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Articles 121 - 150 of 194

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Resin Duct Defenses In Ponderosa Pine During A Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak: Genetic Effects, Mortality, And Relationships With Growth, Sean Pinnell Jan 2016

Resin Duct Defenses In Ponderosa Pine During A Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak: Genetic Effects, Mortality, And Relationships With Growth, Sean Pinnell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite formidable tree defenses against insect pests, including resin produced in resin ducts, bark beetles have recently caused extensive outbreaks in western North American forests. To date, our understanding of the extent to which resin duct defenses remain effective at the peak of an outbreak, the relative genetic vs. environmental controls on resin duct production, the degree to which drought reduces resin defenses in naturally occurring outbreaks, and whether and when defense production competes for resources with growth remains limited. Resolving these questions is relevant in the face of climate change, and increased risk of outbreaks. I took advantage of …

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Positive Interactions In Temperate And Tropical Alpine Plant Communities: The Role Of Facilitation In Species-Specific Interactions, Invasion, And Landscape-Scale Distribution, Nicole Hupp Jan 2016

Positive Interactions In Temperate And Tropical Alpine Plant Communities: The Role Of Facilitation In Species-Specific Interactions, Invasion, And Landscape-Scale Distribution, Nicole Hupp

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

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Roe Deer Summer Habitat Selection At Multiple Spatio-Temporal Scales In An Alpine Environment, Sara Mancinelli, Wibke Peters, Luigi Boitani, Mark Hebblewhite, Francesca Cagnacci Nov 2015

Roe Deer Summer Habitat Selection At Multiple Spatio-Temporal Scales In An Alpine Environment, Sara Mancinelli, Wibke Peters, Luigi Boitani, Mark Hebblewhite, Francesca Cagnacci

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Habitat selection is a hierarchical process that may involve different patterns depending on the spatial and temporal scales of investigation. We studied habitat selection by European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in a very diverse environment in the Italian eastern Alps, during summer. We sampled both coarse-grained habitat variables (topographic variables, habitat types and cover) and fine-grained habitat variables (forage components of habitat) in used and available locations along the movement trajectories of 14 adult roe deer equipped with GPS telemetry collars. We used conventional logistic regression to assess roe deer habitat selection at the seasonal home range scale, …

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Examining Temporal Sample Scale And Model Choice With Spatial Capture-Recapture Models In The Common Leopard Panthera Pardus, Joshua F. Goldberg, Tshering Tempa, Nawang Norbu, Mark Hebblewhite, L. Scott Mills, Tshewang R. Wangchuk, Paul Lukacs Nov 2015

Examining Temporal Sample Scale And Model Choice With Spatial Capture-Recapture Models In The Common Leopard Panthera Pardus, Joshua F. Goldberg, Tshering Tempa, Nawang Norbu, Mark Hebblewhite, L. Scott Mills, Tshewang R. Wangchuk, Paul Lukacs

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Many large carnivores occupy a wide geographic distribution, and face treats from habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, prey depletion, and human wildlife-conflicts. Conservation requires robust techniques for estimating population densities and trends, but the elusive nature and low densities of many large carnivores make them difficult to detect. Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models provide a means for handling imperfect detectability, while linking population estimates to individual movement patterns to provide more accurate estimates than standard approaches. Within this framework, we investigate the effect of different sample interval lengths on density estimates, using simulations and a common leopard (Panthera pardus) …

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Integrating Resource Selection Into Spatial Capture-Recapture Models For Large Carnivores, K. M. Proffitt, Joshua F. Goldberg, Mark Hebblewhite, R. Russell, B. S. Jimenez, H. S. Robinson, K. Pilgrim, M. K. Schwartz Nov 2015

Integrating Resource Selection Into Spatial Capture-Recapture Models For Large Carnivores, K. M. Proffitt, Joshua F. Goldberg, Mark Hebblewhite, R. Russell, B. S. Jimenez, H. S. Robinson, K. Pilgrim, M. K. Schwartz

