Life Sciences Commons^™

Aesthetic Characteristics Of The Front Range: An Analysis Of Viewsheds Provided By Boulder Osmp Lands, Monica A. Dorning, Derek Van Berkel, Scott M. Beck, Emily J. Wilkins, Hongchao Zhang, Jordan W. Smith

All Current Publications

The city of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) lands offer residents and visitors a variety of unique recreational, scenic, and cultural experiences that are often captured and shared publicly via social media. Given the diversity of OSMP lands, visitor experiences likely differ based on the aesthetic and biophysical features that can be viewed from these landscapes. For instance, the peaks of the iconic Flatirons provide visitors with different scenic views than the low-lying grasslands in the southeastern area of the city. Furthermore, visitor use and enjoyment of OSMP lands could be directly related to the landscape features that …

Using Resident-Based Hazing Programs To Reduce Human-Coyote Conflicts In Urban Environments, Mary Ann Bonnell, Stewart W. Breck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Abstract The concept of hazing (aversive conditioning) is often promoted as a tool for reducing human-coyote (Canis latrans) conflicts in urban environments. Little scientific evidence exists on the effectiveness of hazing, particularly hazing applied by residents (i.e., community-level hazing). Wildlife professionals question if residents will properly and consistently apply hazing techniques and if hazing impacts coyote behavior over short- and long-term periods. We describe two separate efforts designed to encourage residents to haze coyotes in the Denver Metro Area; a citizen-science program and an open space hazing trial. Both efforts were intended to be management techniques that either …

Factors Contributing To The Conservation Of Phacelia Submutica (Boraginaceae), A Threatened Species In Western Colorado: Reproductive Biology And Seed Ecology, Alicia M. Langton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Conservation and recovery plans for rare species require biological and ecological information to discern how they may be susceptible to human disturbances. Phacelia submutica is a threatened annual species in western Colorado. Human activities including energy development, recreation, and livestock grazing are occurring within the species’ range. To provide conservation practitioners with a scientific basis for management, this research aimed to elucidate elements of the species’ ecology. Chapter 2 describes the reproductive biology of P. submutica. Potential insect pollinators were not observed during two years of observations. Floral traits and development ensure self-pollination and reduce the likelihood that insects …

An Assessment Of Usda Forest Service Wilderness In Colorado: Manager's Perceptions Of Conditions And Remoteness Modeling, Christopher Monz

Christopher Monz

No abstract provided.

Alternative Futures For The Upper Colorado River Ecosystem: Phase Two, Temis G. Taylor

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (2001) reports that habitat destruction is the main factor responsible for species endangerment. Trends in land use and expansion of urban areas into adjacent open space will continue to consume land and fragment or destroy habitat (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 2001). Studies have shown that habitat loss negatively impacts overall species abundance and reduces biodiversity (Andren, 1997; Fischer & Lindenmayer, 2007; Hansen et al., 2005; McKinney, 2002; Pimm & Raven, 2000; Sole, Alonso, & Saldafia, 2004, and others). Habitat destruction and fragmentation are believed to be core causes for biodiversity decline, although species' …

Summer Home Range Fidelity In Adult Female Elk (Cervus Elaphus) In Northwestern Colorado, April M. Brough

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the degree of spatial fidelity of individuals within a species increases our ability to manage appropriately. Elk (Cervus elaphus) is a highly managed species in the Intermountain West, but there is little research evaluating summer home range fidelity of individual elk. We evaluated fidelity of 72 adult female elk to individual summer-fall home ranges in the White River study area in northwestern Colorado during two consecutive summers. Based on individual kernel-estimated utilization distributions, we used (1) the Volume of Intersection (VI) statistic and (2) interannual distances between centers of mass to compare summer range overlap and distribution. …

Survival And Productivity Of A Low-Density Black Bear Population In Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Roger A. Baldwin, Louis C. Bender

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Historically, Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) has supported a small black bear (Ursus americanus) population of low productivity. Increased visitor use of the park and development around its periphery could lead to a reduction in population viability of RMNP’s bear population or could increase the potential for human–bear conflict. Therefore, we investigated contemporary survival and productivity parameters for RMNP’s black bear population from 2003 to 2006 and compared these values to historic levels (1984–1991) and population means throughout the western United States to clarify the current status of RMNP’s bear population. The contemporary black bear population showed signs …

