temperature affects plant- pollinator mutualisms. The ongoing project with Dr. Rebecca E. Irwin in collaboration with David Inouye has been gathering da

Associatively learning is commonly observed throughout the natural world in many interactions between species and their environment. We know ants utilize environmental cues in their foraging patterns to locate and recruit to food, but little is known about their ability to associatively learn to for

Innovation is widespread in animals and may help them modify their behavior to changes in the environment. A common method to determine whether a species possesses innovative abilities is to present them with a novel foraging problem and then to explain the traits that may predict success. Individua

Reproductive timing is an important determinant of offspring success which ultimately contributes to an individual’s overall fitness. In seasonal environments with short growing seasons, organisms must time reproductive activity so that offspring experience relatively high levels of resource abundan

Sexually selected traits are often plastic and can thus provide information on infection status and parasite load. Mounting an immune response has been shown to require the diversion of energy and resources away from other life history functions. Previous studies have demonstrated that bird song may

According to trade-off theory, animals weigh the benefits of obtaining resources against the risks of being preyed upon during these activities. One major factor that can influence an animal’s risk assessment is its current body condition, for example animals that are of lower body condition may be

Parasites have only recently gained the attention they deserve in studies involving their role in ecosystems. Using ecological stoichiometry will allow parasite roles to be established. I attempted to establish parasite effects on hosts by measuring the excretion Nitrogen:Phosphorus of infected Mega

Pieris macdunnoughii, a butterfly native to the Rock Mountains in Colorado, is a specialist on mustard plants. An invasive mustard, Thlaspi arvense, introduced approximately 100 years ago creates an evolutionary trap for P. macdunnoughii due to the chemical signals that encourage ovipositioning, but

Anthropogenic climate change is causing increases in global average temperature, changes in seasonality, and altered precipitation patterns which are linked to upslope range shifts, population declines, and phenological changes. This study examines the impacts of climate induced changes in snowmelt

Nest-site selection is important in the determination of nest success in several bird species (Holway 1991, Wells and Fuhlendorf 2005). Birds that nest in high elevation breeding sites are under greater environmental stress, making it even more crucial for individuals to choose nest microclimates th