American Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) inhabit patches of conifer trees, relying upon the cones for food. They stockpile cones in middens, which are large piles of cones at the base of trees, and exhibit territorial behavior (alarm and warning calls) to protect their midden from squirrels

The beneficial effects of ants to myrmecophilous species is well established, but there is little empirical evidence demonstrating the benefits of such interactions for ants. The intent of this experiment was to determine how ants are affected by their interaction with the Aspen sunflower (Helianthe

Evocative sounds are known to elicit heightened responses from receivers across animal taxa. Many species of caregivers specifically have been shown to have increased arousal from infant baboon screams providing a unique conspecific identification for baboon mothers to discriminate their young from

Nectar robbers feed on the nectar obtained through holes that have been chewed into the flower. This behavior often leads to a reduction in effective pollination because nectar robbers avoid floral reproductive structures (Inouye 1980). Primary nectar robbers puncture the flower, creating an opening

Low temperature AHe thermochronology shows that Gothic Mountain, at the center of a bull's-

While there has been extensive studies done on how dominant affect community dynamics and ecosystem function, fewer studies address the relative influence of dominant vs. subdominant species to affect systems. Further, not enough studies have been done addressing the role of dominant vs. subdominant

As climate continues to shift, species existing over broad and variable ranges must exhibit the ability to adapt functional traits to novel environmental conditions. In this study, I used a large-scale common garden experiment to examine the variation in flowering time of 137 Boechera stricta (Brass

Determining mechanisms behind species ranges is vital to creating the most accurate models of species distributions under climate change. Mutualisms are an important factor to consider when examining mechanisms behind range limits of host plants, as they can have a large influence on community organ

Climate change has been changing plant community systems worldwide. These observations can be seen over a broad range, when resurveyed. Recording these changes in plant community structure is necessary if future plant migration studies are to be done. Herbarium data was expanded using historically s

Global climate change-driven changes in phenology affect populations of alpine meadow wildflowers and their pollinators through direct and indirect effects. Earlier snowmelt in montane regions, caused by a warming climate, results in earlier blooming date and longer blooming period of wildflowers su

Plants systems rely on a variety of resources to survive and reproduce. The amount and quality of pollen a flower receives can determine not only the number of seeds that are produced, but also whether they will be viable or not. The purpose of the study looked at the relationship between the amount

Dietary specialization on “toxic” or unfavorable pollens has multiple evolutionary origins in many bee families, despite such pollen being unsuitable for most generalist bee species. Pollen specialization on unsuitable pollen types must confer other evolutionary benefits; an anti-­‐parasitism functi

Plant-­‐fungal symbioses are found in ecosystems worldwide, but relatively little is known about how these two organisms affect each other. This study sought to shed light on this topic. The first experiment tested to see if the presence of an endophyte (genus Epichloë) effected the decomposition ra

The date of spring snowmelt is advancing in numerous alpine and subalpine ecosystems due to both rising temperatures and reduced snowpack associated with climate change. Snowmelt is a critical source of water for plants in subalpine ecosystems, so changes in snowmelt timing can affect many important