bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Irrigation Cessation on Wetland Communities within the Elk Ranch, Grand Teton National Park, Moose, Wyoming
Authors: Marlow Clayton , Summerford Sarah
Published: July 2020

Riparian ecology research in Arizona and California has documented the likelihood of a subsurface linkage between irrigation, especially flood-irrigation, and riparian function (Smith et al. 1989; Stromberg et al. 1996). Initial groundwater monitoring results from rural New Mexico indicate water tables rose 1 to 2m after the onset of field irrigation and subsurface flow paths towards the Rio Grande River developed soon after (Fernald et al. 2008). Results from a study of wetlands in southeastern Wyoming suggest that declining flood-irrigation levels would lead to a reduction in the total area of wetlands and related areas of wetland vegetation types in the Laramie Basin (Peck and Lovvorm 2001). Stringham et al. (1998) have reported further evidence for a linkage between irrigation and riparian function. These Oregon researchers noted lower water temperatures in stream reaches receiving subsurface return flows from irrigated hayfields than similar reaches flowing through non-irrigated lands. This information is timely because Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) managers have begun an evaluation of historic irrigation operations within the Park and are endeavoring to learn how cessation of flood irrigation will affect Park wetlands. The historically irrigated hayfields at the Elk Ranch provide an opportunity to address the Park Service's informational needs through identification of vegetation composition, soil physical characteristics and groundwater patterns associated with irrigated and naturally occurring wetlands. Successful description of patterns unique to natural wetlands will provide an avenue for predicting which Park wetlands would remain functional should irrigation efforts be brought to a close. Development of criteria for identifying naturally occurring wetlands could also serve as a basis for identifying areas for wetland mitigation and rehabilitation elsewhere in GTNP and the mountain valleys of the Northern Rocky Mountains.
Grazing effects of the Invasive Mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Two Native Invertebrates
Authors: Krist Amy
Published: July 2020

Although many efforts are being made to address ecological impacts of invasive species, very little effort has been made to address the evolutionary impacts of biological invasions (Sakai etal. 2001, Cox 2004). Yet these impacts are likely to be widespread; invasive species have been shown to alter patterns of natural selection or gene flow (Parker et al. 1999), and many of the best examples of rapid evolution involve invasive species interacting with native species (Reznick and Ghalambor 2001, Strauss et al. 2006). Hence, I am addressing both the ecological and the potential evolutionary consequences of the invasive New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum on native benthic macroinvertebrates in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA).
Climatic Factors, Reproduction Success and Populations Dynamics in the Montane Vole Microtus Montanus
Authors: Pinter Aelita
Published: July 2020

A variety of hypotheses has been proposed to explain multiannual fluctuations in population density ("cycles") of small rodents (for reviews see Finerty 1980, Taitt and Krebs 1985). Doubtless, such cycles - known since antiquity (Elton 1942) - result from an interaction of a multitude of factors. However, the inability of extant hypotheses, alone or in combination, to explain the causality of cycles rests in no small measure with the fact that longÂ­term studies of the phenomenon are notoriously uncommon.
Snow Meltout Dates and Breeding Density in Brewer's Sparrows (Spizella Breweri)
Authors: Cody Martin
Published: July 2020

We have conducted a breeding bird monitoring program in GTNP since the early 1990s, utilizing fixed-area census sites of around 5 ha in size. The sites are located throughout the park in all habitat types and elevations, and number 30 in all. Some have been censused each year in June, at the height of the breeding season, others have been censused repeatedly but more sporadically, and others less frequently. the power of these census data to interpret variation in bird species, composition and breeding densities, species to species, site to site and especially year to year, clearly increases with the longevity of the data set. With the data from some sites now covering 18 successive years (1991-2008), it is possible to attempt some interpretation of the bird species variables. One such is reported here. The influence of snow meltout date on breeding density of a common species of the sagebrush flats, Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri.
Is "Rocksnot" (Didymosphenia Geminata) in Grand Teton National Park?
Authors: Ostrander Angela , Kunza Lisa , Hall, Jr. Robert
Published: July 2020

Didymosphenia geminata is a microscopic single-celled freshwater diatom. The invasive behavior of D. geminata is greatly altering physical and biological conditions in streams and rivers; the stalk material byproduct that D. geminata produces has the potential to cover up to 100% of stream substrate with a thickness of 20 cm. Even though D. geminata is native to the United States, it is acting like an invasive species. Once only identified in nutrient poor waters, D. geminata has been expanding its native range and is occurring more frequently in nutrient-rich streams and rivers. We conducted a survey of D. geminata in Grand Teton National Park Wyoming and to our knowledge, this is one of the first surveys examining D. geminata in this area. We found and confirmed D. geminata in approximately 7 streams including; Phelps Lake Outlet 1.5x108 cells/m2, Taggert Lake Outlet 2.4x107 cells/m2, Phelps Lake Inlet 2.1 x 106 cells/m2, Jenny Lake Outlet 8.4x105 cells/m2, Flat Creek 2.9x107 cells/m2, Leigh Lake Outlet 1.3x104 cells/m2, and Fish Creek 9.2x105 cells/m2. Potential commonalities in the sites where D. geminata was found and confirmed in Grand Teton National Park include lake outlet streams and high traffic areas.
The Northern Backcountry Patrol Cabins of Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Pritchard James , Longfield Katherine
Published: July 2020

