bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neonatal Mortality of Elk in Areas With and Without Grizzly Bears
Authors: Smith Bruce , McFarland Katherine , Lindzey Fred , Williams Elizabeth
Published: July 2020

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) may support the densest populations of elk in North America, and a diverse community of large carnivores that prey on elk. The Jackson elk herd has doubled in size since 1984 and currently exceeds its winter population objective of 11,000 elk by about 5,000 animals (Smith and Anderson 1998). In and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), mortality of neonatal Jackson elk averaged 15% annually during 1990-1992 (Smith and Anderson 1996). Predation by black bears and coyotes, when calves were less than 4 weeks of age, caused 68% of neonatal mortality. Calves killed by mountain lions were more than 4 months old. Except for hunting, predation was the largest source of mortality of radioÂ­collared elk from birth through adulthood. Since 1992, grizzly bear activity on federal cattle grazing allotments in eastern GTNP and the adjacent Spread Creek drainage of the Bridger-Teton National Forest (the East Study Area or East SA) has markedly increased and cattle losses to bears have become common. Personnel of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department attributed 26 cattle losses (25 calves, 1 cow) in the East SA in 1993 to grizzly bear predation. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, which compensates cattle producers for losses due to grizzly predation, initiated a study in 1994 to quantify the proportion of cattle losses in the East SA due to grizzly predation. One grizzly bear that was documented killing cattle each year, was captured and euthanized in GTNP in 1996.
GTNP Breeding Bird Monitoring Project: The 1999 Season
Authors: Cody M.
Published: July 2020

Overview: GTNP Breeding Bird Monitoring Project. 1. Following initial independent work by M. L. Cody and 3y funding from NPS, we have instigated a scheme for long-term monitoring of breeding land bird populations in a wide variety of habitats representative of the northern Rockies and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Census sites are located almost entirely within Grand Teton National Park, where a broad range of representative vegetation types is accessible within close geographic proximity. 2. Some 30 monitoring sites are established within and adjacent to the park in pristine habitat. Sites range from the Jackson Hole lowlands to subalpine and alpine sites, from meadow, sagebrush and marshland, through willow scrub, cottonwood and aspen woodlands, to lodgepole pine and spruce-fir forests. Some sites have a monitoring history of > 30 y; others were established in the mid-1990's. 3. The location and accessibility of the study sites permits all to be regularly and repeatedly censused during the short (6-week) breeding season. Census sites are standardized in area (5-10 ha in size) and mapped in detail (topographic features, vegetation). Census schedules, turung, and methodological protocols will be established and maintained, providing for strictly controlled inter-site and inter-year comparisons in breeding bird populations, species composition, and densities. 4. To evaluate the local versus more regional nature of inter-year variation in bird densities, one widespread habitat (willows) is replicated and censused at locations outside GTNP, in the northern Rockies (Glacier National Park) and central Rockies (Rocky Mountain National Park). 5. The project entails only modest costs (e.g. for transportation), but the projected benefits to science, specifically to resource management, will continue to accumulate as the data base is expanded in future years. As no comparable data base or monitoring scheme exists for the region, the value of the GTNP is apparent, and ensuring its continuance is of critical importance.
Relating Transient Storage and Whole-System Metabolism with Nitrogen Uptake in Streams
Authors: Hall, Jr. Robert , Tank Jennifer
Published: July 2020

Streams are important landscape features because they provide an avenue for nitrogen loss from a watershed to downstream ecosystems and eventually the ocean; however, in-stream processes can control nutrient transport and export (e.g. Burns 1998). Nitrogen is an important element because it limits rates of primary production in many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Alteration of the forms, timing, and concentration of nutrients is a central property of lotic systems (Fisher et al. 1998). Understanding controls on both transport and retention are central to predicting how streams influence nutrient loss from watersheds (Hedin et al. 1995, Likens and Bormann 1995, Burns 1998) and nutrient loading to downstream ecosystems (Howarth et al. 1996). With increased global nutrient loading from atmospheric sources and fertilizers, streams may play an important role in the retention, transformation and export of nutrients from the upland landscape. We know little about what controls nutrient uptake and transport in streams. There are many studies that show effects of hydrologic, biologic, and geomorphic influences on nutrient transport, but rarely have all aspects been considered in the same study. One potentially important geomorphic control is transient storage. Transient storage is water that is separated from the main channel flow and therefore, moves downstream more slowly than water in the main stream channel, which should facilitate nutrient uptake. Transient storage has been suggested to play an important role in nutrient retention in streams from both theoretical (Mulholland and DeAngelis 2000) and empirical perspectives (Valett et al. 1996, Mulholland et al. 1997). Additionally no studies have linked whole stream measures of metabolism with stream nutrient uptake, though we expect that greater C fixation or respiration will cause higher demand for nutrients. The objective of our study was to relate nutrient uptake with geomorphic and whole stream metabolism in 8 streams in Grand Teton National Park.
Monitoring Selected Species of Mammals in Grand Teton National Park in 1999
Authors: Miller Brian , Harlow Hank
Published: July 2020

