AbstractThe mechanistic origin and shape of body‐size distributions within communities are of considerable interest in ecology. A recently proposed light‐limitation model provides a good fit to the distribution of tree sizes in a tropical forest plot. The maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE) als

When approached by a predator, prey make economic decisions between remaining where they are and obtaining benefits from their current activity or leaving and enhancing their safety. The "flush early and avoid the rush" hypothesis suggests that animals that flee to escape approaching threats flee so

Maria Paniw,1,2* Dylan Z. Natural populations are exposed to seasonal variation in environmental factors that simultane- Childs,3 Kenneth B. Armitage,4 ously affect several demographic rates (survival, development and reproduction). The resulting Daniel T. Blumstein,5,6 Julien covariation in these r

Many plants that bear hidden or recessed floral nectar experience nectar robbing, the removal of nectar by a floral visitor through holes pierced in the corolla. Although robbing can reduce plant reproductive success, many studies fail to find such effects. We outline three mechanistic hypotheses th

This work addressed if and how yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris, alarm-calling behaviour was influenced by the presence or absence of both descendent and nondescendent kin, by using total r as a measure of the opportunity for kin selection.

It is suggested that basal metabolic rate is not an appropriate measure of the metabolic activity of free-ranging animals because basal metabolism is a stage on a food-deprivation curve.

Primers for 10 microsatellite loci developed specifically to amplify low quantity and quality DNA for Gunnison Sage-grouse were found to have levels of variability ranging from two to seven alleles, although one locus revealed significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium.

Abstract The frequency and type of dyadic social interactions individuals partake in has important fitness consequences. Social network analysis is an effective tool to quantify the complexity and consequences of these behaviors on the individual level. Less work has used social networks to quantify

AbstractUnderstanding the amount of variation in functional traits between closely related species within guilds is critical for understanding links between community composition and ecosystem processes. Nutrient excretion is an important link between animals and their environments, and aquatic inve

Organismal phenotypes often co-vary with environmental variables across broad geographic ranges. Less is known about the extent to which phenotypes match local conditions when multiple biotic and abiotic stressors vary at fine spatial scales. Bittercress (Brassicaceae: Cardamine cordifolia), a peren

The golden-mantled ground squirrel (Citellus lateralis lateralis) and the least chipmunk (Eutamias minimus consobrinus) were studied in the mountains of west central Colorado where the two species are sympatric and display marked similarities in habitat selection, life cycles and general behavior pa

The results indicate that the North Fork Gunnison River has been primarily braided in its lower reaches during the past few hundred years, although the channel planform tends toward a single-thread channel during decades of lower precipitation and discharge.

Abstract The increase of structural growth rates to compensate for a poor initial body condition, defined as compensatory growth, may have physiological costs, but little is known about its effects on individual fitness in the wild. Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) are obligate hibernato

The novel hypothesis that endophyte symbiosis promotes host fitness under flooded conditions, contributing to niche differentiation between the two bluegrass species is investigated, demonstrating an overall benefit of fungal symbiosis in this system.

Understanding the causes and consequences of population fluctuations is a central goal of ecology. We used demographic data from a long-term (1990–2008) study and matrix population models to investigate factors and processes influencing the dynamics and persistence of a golden-mantled ground squirre

AbstractSulfur (S) is an essential macronutrient and important component of the earth’s crust, and its cycling has critical impacts on trace metal mobility, water quality, and human health. Pyrite weathering is the primary pathway by which sulfur enters surface waters. However, biogeochemical cyclin

Early-flowering species may be especially susceptible to occasional pollen limitation and, therefore, may benefit from a mixed-mating strategy that provides reproductive assurance. We studied cleistogamous (CL) and chasmogamous (CH) fruit set of spring-flowering Viola praemorsa Dougl. ex Lindl. alon

Assessing benthic invertebrate community responses to multiple stressors is necessary to improve the success of restoration and biomonitoring projects. Results of mesocosm and field experiments were integrated to predict how benthic macroinvertebrate communities would recover following the removal o