During the summer of 2008, this study investigated the patrol cabin located at the lower end of Berry Creek (at the north end of Jackson Lake, in Grand Teton National Park) for possible inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. James Pritchard conducted research at the National Archives near College Park, Maryland (hereafter NARA), and in records at Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), while Katherine Longfield of the Western Center for Historic Preservation, Grand Teton National Park (WCHPÂ­ GTNP) wrote the resulting proposal for the National Register. Secondly, the study began to look into the rumor that Olaus Murie built two small cabins in remote parts of the North District, at Upper Berry and Moose Basin. Finally, the project sought to set these cabins into the wider context of park history.
Identifying Twentieth Century Dude Ranches in the Teton Valley Region
Authors: Rees Amanda
Published: July 2020

The states of Wyoming, Montana, and to a lesser extent Colorado are commonly understood as the industrial heartland of U.S. dude ranching in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (Borne 1983). Though there were earlier small scale efforts to host easterners on ranches in the West from the 1850s onwards, dude ranching is commonly understood to have begun in 1879 in Medora, North Dakota by the Eaton Brothers (Borne 1983, Rothman 1998). Dude ranching--when outsiders pay to stay on a ranch Â­ usually demonstrates most/if not all of the following six characteristics: 1). it embraces of the West's nineteenth century agricultural heritage; 2). it celebrates wild, preserved landscapes; 3). it provides an economic vehicle for ranchers to maintain their cultural heritage, and/or investors and managers to have a piece of the American West; 4). it demonstrates a distinct dude ranch aesthetic (architecture, clothing, food, music, stories, education and landscape); 5). it includes horseÂ­related activities; and 6). it provides a safe and contained regional experience transforming the traveler from "mere' tourist status to that of a liminal space inÂ­between outsider and insider. Since the late nineteenth century Wyoming has developed five centers of dude ranch activity located primarily near mountain ranges, within or close to public lands (National Park Service (NPS) or Forest Service (FS)): 1) Medicine Bow Mountain Range in southeastern Wyoming; 2) Big Horn Mountain Range (eastern and western slopes) in north-central Wyoming; 3) eastern gate region of Yellowstone National Park, northwest Wyoming; 4) Wind River Mountain Range (eastern and western slopes), northwestern Wyoming; and 5) Teton Mountain Range in northwestern Wyoming. My work seeks to establish the extent of dude ranching in Teton Valley.
An Assessment of Recreation Impacts in Alpine and Subalpine Areas of Grand Teton National Park: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Monz Christopher , D'Antonio Ashley
Published: July 2020

Changes to resource conditions due to recreation use were examined in select locations in Grand Teton National Park. The study focused on assessing areas off designated trails and sites, where visitor use can often result in rapid and undesirable resource impacts. Preliminary results suggest that while resource change is significant in some locations, impacts tend to be limited spatially to areas surrounding popular destination sites. In addition, several alpine and subalpine locations of known recreation use showed little or no resource change outside of designated trails and sites. This work provides a baseline condition assessment that allows for an examination of change over time and an evaluation of the effectiveness of visitor management actions.
Carbon Storage Responses of Subalpine Forests to Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks Under Current and Altered Climate Regimes in Western North America.
Authors: Kashian Daniel
Published: July 2020

Understanding how climate, disturbances, and carbon storage interact in subalpine forests is critical for assessing the role of this ecosystem in the global carbon budget under altered climate scenarios. Most research to date in western North American forests has focused on wildfire effects on carbon storage and net ecosystem productivity (NEP). The current extensive insect outbreak in this region, however, suggests that insects such as the mountain pine beetle (MPB) are an important driver of carbon dynamics and may determine whether western landscapes are carbon sinks or sources. The overall objective of this study is therefore to understand how MPB outbreaks affect forest carbon storage at stand and landscape scales under multiple climate scenarios. Specific objective include examining how carbon storage changes with stand development following beetle outbreaks, how variability in outbreak extent, frequency, and post-outbreak stand development affect landscape-scale carbon storage, and how beetle outbreaks and climate interact. This research will, for the first time, provide data documenting post-outbreak carbon dynamics under current and altered climate scenarios. These data will provide the basis for developing a carbon-based, ecological rationale for future outbreak management in western forests.
Determination of Central Foraging Stratiegies and Location of Beaver (Castor Canadensis) in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Gribb William
Published: July 2020