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Wildlife managers need reliable methods to estimate large carnivore densities and population trends; yet large carnivores are elusive, difficult to detect, and occur at low densities making traditional approaches intractable. Recent advances in spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have provided new approaches for monitoring trends in wildlife abundance and these methods are particularly applicable to large carnivores. We applied SCR models in a Bayesian framework to estimate mountain lion densities in the Bitterroot Mountains of west central Montana. We incorporate an existing resource selection function (RSF) as a density co-variate to account for heterogeneity in habitat use across the study area …

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Experimental Evidence Of Bark Beetle Adaptation To A Fungal Symbiont, Bracewell R. Ryan, Diana Six Oct 2015

Experimental Evidence Of Bark Beetle Adaptation To A Fungal Symbiont, Bracewell R. Ryan, Diana Six

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

The importance of symbiotic microbes to insects cannot be overstated; however, we have a poor understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape most insect–microbe interactions. Many bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) species are involved in what have been described as obligate mutualisms with symbiotic fungi. Beetles benefit through supplementing their nutrient- poor diet with fungi and the fungi benefit through gaining transportation to resources. However, only a few beetle–fungal symbioses have been experimentally manipulated to test whether the relationship is obligate. Furthermore, none have tested for adaptation of beetles to their specific symbionts, one of the requirements for coevolution. We …

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A Fatty Acid Based Bayesian Approach For Inferring Diet In Aquatic Consumers, Aaron W. E. Galloway, Michael T. Brett, Gordon W. Holtgrieve, Eric J. Ward, Ashley P. Ballantyne, Carolyn W. Burns, Martin J. Kainz, Doerthe C. Muller-Navarra, Jonas Persson, Joseph L. Ravet, Ursula Strandberg, Sami J. Taipale, Gunnel Alhgren Jun 2015

A Fatty Acid Based Bayesian Approach For Inferring Diet In Aquatic Consumers, Aaron W. E. Galloway, Michael T. Brett, Gordon W. Holtgrieve, Eric J. Ward, Ashley P. Ballantyne, Carolyn W. Burns, Martin J. Kainz, Doerthe C. Muller-Navarra, Jonas Persson, Joseph L. Ravet, Ursula Strandberg, Sami J. Taipale, Gunnel Alhgren

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

We modified the stable isotope mixing model MixSIR to infer primary producer contributions to consumer diets based on their fatty acid composition. To parameterize the algorithm, we generated a ‘consumer-resource library’ of FA signatures of Daphnia fed different algal diets, using 34 feeding trials representing diverse phytoplankton lineages. This library corresponds to the resource or producer file in classic Bayesian mixing models such as MixSIR or SIAR. Because this library is based on the FA profiles of zooplankton consuming known diets, and not the FA profiles of algae directly, trophic modification of consumer lipids is directly accounted for. To test …

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Suitable Days For Plant Growth Disappear Under Projected Climate Change: Potential Human And Biotic Vulnerability, Camilo Mora, Iain R. Caldwell, Jamie M. Caldwell, Micah R. Fisher, Brandon M. Genco, Steven W. Running Jun 2015

Suitable Days For Plant Growth Disappear Under Projected Climate Change: Potential Human And Biotic Vulnerability, Camilo Mora, Iain R. Caldwell, Jamie M. Caldwell, Micah R. Fisher, Brandon M. Genco, Steven W. Running

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Ongoing climate change can alter conditions for plant growth, in turn affecting ecological and social systems. While there have been considerable advances in understanding the physical aspects of climate change, comprehensive analyses integrating climate, biological, and social sciences are less common. Here we use climate projections under alternative mitigation scenarios to show how changes in environmental variables that limit plant growth could impact ecosystems and people. We show that although the global mean number of days above freezing will increase by up to 7% by 2100 under “business as usual” (representative concentration pathway [RCP] 8.5), suitable growing days will actually …