Trans Fatty Acids Provide Evidence Of Anthropogenic Feeding By Black Bears, Gregory W. Thiemann, Randal S. Stahl, Sharon Baruch-Mordo, Stewart W. Breck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bears (Ursus spp.) that become conditioned to anthropogenic food sources pose a risk to human safety and generally need to be relocated, rehabilitated, or destroyed. Identifying food-conditioned bears may be difficult if the animal is not captured or killed while immediately engaged in the nuisance behavior. Fatty acid signature analysis has been used to examine the dietary habits of bears and other carnivores and is based on the predictable incorporation of ingested fatty acids into the consumer’s fat stores. Unusual fatty acids that are available in only a few food types may be particularly useful dietary markers. In this …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Stage Fluctuations On Overwinter Survial And Movement Of Young Colorado Pikeminnow In The Green River, Utah, 1999-2002, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Agriculture

Each component of the Flaming Gorge Winter study had specific objectives to address oncerning the effects of winter operations of Flaming Gorge Dam on the survival, distribution, and ursery habitats of age-O Colorado pileeminnow. n Table I, study objectives for each project are resented and the reader is directed to the relevant draft report. The Colorado River Fish Project-Vernal, tah, was responsible for conducting field investigations (i.e., population estimates, winter fish sampling, nd monitoring stage fluctuations) in the alluvial reach occupied by age-O Colorado pileeminnow. olorado State University was responsible for characterizing movement rates under simulated winter onditions; and developing …

The Obesity Epidemic: Characteristics Of Successful Weight Management Programs And Colorado's Approach, Michele Singer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Obesity is rapidly growing in the United States with no sign of decreasing with current treatment options available to Americans (1). There are many treatments for obesity, but few are effective. The State of Colorado has numerous community nutrition programs available to its residents ranging from government programs such as universities and state health departments to healthcare providers and volunteer organizations such as the American Heart Association. Current treatments that are available for overweight and obese individuals include commercial programs, popular diet books, Internet programs, and individualized counseling. This paper will discuss different treatments and their efficacy, successful weight loss …

Final Envrionmental Impact Statement: Iron Point Exploration License -- Iron Point Coal Lease Tract -- Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract, Volume 1, United States Department Of Agriculture -- Forest Service, United States Departement Of The Interior -- Bureau Of Land Management

Environmental Assessments (CO)

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) describes the physical, biological, social, and economic resources that would be potentially affected by leasing of the Iron Point and Elk Creek Coal Lease tracts as well as issuing an exploration license for an area within and surrounding the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract. The federal decisions to be made involve the approval or disapproval of coal leasing (the Iron Point and Elk Creek tracts) and of an exploration license. Some of the key issues for these proposed actions include: the potential effects of transporting over 19 million tons of coal per year from …

Growth And Survival Of Colorado Squawfish In The Upper Colorado River, D. B. Osmundson, Ronald J. Ryel, T. E. Mourning

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Growth and adult survival rates were estimated for the endangered Colorado squawfish Ptychocheilus lucius inhabiting the upper Colorado River by using data from fish captured during 1990–1995. Mean annual growth rates of fish aged 3–6 years ranged from 32.2 (age 6) to 82.0 (age 3) mm/year. Growth rates for older fish were highest for fish 400–449 mm total length, TL, (42.7 mm/year) and declined to 19.8 mm/year for fish 500–549 mm TL. Fish 550 mm and longer grew an average 9.5 mm/year. Survival rates for fish 550 mm and longer were estimated by comparing measured size distributions with simulated stable …

Response Of Aspen Root Suckers To Regeneration Methods And Post-Harvest Protection, Wayne D. Shepperd

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Final Oil And Gas Leasing Environmental Impact Statement [Microform] : Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre And Gunnison National Forests V1, United States Forest Service

Environmental Assessments (NV)

No abstract provided.

Final Oil And Gas Leasing Environmental Impact Statement [Microform] : Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre And Gunnison National Forests V2, United States Forest Service

Environmental Assessments (NV)

No abstract provided.

Fungi Associated With Sprout Mortality In Aspen Clearcuts In Colorado And Arizona, W.R. Jacobi, W.D. Shepperd

Aspen Bibliography

Four aspen stands with greater than 90% sprout mortality in Colorado and one in Arizona were evaluated for fungal pathogens. There 4- to 5-year-old sprouts had rapidly expanding cankers moving from the terminal to the ground line. Roots of sampled sprouts showed no damage and root diseases were not found. Fruiting structures of Cytospora chrysosperma were consistently found on dying stems, while those of Dothiora polyspora were occasionally found. The same organisms were isolated from the margins of advancing cankers. Pathogenicity tests using greenhouse-grown aspen trees indicated C. chrysosperma caused rapidly expanding cankers similar to those observed on the aspen …

Breeding Birds In Uncut Aspen And 6- To 10-Year-Old Clearcuts In Southwestern Colorado, V.E. Scott, G.L. Crouch

Aspen Bibliography

Numbers of breeding birds were estimated for various sizes and ages of clearcuts, for edge habitat created by the clearcuts, leave strips between clearcuts, and uncut aspen forest (controls). Total numbers of birds were not different among three size classes or five age classes of clearcuts. Total were lower on clearcuts than on edges but not different from controls or leave strips.

