Anthropogenically induced climate change is expected to effect numerous climatic alterations pertinent to ecosystems, including increased mean global temperature and altered precipitation regimes. High-elevation ecosystems are especially sensitive to climatic changes because slight fluctuations in f

The Red-naped sapsucker creates a nest cavity in aspen woodlands each year, required by other bird spp. for nesting, and spends much of its foraging time in willow wetlands. This study attempted to determine a) how does proximity of potential nest trees to forest edge and willows affect the sapsucke

Plant communities are shaped by their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors in their environment, including herbivores. In response to pressures from herbivores, plants develop a variety of physical and chemical defenses to protect themselves. The investment that plants make in these defenses

In many vertebrates, the right hemisphere/left visual field is used to process information about threats while the left hemisphere/right visual field is used to process information about conspecifics. This is referred to as hemispheric lateralization. But prey that are too predictable in their respo

As global climate changes ephemeral freshwater systems face changes in historical hydroperiod with a shift towards shorter wet periods. Vernal ponds are one such type of lentic ephemeral system; in general they are relatively small and shallow, which causes them to dry in late spring or early summer

Flowers at high elevation must deal with less than ideal conditions, both abiotic and biotic. A limiting biotic factor plants must cope with at high elevations is pollinator limitation. With increasing elevation, insect groups such as Hymenoptera decrease with abundance whereas the abundance of Dipt

Fungal symbionts are pervasive and crucial components of terrestrial ecosystems. They can often reduce the effects of stressors such as drought and heat and can increase nutrient and water uptake for plants. Because of these roles, fungal symbionts may be important in mitigating the stressors of cli

I tested the oviposition preference of the leaf miner Scaptomyza nigrita of and within its native host plant Cardamine cordifolia. Gravid female S. nigrita were used in cafeteria-style choice tests to quantitatively evaluate feeding and oviposition preference between C. cordifolia from shaded and su

The species-area relationship (SAR) is a widely used concept in ecology, yet there is much controversy over its form. It has traditionally been assumed either to have a simple universal power-law form, S = cAz, or to be idiosyncratic, varying from habitat to habitat, taxa to taxa, and spatial scale

The diatom Didymosphenia geminata has become an increasing concern for aquatic habitats. The algae has spread within its native environment and exhibit invasive characteristics, as well as invade ecosystems outside of its native range. D. geminata does not appear to affect the species richness of an

Restoration Ecology is the science of techniques in which environmental degradation can be reversed and the previously existing ecosystems can be reestablished. Revegetation is a common restoration technique and I chose to investigate whether it could be applied to disturbed areas in high-altitude m

Changes in the morphology and physiology of Ipomopsis aggregata and changes in en- vironment were assessed along a roughly 1000 m elevation gradient at seven sites in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. Sites at the ends of the gradient had the lowest soil moisture, the lowest two being in sage