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Topographic Controls On Soil Nitrogen Availability In A Lowland Tropical Forest, Samantha R. Weintraub, Philip G. Taylor, Stephen Porder, Cory C. Cleveland, Gregory P. Asner, Alan R. Townsend Jun 2015

Topographic Controls On Soil Nitrogen Availability In A Lowland Tropical Forest, Samantha R. Weintraub, Philip G. Taylor, Stephen Porder, Cory C. Cleveland, Gregory P. Asner, Alan R. Townsend

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Geomorphic position often correlates with nutrient cycling across landscapes. In tropical forests, topography is known to influence phosphorus (P) availability, but its effect on nitrogen (N) cycling has received less exploration, especially in lowland forests where widespread N richness is frequently assumed. Here, we report significant effects of topographic slope and landscape position on multiple aspects of the N cycle across a highly dissected lowland tropical forest on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. A suite of N cycle metrics measured along a topographic sequence revealed a distinct gradient in N availability. Values of soil d15N, inorganic N pools, net nitrification …

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A Comparison Of Plot-Based Satellite And Earth System Model Estimates Of Tropical Forest Net Primary Production, Cory C. Cleveland, Philip Taylor, K. Dana Chadwick, Kyla Dahlin, Christopher E. Doughty, Yadvinder Malhi, W. Kolby Smith, Benjamin W. Sullivan, William R. Wider, Alan R. Townsend May 2015

A Comparison Of Plot-Based Satellite And Earth System Model Estimates Of Tropical Forest Net Primary Production, Cory C. Cleveland, Philip Taylor, K. Dana Chadwick, Kyla Dahlin, Christopher E. Doughty, Yadvinder Malhi, W. Kolby Smith, Benjamin W. Sullivan, William R. Wider, Alan R. Townsend

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Net primary production (NPP) by plants represents the largest annual flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere to the terrestrial biosphere, playing a critical role in the global carbon (C) cycle and the Earth’s climate. Rates of NPP in tropical forests are thought to be among the highest on Earth, but debates about the magnitude, patterns, and controls of NPP in the tropics highlight uncertainty in our understanding of how tropical forests may respond to environmental change. Here, we compared tropical NPP estimates generated using three common approaches: (1) field-based methods scaled from plot-level measurements of plant …

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Population Differentiation And Habitat Selection Of A Montane Red Fox Population In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Patrick Cross Jan 2015

Population Differentiation And Habitat Selection Of A Montane Red Fox Population In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Patrick Cross

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montane red fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations across the western United States are genetically and morphologically distinct from foxes at lower elevations. These montane populations also share a preference for subalpine forest habitats. One hypothesis is that they stem from boreal forest-associated ancestors that expanded during the Pleistocene when boreal forests extended farther south than they do today. Forest habitat selection may therefore aid the persistence of native populations surrounded by non-native conspecifics. Alternatively, this behavior may be an avoidance mechanism in response to competition with larger coyotes (Canis latrans), or a product of the fox's natural adaptability. The red fox …

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Assessing Changes In Avian Communities, Jessie D. Golding Jan 2015

Assessing Changes In Avian Communities, Jessie D. Golding

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Grazing is a potentially powerful tool to address wildlife declines associated with land use conversion in the western United States. Grazing systems can be manipulated to achieve desired vegetation outcomes, preserve native habitat and economically benefit multiple stakeholders. As a result, systems designed to benefit native ecosystems are being widely implemented. However, the benefits of these grazing systems on many wildlife communities remain relatively unexplored. Songbirds provide an ideal study system to test these benefits because they continue to use native habitat that is currently grazed. Given limited time and resources, conservation practitioners often monitor a single focal species or …

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Use Of Airborne Digital Imagery To Examine Floodplain Complexity At Varying Discharges, Katelyn P. Driscoll Jan 2015

Use Of Airborne Digital Imagery To Examine Floodplain Complexity At Varying Discharges, Katelyn P. Driscoll