Beavers (Castor Canadensis) are an indicator species of an ecosystems health. To utilize them as an indicator it is imperative to know their location and their foraging and movement patterns. This project examined the foraging characteristics of eight colonies in Grand Teton National Park and completed an aerial survey of their distribution. Overall, the beavers, on average, foraged an area of 1.01ha and traversed 381.1m collecting food, mainly willows (Salix spp.) with some alder (Alnus incana) and aspen (Populus tremuloides). The aerial survey found 22 active caches distributed over Grand Teton National Park. This is a decrease of 52% from the previous survey of the same area completed in 2006 (46). Changes in back water channels and ponds could be a major cause of the decline.
An Evaluation of the Be Bear Aware Program at Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Nelson Nanette , Taylor Patricia , Hopkins Tyler , Rieser Amy
Published: July 2020

Two years after initiating the Be Bear Aware program, management at Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) engaged the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC) at the University of Wyoming to complete an evaluation of the public information and education component of the program. The focus of this program is to change visitor behavior (e.g., engaging in proper food storage, responsible recreation) through education. The desired outcome is to minimize the probability of human-bear encounters and the potential for conflict in park with thriving black bear and grizzly bear populations. To evaluate the efficacy of the program, WYSAC researchers collected information on the visibility of Be Bear Award signs, access to and use of Be Bear Aware information, visitor knowledge of GRTEâs food storage policy, and recreating safely while in bear country. WYSAC researchers then developed a questionnaire and interviewed a randomized stratified sample of 634 park visitors during the summer of 2010. The results of this study should help park managers identify aspects of the Be Bear Aware program that are working and those that can be improved upon.
A Photographic Record of the Upper Headwater Tributaries, Basins and Riparia of the Snake River
Authors: Green Susan , Krop Dr. Michael
Published: July 2020

Photographic surveys have been used since the early 1940âs to document coastlines, fuel supplies and river courses. The US Navy, post world war II, flew over the Arctic coast to document possible locations for oil extraction. These very same photos are now being utilized to compare changes in tundra vegetation at the same locations today. John Muirsâ photos of Glacier Bay are a startling testament to the melted glaciers no longer visible from the same vantage point in present times. Taking photographs to monitor change may not tell the entire story behind a change in landscape. However, photos taken over a number of years from the same vantage points, can help monitor landscape changes due to habitat fragmentation, global warming, forest fire, cattle grazing and other land management issues. Photo monitoring is inexpensive, simple and can portray change to many different groups. Of course, photos taken to reveal change must start with documenting current or normal conditions. This is sometimes called baseline monitoring. The park ranger in Glacier National Park did not realize when he took his picture of the Grinnell glacier in 1911 that his photo would become an alarming baseline photo for evidence of global warming. The purpose of this project was to document the Snake River headwater basin and its riparian zones as a document in time for future reference. The original documentation included 48 images of two main headwater areas; the Shoshone and Lewis Lake areas and the Fox Park-Two Ocean Bear Management Areas near the Yellowstone Park border. Since the Shoshone-Lewis lakes are easily assessable and photo space here is limited, I have chosen to only use photos from the more remote areas.
High Rates of Ecosytem Metabolism in Five Western Rivers
Authors: Hall Robert , Tank Jennifer , Baker Michelle , Rosi-Marshall Emma , Grace Michael , Hotchkiss Erin
Published: July 2020

Primary production and respiration are core functions of river ecosystems that in part determine the carbon balance. Gross primary production (GPP) is the total rate of carbon fixation by autotrophs such as algae and higher plants and is equivalent to photosynthesis. Ecosystem respiration (ER) measures rate at which organic carbon is mineralized to CO2 by all organisms in an ecosystem. Together these fluxes can indicate the base of the food web to support animal production (Marcarelli et al. 2011), can predict the cycling of other elements (Hall and Tank 2003), and can link ecosystems to global carbon cycling (Cole et al. 2007).
Testing the Effects of Simulated Climate Change Effects Using Open Sided Warming Chambers
Authors: Sherwood Jill , Debinski Diane , Germino Matthew
Published: July 2020