Response Of Breeding Birds To Commercial Clearcutting Of Aspen In Southwestern Colorado [Usa], V.E. Scott, G.L. Crouch

Aspen Bibliography

Breeding birds on an aspen forest in southwestern Colorado increased in species diversity after 25% of the timber sale area forest was clearcut in patches of 3 to 20 acres. Bird population density on the forest with clearcuts was not significantly different from that on an uncut forest. Of the 20 species evaluated, six were more and one was less abundant than on the uncut forest.

Aspen Sucker Damage And Defect In Colorado Clearcut Areas, Thomas E. Hinds, W.D. Shepperd

Aspen Bibliography

Substantial acreages of aspen in the Rocky Mountains are being regenerated by clearcutting; however, there is little information on the quality of the suckers that reestablish in these areas. Whether the new stands will be more or less defective than their predecessors is unknown.

Aspen Regeneration In 6- To 10-Year-Old Clearcuts In Southwestern Colorado, Glenn L. Crouch

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Aspen Stands Treated With Herbicides In The Western United States, R.O. Harniss, D.L. Bartos

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Whole Stand Volume Tables For Quaking Aspen [Populus Tremuloides] In The Rocky Mountains [Colorado, Wyoming], Wayne D. Shepperd, H.T. Mowrer

Aspen Bibliography

Linear regression equations were developed to predict stand volumes for aspen given average stand basal area and average stand height. Tables constructed from these equations allow easy field estimation of gross merchantable cubic and board foot Scribner Rules per acre, and cubic meters per hectare using simple prism cruise data.

The Plant Information Network (Pin) Data Base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, And Wyoming, United States Department Of The Interior, Fish And Wildlife Service

Plants

This publication provides introductory information on the Plant Information Network (PIN) and a print-out of PIN data. The PIN was a computerized data base containing information on native and naturalized vascular plants of five Western States. Information was included on over 5,000 species found in Colordo, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Because of funding restrictions PIN is no longer operated as a computerized data base. This publication makes the PIN data available to resource managers, planners, and others who have a continuing need for this information.

Approximately 500 descriptors were included in the data base for each species. These …

Aspen Regeneration After Commercial Clearcutting In Southwestern Colorado, G.L. Crouch

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Cryptosphaeria Canker And Libertella Decay Of Aspen, Thomas E. Hinds

Aspen Bibliography

A recently discovered, widely distributed canker disease of aspen and other poplars throughout the Rocky Mountain region is described. Inoculations with ascospore and conidial isolates of Cryptosphaeria populina show the fungus is capable of causing branch, sprout, and sapling mortality, trunk cankers, and the discoloration and decay of aspen stems previously associated with its imperfect stage, Libertella sp. The greatest average canker elongation 50 mo after September inoculations was 33.5 cm with sapwood decay and discoloration extending to 401 cm. The fungus caused an average weight loss of 13.5% in bark, 27.0% in sapwood, and 19.1% in heartwood blocks. Incidence …

Propagation Of Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx.) From Root Cuttings, Karen Elizabeth Burr

Aspen Bibliography

Lateral root cuttings were collected at five quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) clones in Larimer County, Colorado on October 2, 1977 and May 30, 1978. The October 1977 root cuttings were stored eight months in air-tight plastic bags at 0 to 4°C. On June 1, 1978 the stored (October 1977) and the fresh (May 1978) root cuttings were planted in a greenhouse propagation bench. All sprouts that developed were allowed to grow on half of the 10-cm long root cuttings randomly selected as controls. On the remaining half of the root cuttings, designated pruned, all but the tallest sprout were …

Systemic Studies Of The Genus Gila (Cyprinidae) Of The Colorado River Basin, Paul Bernard Holden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three Hundred and nine specimens of Gila from the Colorado River basin were studied. A form of numerical taxonomy, taximetrics, was used to help classify the specimens. The data from these fish indicate that many of the present hypotheses concerning their taxonomy are not valid. The concept of ecosubspecies or ecological subspecies does not fit the Colorado basin Gila. The roundtail and bonytail chubs, G. robusta Baird and Girard and G. elegans Baird and Girard respectively, currently treated as subspecies, are well separated morphologically, ecologically and reproductively and therefore are better considered two valid species. The relationship between G. …