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Floodplains are composed of aquatic and terrestrial habitats that are frequently reshaped by hydrologic processes operating at various spatial and temporal scales. I hypothesized that floodplain habitat complexity is maximized at intermediate discharges because small changes in flow result in substantial aquatic habitat changes and extreme discharges are associated with a decreased habitat heterogeneity. Between April and September 2014, I collected ultra-high resolution digital multispectral imagery of the Clark Fork River, Montana taken on 6 dates between early spring and fall. Following image mosaicking into a single image, unsupervised classification of the spectral reflectance was used to identify and quantify …

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Why Do Caterpillars Whistle? Acoustic Mimicry Of Bird Alarm Calls In The Amorpha Juglandis Caterpillar, Jessica Lindsay Jan 2015

Why Do Caterpillars Whistle? Acoustic Mimicry Of Bird Alarm Calls In The Amorpha Juglandis Caterpillar, Jessica Lindsay

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Caterpillar species possess a range of anti-predator defenses, from regurgitation to sonar jamming. The North American walnut sphinx caterpillar (Amorpha juglandis) produces a variety of whistling noises when pinched. Limited observations indicate that this causes avian predators to retreat, leaving the caterpillar alone. However, it is unknown why this whistle is such an effective deterrent. Interestingly, the A. juglandis whistle is acoustically similar to the “seet” alarm call that many bird species produce in response to their own predators. We propose that the A. juglandis whistle is a form of acoustic mimicry, in which the caterpillar protects itself …

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Wolf-Cougar Co-Occurrence In The Central Canadian Rocky Mountains, Ellen Brandell Jan 2015

Wolf-Cougar Co-Occurrence In The Central Canadian Rocky Mountains, Ellen Brandell

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Cougars and wolves are top carnivores that influence the dynamics of an ecosystem, including prey behavior and dynamics, and interspecific competition. Studies about the interactions between wolves and cougars typically find wolves are dominant competitors to cougars. We examined single-species, single-season occupancy models and co-occurrence models of wolves and cougars in the Central Canadian Rocky Mountains to understand interactions between these two species on a grand landscape. Data was collected from 2012-2013 using remote wildlife cameras and separated into seasons. Naïve occupancy estimates were larger for wolves in both seasons, but both species had smaller ranges in winter. There were …

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A Gis Assessment Of Ecoregion Representation In Chile's Existing And Proposed Integrated Network Of Protected Areas, Jessica Schutz Jan 2015

A Gis Assessment Of Ecoregion Representation In Chile's Existing And Proposed Integrated Network Of Protected Areas, Jessica Schutz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Chile's state designated protected areas are reported to show representation bias and to be unable to meet conservation goals. Private protected areas are considered an important tool to resolve these issues, which has led to support for increasing the role of private protected areas in Chile and creating an integrated public-private protected area network. But the validity of the capacity of private protected areas to fix Chile's state protected area network bias, and the advantage of creating an integrated protected area network, have not been assessed. This study uses the most recent data on Chile's state, private, and international protected …

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Ecological Status Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs On Boulder, Colorado Open Space And Mountain Parks Land: An Analysis Of Select Indicators, Rachel A. Caldwell Jan 2015

Ecological Status Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs On Boulder, Colorado Open Space And Mountain Parks Land: An Analysis Of Select Indicators, Rachel A. Caldwell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are ecosystem regulators, significantly influencing the surrounding ecosystem. On Boulder County, Colorado Open Space and Mountain Parks land, and throughout their range, prairie dogs affect a number of ecological functions including plant dynamics and associated animals. The ability of prairie dogs to promote the wellbeing of associated plant and animal species depends on the condition of prairie dog populations. One way to evaluate the current condition of prairie dogs and predict their future impact on the ecosystem is to evaluate the status of prairie dogs in relation to specific indicators. I address the …

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Chromosomal Rearrangements Directly Cause Underdominant F1 Pollen Sterility In Mimulus Lewisii-M. Cardinalis Hybrids, Angela M. Stathos Jan 2015