Regional models of global climate change for the northern Rocky Mountains predict warmer temperatures, and some of the main implications of these changes at a local level involve decreased snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and decreased soil moisture during the growing season. In order to mimic the anticipated effects of climate change, and test the responses from a soil microclimate and plant physiology perspective, open-sided warming chambers and snow removal treatments were applied to 2.44 X 2.44 m plots in a sagebrush steppe meadow within Grand Teton National Park, WY. Four treatments included: (1) control, (2) reduced snowpack, (3) increased temperature, and (4) reduced snowpack with increased temperature. Snow was removed using shovels in early May, and chambers were placed at the same time. The chambers were left on the plots through mid-October. Soil moisture and temperature were measured and recorded at 5 cm, and 25 cm depths using dataloggers set up at the time of snow removal and chamber placement. In addition, surface temperature was measured under each plot and within the study area. Plant physiological data on four plant species, including leaf temperature at dawn and mid-afternoon and water potential, were collected for all of the plots in July. Data are being analyzed to determine whether differences existed between the plots for soil moisture, soil and air temperature, and the plant physiological traits measured.
The Role of the American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus) in the Evolution of Serotiny in Lodgepole Pine (Pinus Contorta).
Authors: Talluto Matt , Benkman Craig
Published: July 2020

Coevolutionary interactions can have dramatic effects on the structure and function of ecosystems, particularly when spatial structure leads to local adaptation. Here we report on an ongoing study of the interaction between lodgepole pine and its primary pre-dispersal seed predator, the American red squirrel. Lodgepole pine is serotinous, meaning seeds are held in closed cones until released by the heat of a fire. Serotiny has been shown to increase seedling density following stand replacing fire, and can have far-reaching ecosystem- and community-level implications. Red squirrels are negatively associated with serotiny at broad geographic scales, and may select against the serotinous trait. This project aims to examine the correlation between red squirrel density and the frequency of serotiny in lodgepole pine forests and the mechanisms underlying potential selection against serotiny by red squirrels. Specifically, we will determine whether this correlation is present when other factors affecting serotiny (i.e., fire frequency, elevation) are held constant, whether the fitness of serotinous trees is reduced in the presence of red squirrels, and what factors control the density of red squirrels. Preliminary results indicate that serotiny and squirrel density is strongly negatively correlated, but only at low elevations. Serotiny was nearly absent at high elevations, but squirrel density varied as much as at low elevations, suggesting that serotiny does not control squirrel density, but that increasing squirrel density may lead to increasing selection against serotiny.
Bark Beetles, Fuels, Fire Potential and Nitrogen Cycling in Contrasting Conifer Forests of Greater Yellowstone
Authors: Turner Monica , Griffin Jacob , Townsend Philip , Simard Martin , Harvey Brian , Donato Daniel , Romme William
Published: July 2020

Recent increases in insect and fire activity throughout the western US have presented forest managers with formidable challenges. The extent and severity of bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) epidemics have reached unprecedented levels, and the number of large, severe fires continues to increase. These trends are expected to continue because climate change is implicated for both disturbances. Insects and fire have tremendous ecological and economic effects in western forests, yet surprisingly little is known about how fire hazard may change following bark beetle epidemics, and the efficacy of alternative forest management practices (e.g., removal of beetle-killed trees or remaining small trees) designed to reduce future fire hazard is largely unknown. We are employing a combination of field studies, remote sensing and simulation modeling to understand how bark beetle infestation affects fire hazard in two widespread but contrasting forest types, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir forests are key components of Rocky Mountain landscapes, and both are experiencing extensive and severe bark beetle outbreaks. Published research on beetle effects on fire in lodgepole pine forests is inconclusive, and almost no studies have examined Douglas-fir. We hypothesize that differences in fire regime, stand structure, regeneration potential and decomposition of woody fuels lead to important differences in fuel profiles, fire hazard and, in turn, the effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies in lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir. We also anticipate that ecosystem responses, especially nitrogen cycling, to beetle attack will differ between these two forest types. Our studies are being conducted in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), where we build on >20 years of research and our recent studies of bark beetles and fire in lodgepole pine forests. During the summer of 2010, we conducted a significant portion of the field component of the project, measuring stand structure and fuel profiles in a chronosequence of Douglas-fir forests of differing time since beetle attack (TSB), and also measuring burn severity and forest regeneration following a 2008 fire that burned a recently beetle-attacked forest. Data analyses are ongoing and results will be forthcoming.
Stream Ecology of the Greater Yellowstone Area
Authors: Hawkins Charles
Published: July 2020

Stream Ecology is a graduate-level course offered every fall term at Utah State University by Chuck Hawkins, Professor of Watershed Sciences (USU). The AMK Ranch serves as base camp for our annual 3-day class field trip to the Greater Yellowstone Area. The USU Stream Ecology course serves a diverse range of students including those specializing in freshwater ecology and fisheries as well as students in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, water quality, environmental engineering, and general natural resources management.
Preserving the Photographic Negatives of Harrison R. Crandall, Official Photographer of the Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Barrick Kenneth
Published: July 2020

A long time ago, in 1922 to be exact, a man and his young bride packed all their possessions into a Model T Ford truck, and navigated the primitive road eastward across Teton Pass. Harrison and Hildegard Crandall were undertaking an adventure to live out their American dream. They intended to raise a family in Jackson Hole, and interpret their âideal landscapeââthe Teton countryâin oil paintings and photographs. Like so many energetic Americans before them, the Crandall family had the fortitude and perseverance to make their dreams come true. There were many tough years of dry homesteading in Jackson Hole, building and running an art business during the Great Depression, and weathering the controversies of frontier life during turbulent times. Nonetheless, the Crandall family successfully operated their art studio for 34 years near Jenny Lake in the Grand Teton National Park. They also operated a studio in the shadow of Jackson Lake Dam at the old village of Moran. Today, we can celebrate the Crandall family legacy by studying Harrisonâs many fine paintings and photographs that are found in collections and homes far and wide.
Babesiosis Survey of Voles of Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Barton Kevin
Published: July 2020

First described in 1885 by Viktor Babes, babesiosis was the first known arthropod vector-borne disease and the general term for the malaria-like infection due to protozoan parasites of the family Babesiidae of which there are on the order of 100 known species of worldwide distribution (CDC, Hunfeld et al. 2008). The overarching objective of this study is to examine the phylogenetic relatedness of the endemic strain(s) of Babesia microti isolated from voles (Microtus montanus, M. pennsylvanicus) in the Grand Teton National Park to previously described babesia species/strains. In the United States the rodent parasite B. microti is the etiological agent of babesiosis in areas of endemicity with the primary reservoir often described as the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and borne by the arthropod vector the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) (Persing et al. 1992, Mitchell et al. 1996) The primary reservoir within the Grand Teton National Park region has been shown to be the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and the montane vole (Microtus montanus) (Watkins et al. 1991, Peck 1998) It is these reservoir host animals which the present research proposes to investigate. To this end, the research aspects specific to our IACUC proposal are to obtain blood samples for subsequent genotyping of B. microti samples for comparison to those previously isolated from wild populations of voles from the Grand Teton National Park region (Peck 1998). This research generally involves comparing DNA sequences from isolates to those of previously described strains focusing on the B-tubulin genes. This was selected to give a more particular phylogeny than was possible by previously employed methods such as immunoassay, which lacks sensitivity and suffers cross-reactivity, and 16s-ribosomal DNA of the past decade, which lacks specificity relative to the less highly-conserved B-tubulin. These samples will be genotyped by sequencing and comparison against the relatively more recent Genbank B-tubulin sequence data submissions for B. microti variants.
Investigating Life History Tradeoffs in an Opportunisitc Bredding Songbird, the Red Crossbill (Loxia Curvirostra) in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Hahn Thomas , Schultz Elizabeth
Published: July 2020

Because available energy is finite, organisms must be selective with how and when energetic resources are allocated to demanding physiological processes such as reproduction or self-maintenance like immune function. Historically, research to understand how organisms orchestrate their annual cycles with respect to these costly and conflicting processes has focused narrowly on seasonal breeders that constrain reproduction to times of year when thermoregulatory demand is low (i.e., summer), which provide limited opportunities to reveal how physiological costs of different processes may interact with environmental conditions to influence the evolution of investment strategies. In this study, we are examining seasonal and interannual variation in environmental conditions (temperature, precipitation, food supply) and investment patterns in survival and reproduction in a reproductively flexible songbird, the red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), which can reproduce opportunistically in both summer and winter in Grand Teton National Park. In addition, crossbills provide a perfect model to investigate these environmental and physiological interactions. Preliminary results from this study have indicated that food availability may play an important role in determining how much crossbills will invest in survival (specifically immune function) and reproduction; e.g., crossbills will invest more in innate immunity and reproduction when food availability is high. Overall, results from this study will provide information on how species in general and crossbills specifically respond to rapidly changing environments, which has become increasingly important in light of the effects of anthropogenic change.
Altered Foraging Behavior Under Varying Food Quality: Does Increased Feeding Efficiency Mediate the Invasion Success of the Snail, Potamopyrgus Antipodarum?
Authors: Hansen Brenda
Published: July 2020

Resource competition can shape the species composition of an ecosystem. In environments where nutrients are limited in either quantity or quality, the organisms best equipped to exploit these resources may gain a competitive advantage. The New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), a successful invader of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, may benefit from such an advantage. Potamopyrgus antipodarum is a parthenogenetic snail, with high growth rates, and a high percent of somatic phosphorus (P). Consequently, these snails should have a high demand for P. Because freshwater ecosystems are often limited in P, successful animals like P. antipodarum must be exceptionally efficient at acquiring P from their food, either through effective foraging or digestive efficiency. We conducted experiments comparing the feeding rate and foraging preference of P. antipodarum and the coexisting native snail, Fossaria sp., under two levels of P (low and high). We conducted additional experiments to examine how foraging preference is altered by the presence of conspecific and heterospecific interactors. Both species consumed low P food at a higher rate than high P food. However, only Fossaria preferred high P food when given a choice between patch quality, and only exhibited this preference when they alone. Additional experiments are needed to further explore the foraging behavior of these two species, and to determine if these differences mediate the invasion success of P. antipodarum.
Behavioral Syndromes in the Sagebrush Cricket: A Pilot Study to Quantify Individual Variation in Male Calling Behavior
Authors: Johnson J. , Hupton Gina
Published: July 2020