Chromosomal Rearrangements Directly Cause Underdominant F1 Pollen Sterility In Mimulus Lewisii-M. Cardinalis Hybrids, Angela M. Stathos

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Chromosomal rearrangements can contribute to the evolution of postzygotic reproductive isolation directly, by disrupting meiosis in F1 hybrids, or indirectly, by suppressing recombination among genic incompatibilities. Because direct effects of rearrangements on fertility imply fitness costs during their spread, understanding the mechanism of F1 hybrid sterility is integral to reconstructing the role(s) of rearrangements in speciation. In hybrids between monkeyflowers Mimulus cardinalis and M. lewisii, rearrangements contain all quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for both premating barriers and pollen sterility, suggesting that they may have facilitated speciation in this model system. I used artificial chromosome doubling and …

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Community Perturbation Associated With New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamapyrgus Antipodarum) Invasion: Discrepancies In Temporal And Spatial Assessment, Eric H. Richins Jan 2015

Community Perturbation Associated With New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamapyrgus Antipodarum) Invasion: Discrepancies In Temporal And Spatial Assessment, Eric H. Richins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Invasive species have the potential to alter the ecosystems within which they establish as well as adjacent but uninvaded ecosystems by altering the flow of nutrients or biota across system boundaries. New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum; NZMS) are often very abundant where they invade, sequestering the majority of stream primary production. This sequestering of production may reduce aquatic insect production, subsequent insect emergence and subsidies to riparian ecosystems. Tetragnathid spiders, an insectivorous riparian specialist, are dependent on the emergence of aquatic insects and are typical indicators of aquatic insect subsidies to riparian zones. In addition, NZMS invasions can result …

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Cows And Plows: Science-Based Conservation For Grassland Songbirds In Agricultural Landscapes, Marisa K. Lipsey Jan 2015

Cows And Plows: Science-Based Conservation For Grassland Songbirds In Agricultural Landscapes, Marisa K. Lipsey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Temperate grasslands are among earth’s most imperiled ecosystems. In North America, steep declines of endemic songbird populations indicate that grassland loss and degradation may be approaching critical levels. Grasslands are agricultural landscapes largely (~85%) under private ownership with little formal protection status. Remaining bird populations depend on grazing lands that have not been converted to cropland. We combine regional data from a hotspot for grassland bird diversity (northeast Montana, USA; 26,500-km2) with continental data spanning the northern Great Plains (1,000,000-km2) to evaluate how land use and management influence bird distribution and abundance. Regionally, habitat used by seven grassland specialists spanned …

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Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard Jan 2015

Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Obtaining reliable knowledge is the first step towards properly managing wildlife species. Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) on Whidbey Island, Washington have not been the subject of study, and little is known about the population, or the opinion of resident’s of Whidbey Island towards the deer population. However, wildlife managers suggest deer on the island may be overabundant or over social carrying capacity. Given the lack of empirical knowledge about the deer population or human opinions towards deer on Whidbey Island, I designed research to determine the abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island, …

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Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests, Peter Ganzlin Jan 2015

Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests, Peter Ganzlin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Decades of fire suppression have left much of the forest in the intermountain western United States exceedingly dense, and forest restoration techniques – including thinning and prescribed fire – are increasingly being used in an attempt to mitigate the potentially disastrous effects of severe wildfire, to enhance tree growth and regeneration, and to stimulate soil nutrient cycling. While many of the short-term effects of forest restoration have been established, the long-term effects on soil biogeochemical and ecosystem processes are largely unknown. In this thesis I present two manuscripts documenting and synthesizing these long-term impacts. The first chapter focuses on the …

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Combining Demographic And Genetic Factors To Assess Population Vulnerability In Stream Species, Erin Landguth, C. C. Muhlfeld, R. S. Waples, L. Jones, Winsor H. Lowe, Diane C. Whited, J. Lucotch, H. Neville, Gordon Luikart Sep 2014