The field of behavioral ecology has recently been reinvigorated by the addition of the notion of behavioral syndromes (a.k.a. animal personality). Behavioral syndromes imply the existence of individual variation in behavioral expression that is consistent across distinct functional contexts (e.g. foraging, mating, anti-predator). The syndromes paradigm suggests that the behavioral phenotype is best viewed as an integrated phenomenon wherein any given behavior can only be fully understood by studying selection pressures in all contexts. Here we report on a pilot study on behavioral syndromes in the Sagebrush cricket (Cyphoderrris strepitans), an acoustic Orthopteran insect that inhabits high altitude sagebrush meadows of Grand Teton National Park. The results of our preliminary analysis suggest very little consistent repeatability in the mating behavior of C. strepitans. In addition, we make note of the synergistic collaboration in our group between faculty researchers and graduate, undergraduate and high school research collaborators.
An Examination of Interannual Population Variation in Parnassius Clodius Butterflies
Authors: Sherwood Jill , Debinski Diane
Published: July 2020

Examining how population size and structure vary over time is an important part of understanding how environmental factors influence a particular species. Organisms in which multiple generations can be studied in a short period of time are useful when attempting to predict the consequences of such changes. Insects, and in particular butterflies, have a short generation time, which makes them ideal for studying the effects of environmental change on demographics. In this study, we examine the population dynamics of a butterfly common in the Teton area, Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius). This area was initially studied starting in 1998-2000 (Auckland et al. 2004) and surveys were continued in 2009 â 2011. Emergence date varied between years by as much as three weeks. In addition, peak flight and end of flight dates also varied. Preliminary examination of the population data reveals similar patterns across years, where male emergence occurred prior to female emergence. In addition, sex ratios were also fairly consistent between years. Variation among years is observed primarily in the total number of butterflies marked and recaptured. Further data analyses comparing demographic parameters such as survival and population size need to be performed before any additional conclusions can be made. This study will add additional data to an ongoing study of the potential effects of environmental change on a common species of butterfly (Parnassius clodius).
Atmospheric Deposition of Inorganic Nitrogen in Grand Teton National Park: Determining Biological Effects on Algal Communities in Alpine Lakes
Authors: Spaulding Sarah , Otu Megan , Wolfe Alexander , Baron Jill
Published: July 2020

Sediment records from several high alpine lakes in the Grand Teton National Park (GRTE), Wyoming were examined for stable isotopic signatures Î´15N and diatom community composition because atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (Nr) is known to be altering ecosystem functioning in other lakes of the Rocky Mountain Range. Alpine lakes exposed to greater Nr impacts in Colorado have higher N:P ratios in the water column, indicating an excess of N, thus GRTE sites were selected across a range of N:P values, spanning measures indicative of nitrogen to phosphorus limitation. Sediment cores were analyzed for diatom relative abundances, concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, and stable isotopic signatures of Î´13C and Î´15N. Every sediment record showed progressive Î´15N depletion, evidence of increasing Nr deposition during the past forty years. In the GRTE, benthic flora dominated the community composition without changes to the fossil diatom taxonomy, a response atypical of other Nr impacted sites in the Rocky Mountain Range that have exhibited a marked shift towards nitrophilous planktonic diatoms Asterionella formosa and Fragilaria crotonensis. The suite of GRTE lacustrine sediment records exhibited a continuum of increasing nutrient enrichment from low to high N:P ratios, suggesting that lakes sensitive to Nr enrichment exhibit elevated ratios of N:P. The long-term impact of Nr deposition has not reached a critical threshold, but monitoring of the GRTE lakes needs to incorporate assessment of the N:P ratios in advance of greater ecological impacts.
Ten-Years Later: Long-Term Analyses of the Abundance and Biomass of the Non-Native New Zealand Mud Snail and Native Invertebrate Communities in the Greater Yellowstone Area
Authors: Tibbets Teresa
Published: July 2020