Combining Demographic And Genetic Factors To Assess Population Vulnerability In Stream Species, Erin Landguth, C. C. Muhlfeld, R. S. Waples, L. Jones, Winsor H. Lowe, Diane C. Whited, J. Lucotch, H. Neville, Gordon Luikart

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Accelerating climate change and other cumulative stressors create an urgent need to understand the influence of environmental variation and landscape features on the connectivity and vulnerability of freshwater species. Here, we introduce a novel modeling framework for aquatic systems that integrates spatially explicit, individual-based, demographic and genetic (demogenetic) assessments with environmental variables. To show its potential utility, we simulated a hypothetical network of 19 migratory riverine populations (e.g., salmonids) using a riverscape connectivity and demogenetic model (CDFISH). We assessed how stream resistance to movement (a function of water temperature, fluvial distance, and physical barriers) might influence demogenetic connectivity, and hence, …

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The Genomic Architecture Of Population Divergence Between Subspecies Of The European Rabbit, Miguel Carneiro, Frank W. Albert, Sandra Afonso, Ricardo J. Pereira, Hernan Burbano, Rita Campos, Jose Melo-Ferreira, Jose A. Blanco-Aguiar, Rafael Villafuerte, Michael W. Nachman, Jeffrey M. Good, Nuno Ferrand Aug 2014

The Genomic Architecture Of Population Divergence Between Subspecies Of The European Rabbit, Miguel Carneiro, Frank W. Albert, Sandra Afonso, Ricardo J. Pereira, Hernan Burbano, Rita Campos, Jose Melo-Ferreira, Jose A. Blanco-Aguiar, Rafael Villafuerte, Michael W. Nachman, Jeffrey M. Good, Nuno Ferrand

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The analysis of introgression of genomic regions between divergent populations provides an excellent opportunity to determine the genetic basis of reproductive isolation during the early stages of speciation. However, hybridization and subsequent gene flow must be relatively common in order to localize individual loci that resist introgression. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing to study genome-wide patterns of genetic differentiation between two hybridizing subspecies of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus and O. c. cuniculus) that are known to undergo high rates of gene exchange. Our primary objective was to identify specific genes or genomic regions that have resisted …

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Are Local Filters Blind To Provenance? Ant Seed Predation Suppresses Exotic Plants More Than Natives, Dean Pearson, Nadia S. Icasatti, Jose L. Hierro, Benjamin J. Bird Aug 2014

Are Local Filters Blind To Provenance? Ant Seed Predation Suppresses Exotic Plants More Than Natives, Dean Pearson, Nadia S. Icasatti, Jose L. Hierro, Benjamin J. Bird

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The question of whether species’ origins influence invasion outcomes has been a point of substantial debate in invasion ecology. Theoretically, colonization outcomes can be predicted based on how species’ traits interact with community filters, a process presumably blind to species’ origins. Yet, exotic plant introductions commonly result in monospecific plant densities not commonly seen in native assemblages, suggesting that exotic species may respond to community filters differently than natives. Here, we tested whether exotic and native species differed in their responses to a local community filter by examining how ant seed predation affected recruitment of eighteen native and exotic plant …

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Nutrient Addition Dramatically Accelerates Microbial Community Succession, Joseph E. Knelman, Steven K. Schmidt, Ryan C. Lynch, John L. Darcy, Sarah C. Castle, Cory C. Cleveland, Diana R. Nemergut Jul 2014

Nutrient Addition Dramatically Accelerates Microbial Community Succession, Joseph E. Knelman, Steven K. Schmidt, Ryan C. Lynch, John L. Darcy, Sarah C. Castle, Cory C. Cleveland, Diana R. Nemergut

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

The ecological mechanisms driving community succession are widely debated, particularly for microorganisms. While successional soil microbial communities are known to undergo predictable changes in structure concomitant with shifts in a variety of edaphic properties, the causal mechanisms underlying these patterns are poorly understood. Thus, to specifically isolate how nutrients – important drivers of plant succession – affect soil microbial succession, we established a full factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization plot experiment in recently deglaciated (~3 years since exposure), unvegetated soils of the Puca Glacier forefield in Southeastern Peru. We evaluated soil properties and examined bacterial community composition in …

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Granivory Of Invasive, Naturalized, And Native Plants In Communities Differentially Susceptible To Invasion, B. M. Connolly, Dean Pearson, R. N. Mack Jul 2014

Granivory Of Invasive, Naturalized, And Native Plants In Communities Differentially Susceptible To Invasion, B. M. Connolly, Dean Pearson, R. N. Mack

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Seed predation is an important biotic filter that can influence abundance and spatial distributions of native species through differential effects on recruitment. This filter may also influence the relative abundance of nonnative plants within habitats and the communities’ susceptibility to invasion via differences in granivore identity, abundance, and food preference. We evaluated the effect of postdispersal seed predators on the establishment of invasive, naturalized, and native species within and between adjacent forest and steppe communities of eastern Washington, USA that differ in severity of plant invasion. Seed removal from trays placed within guild-specific exclosures revealed that small mammals were the …

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Morphological Variability In Tree Root Architecture Indirectly Affects Coexistence Among Competitors In The Understory, Erik T. Aschehoug, Ragan M. Callaway Jul 2014

Morphological Variability In Tree Root Architecture Indirectly Affects Coexistence Among Competitors In The Understory, Erik T. Aschehoug, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Interactions between plants can have strong effects on community structure and function. Variability in the morphological, developmental, physiological, and biochemical traits of plants can influence the outcome of plant interactions and thus have important ecological consequences. However, the ecological ramifications of trait variability in plants are poorly understood and have rarely been tested in the field. We experimentally tested the effects of morphological variation in root architecture of Quercus douglasii trees in the field on interactions between understory plants and community composition. Our results indicate that variability among Q. douglasii tree root systems initiates a striking reversal in the competitive …

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Ex Uno Plures: Clonal Reinforcement Drives Evolution Of A Simple Microbial Community, Margie A. Kinnersley, Jared Wenger, Evgueny Kroll, Julian Adams, Gavin Sherlock, Frank Rosenzweig Jun 2014

Ex Uno Plures: Clonal Reinforcement Drives Evolution Of A Simple Microbial Community, Margie A. Kinnersley, Jared Wenger, Evgueny Kroll, Julian Adams, Gavin Sherlock, Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A major goal of genetics is to define the relationship between phenotype and genotype, while a major goal of ecology is to identify the rules that govern community assembly. Achieving these goals by analyzing natural systems can be difficult, as selective pressures create dynamic fitness landscapes that vary in both space and time. Laboratory experimental evolution offers the benefit of controlling variables that shape fitness landscapes, helping to achieve both goals. We previously showed that a clonal population of E. coli experimentally evolved under continuous glucose limitation gives rise to a genetically diverse community consisting of one clone, CV103, that …

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Evidence Of Climate-Induced Range Contractions In Bull Trout Salvelinus Confluentus In A Rocky Mountain Watersehd, U.S.A., Lisa A. Eby, Olga E. Helmy, Lisa M. Holsinger, Michael K. Young Jun 2014

Evidence Of Climate-Induced Range Contractions In Bull Trout Salvelinus Confluentus In A Rocky Mountain Watersehd, U.S.A., Lisa A. Eby, Olga E. Helmy, Lisa M. Holsinger, Michael K. Young

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Many freshwater fish species are considered vulnerable to stream temperature warming associated with climate change because they are ectothermic, yet there are surprisingly few studies documenting changes in distributions. Streams and rivers in the U.S. Rocky Mountains have been warming for several decades. At the same time these systems have been experiencing an increase in the severity and frequency of wildfires, which often results in habitat changes including increased water temperatures. We resampled 74 sites across a Rocky Mountain watershed 17 to 20 years after initial samples to determine whether there were trends in bull trout occurrence associated with temperature, …

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