Invasive species are one of the top two threats to native biodiversity worldwide (Mack et al. 2000). A primary goal of invasion biology is to predict which introduced species become invasive, or reach pest status, and which systems are susceptible to invasion (Heger and Trepl 2003). In order to complete this goal, it is vital to understand long-term dynamics of invasive species populations and their interactions with native communities in their introduced range. Most studies of invasions by non-native species are not extensive enough to determine long-term effects on the native systems (Strayer 2010). The first objective of this study is to determine the long-term abundance and biomass of the New Zealand mud snail, (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA). The second objective is to analyze the long-term effects of P. antipodarum on the biomass, abundance, and taxon diversity of native benthic invertebrate assemblages in the GYA. The ten-year span of data available for P. antipodarum and the native macroinvertebrate communities at Lower Polecat Creek in Grand Teton National Park and the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers in Yellowstone National Park provide a unique opportunity to study the macroinvertebrate community succession over time. Data from the proposed macroinvertebrate community survey in the summer of 2011 will be compiled with previous surveys from 2001-2009 to evaluate the long-term changes in the macroinvertebrate community at Polecat Creek and the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers.
Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Short-Interval Fires in Douglas-Fir and Lodgepole Pine Forests of Greater Yellowstone
Authors: Turner Monica , Romme William , Harvey Brian , Donato Daniel
Published: July 2020

Recent increases in insect and fire activity throughout the western US have presented forest managers with formidable challenges. The extent and severity of bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) epidemics have reached unprecedented levels, and the frequency of large, severe fires continues to increase. These trends are expected to continue because climate change is implicated for both disturbances. Insects and fire have tremendous ecological and economic effects in western forests, yet surprisingly little is known about how fire hazard may change following bark beetle epidemics, and how changing fire regimes may potentially alter forests of Greater Yellowstone. We are employing a combination of field studies, remote sensing and simulation modeling to understand how bark beetle infestation affects fire hazard in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests. The Douglas-fir type is a key component of Rocky Mountain landscapes, and is experiencing extensive and severe bark beetle outbreaks. However, almost no studies have examined Douglas-fir. We hypothesized that differences in fire regime, stand structure, regeneration potential and decomposition of woody fuels lead to important differences in fuel profiles, fire hazard and, in turn, the effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies in Douglas-fir. Our studies are being conducted in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), where we build on >20 years of research and our recent studies of bark beetles and fire in lodgepole pine forests. During the summer of 2011, we conducted a significant portion of the field component of the project, collecting ancillary data in our previously measured chronosequence of Douglas-fir forests of differing time since beetle attack (TSB), and measuring burn severity and forest regeneration following a 2008 fire that burned a recently beetle-attacked Douglas-fir forest on the Shoshone National Forest. We also sampled forest regeneration and dead wood biomass following a short (28-year) interval âreburnâ in lodgepole pine forests to test whether reduced seed sources associated with younger trees at the time of burning might reduce postfire regeneration potential. Data analyses are ongoing and results will be forthcoming.
From Permit to New Knowledge: Improving Institutional Accountability and User Access by Tracking Documentation from Research Projects in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Phalen Steven
Published: July 2020

In Summer 2011, the author undertook a number of projects for the Museum & Archives in the Science and Resource Management division of Grand Teton National Park (GRTE[i]). Alice Hart, Museum Curator and Archivist for the Park, supervised the work, which was part of an internship for graduate credit[ii]. The two major project categories were 1) Research Permits and 2) Biological Science Program Files.
Variable Conditions Produce Variable Responses in GTNP Breeding Birds
Authors: Cody Martin
Published: July 2020

Conditions in the GTNP breeding season can differ dramatically among years, even between adjacent years such as 2011 and 2012. Specifically, 2012 was the warmest and driest spring since the early 1990s, with snow melt-out date (SMOD) on April 17, a few days earlier than the long-term average, and 90% aspen leaf-out also earlier than the mean by nearly a week. In contrast, 2011 was the latest SMOD and aspen leaf-out in some 50 y. Birds settle in breeding habitat with somewhat altered preferences in early, warm and dry years such as 2012 compared to opposite conditions in the 2011. In 2012, many birds typical of lower, more open and less mesic habitats were found breeding in taller, denser and usually wetter habitats, a clear influence of the currently prevailing conditions in the park. A monitoring site of intermediate vegetation height and density, Site #9: RKO Dry Willows, is used to calibrate these habitat shifts.
Climate Change in the Alpine Zone: a Continuous, Multi-Proxy Record of Holocene Glacier Activity and Environmental Change at Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Larsen Darren , Spaulding Sarah
Published: July 2020

Alpine environments are particularly sensitive to climate fluctuations and recent changes to their hydrological and ecological components have been documented in mountain ranges around the world. Paleoclimate reconstructions from these regions can improve our understanding of alpine climate change by placing recent observed changes in a long-term context and by improving our ability to accurately predict and model future changes. This research is designed to use lake sediments to reconstruct the glacier history and paleohydrology of the Teton Mountain ecosystem to provide a framework for characterizing the impacts of climate change occurring in Grand Teton National Park. Multiple physical and geochemical parameters contained in sediments from lakes strategically positioned along elevation transects will be used to develop the first continuous records of: 1) alpine glacier fluctuations, including the timing and character of deglaciation, and 2) coupled fire, vegetation and hydroclimate histories spanning the elevation gradient of the Tetons. This work is critical for assessing and managing the ecological impacts of future climate change in this unique ecosystem and for improving our understanding of how changes here are connected to the broader climate system.
Time of Eclosion and Mating Success of Male Sagebrush Crickets
Authors: Sakaluk Scott , Owner Geoffrey , McGrath Colleen , Collins Charles , Adams Jennifer , Bastien Eric , Jarvis Nathan , Tomasson Julia , Zihlmann Livia , Johnson J. , Halpin Rebecca , Hupton Gina , Snedden W.
Published: July 2020

Few studies have measured multivariate sexual selection acting on the sexual signals of male insects in wild populations. Sagebrush crickets are ideally suited to such investigations because mating imposes an unambiguous phenotypic marker on males arising from nuptial feeding by females. However, an important assumption underlying such studies is that males collected as virgins and those collected as non-virgins had equal opportunities to mate, an assumption that may be violated if males eclose (i.e. emerge following pupation) at different times of the breeding season. If mated males are those in the population that eclosed earlier and hence had a longer period to obtain matings than males in the virgin group, then differences in the songs of virgin and mated males could simply be an artifact of age-related changes in male morphology as opposed to a causal factor underlying variation in male mating success. Accordingly, we conducted a mark-recapture study to determine if there is an association between first appearance in the population and the likelihood of mating in free-living males. We captured all of the virgin males calling in the study population and marked them uniquely with a numbered tag. Subsequently, we tracked the mating success of 98 male subjects through the mid-point of the breeding season. There was no significant effect of date of capture (a proxy for time of eclosion) on time to mating. We conclude, therefore, that any differences in the songs of virgin and mated males stems from their effect on male mating success and not from any age-related effects.
A Case for Increased Foraging Success Under High Conspecific Densities in the New Zealand Mudsnail, Potamopyrgus Antipodarum
Authors: Hansen Brenda
Published: July 2020

An animalsâ fitness can be positively or negatively affected by the density of conspecifics. While density dependent increases in fitness, or Allee effects, have been a key focus of the management of declining populations of native organisms, they may also be exploited for the purpose of invasive species management. Although most Allee studies focus primarily on mate location, a threshold density of conspecifics may also be required for effective foraging. Potamopyrgus antipodarum is a successful invader that can reach very high densities. Previous studies have demonstrated that P. antipodarum benefits from certain high densities through increased reproduction and activity. To determine whether conspecific density positively affects the foraging ability of P. antipodarum, I conducted laboratory experiments with three increasing levels of density (one, five and 15 individuals, control targets were alone). Because the presence of interactors may also affect the type of food individuals choose, I also included two food options differing in the amount of phosphorus, which is an important nutrient known to be limited in one invaded stream. Although food choice was unaffected by conspecific density, P. antipodarum were more likely to feed and fed longer in the higher density treatments; target snails in the treatment containing 15 conspecifics fed three times as long as targets in the treatment with five conspecifics. These results provide further insight into the ecology of P. antipodarum, and their success as invaders. Further work is needed to determine how this species uses high density to locate food resources.
Architectural Preservation Internship Report Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Engel Caroline
Published: July 2020

As an architectural preservation intern at the Grand Teton National Park, I worked on a number of projects over the summer of 2012. The primary research project that spanned the two months was an investigation into the history of the Upper Granite Patrol Cabin. Questions had been raised by my supervisors Katherine Longfield and Betsy Engel as to what purpose the original cabin had been built, with reason to believe it may have been built as a poacherâs cabin. Using resources within the GTNP, the Jackson Hole Historical Society, and research on similar building types, I determined that the cabin was not likely to be a poacherâs cabin, but was most likely to be an early rangerâs patrol cabin, built before
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Fundamentals of Geoscience in the Field and Methods in Geoscience Field Instruction
Authors: Harwood David , Thompson Kyle
Published: July 2020

This field course offers in-service teachers and pre-service science education majors an opportunity to discover the geological history of the Rocky Mountains and experience inquiry-based geoscience education during a 2-week journey across Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. In 2012 this course utilized the UW-NPS facilities for 3 days in mid-June. The group built upon their growing geological knowledge to investigate the geological evolution of the Teton Range. The 2012 course included six in-service teacher participants (all from Nebraska), two pre-service graduate education majors, and one Geoscience Education Research professor who observed the process. The staff included two instructors and one geology undergraduate teaching assistant. This course is offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincolnâs Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institute (NMSSI) Program. This course improves educators' ability to teach inquiry-based science, gain knowledge and understanding of geoscience, and to demonstrate effective teaching methods that can integrate geoscience into K-12 learning environments. The UW-NPS facilities provide an excellent opportunity for participants to discover the natural history of the Teton Range and catch up on fieldbook notes while sitting at a real table - - a welcome change from our normal campground setting.