Studies that investigate community relationships among mammals typically require large temporal and areal scales (Krebs et al. 1995; Estes 1996; Terborgh et al. 1999). Despite the difficulties presented by larger scales, such studies are valuable to decision-makers (Sinclair 1991; Smith et al. 1999). Understanding abundance, distribution, habitat choice, and ecological interactions of mammalian species can promote management decisions that benefit overall ecosystem health. Monitoring programs that build an ecological model of the landscape, and assess the trends in relation to biotic and abiotic changes, are essential to adaptive management, yet are seldom a standard part of management activities (Sinclair 1991; Noss and Cooperrider 1994; Lancia et al. 1996; Noss et al. 1996). Indeed, a conservation plan requires a longÂ­term obligation to standardized ecological monitoring so that actions can be adjusted according to new information (Noss et al. 1996). Over the long term, this standardized monitoring plan will provide information on small and medium-sized mammals that will (1) assess species use of habitat, (2) monitor changes in species composition as a result of environmental change, (3) produce predictive models of small and mediumÂ­sized mammal distribution based on vegetation type, and (4) analyze the impact of wolf (Canis lupus) colonization on the mammal (and plant) community. Such standardized monitoring techniques for mammal communities have not been done in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The abundance and diversity of mammals can be greatly affected by a number of factors. These include plant productivity (Hunter and Price 1994; Krebs et al. 1995; Polis and Strong 1996), climate (Pinter 1996; Hoogland 1995; Post et al. 1999), natural disturbance (Pickett and White 1985), disease (Dobson and May 1986), and expected or unexpected environmental change (Lancia et al. 1996; Thompson et al. 1998).
Trophic Classification of Selected Lakes in Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Miller A. , Snow David
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the trophic state of five lakes in southern Yellowstone National Park in order to determine if the human activity in the local area is having a negative environmental impact and possibly increasing the eutrophication rate. While some previous analyses have been done on these lakes, this study is intended to be a preliminary trophic state evaluation to which future analyses can be compared. The five lakes sampled are Shoshone Lake, Lewis Lake, Heart Lake, Riddle Lake, and Duck Lake. Each lake, with the exceptions of Riddle Lake and Duck Lake, was sampled at several locations. These samples were taken during the months of June through August of 1999 by Woodruff Miller and Dave Anderson of the BYU Civil & Environmental Engineering Department.
Investigating Historic Cirque Glacier Activity in the Grand Tetons National Park
Authors: Conway F. , Croxen III F. , Davis Heather
Published: July 2020

Using GPS-technology, satellite imagery and photographic archives we wanted to document historic 20th Century changes in position, mass, and volume of cirque Glaciers of Grand Teton National Park. Our chief goal is to understand climatic processes impacting small-volume cirque glaciers in continental North America.
Monitoring Selected Species of Mammals in Grand Teton National Park in 2000
Authors: Miller Brian , Harlow Hank
Published: July 2020

Our objective is to establish a long-term monitoring project that will assess the abundance and densities of selected species of mammals at sites representing five defined vegetation types found in Grand Teton National Park. The term monitoring implies data collection over multiple years. Taking long term estimations of population composition before, during, and after biotic and abiotic changes provides needed information to assess the impacts of such changes and furnishes useful options for management decisions. This standardized monitoring plan will provide information on small and medium-sized mammals that will (1) assess species use of habitat, (2) monitor changes in species composition as a result of environmental change, such as precipitation and temperature, (3) produce predictive models of small and medium-sized mammal distribution based on vegetation type, and (4) analyze the impact of wolf colonization on the mammal (and plant) community.
The 1998 University of Wyoming/Grand Teton National Park Cooperative Archaeology Program
Authors: Reher Charles
Published: July 2020

As of this writing we have completed the third year of a cooperative UW/GTNP archaeological project, with 1998 being the first season. The primary purpose here is to provide a brief overview of some of the accomplishments of that first field season. This basic "UW/NPS Research Center Annual Report" format then will have two more installments for 1999 and 2000. More attention is given in this first report to background such as the history of archaeological research in Grand Teton National Park, while subsequent reports will emphasize other types of information. No attempt is made here to provide detailed discussions of field methods, project environmental settings, or individual sites, features, and artifacts. Such description would be standard in some archaeological reporting formats, but much more detailed discussions, and more synthesis of regional prehistory, is being assembled in a series of projectÂ­ specific compliance reports, conference papers, seminar papers, a graduate student thesis, and journal articles. The possibility of a cooperative University of Wyoming/Grand Teton National Park venture was first proposed by Robert Schiller, Director of the Science and Resource Management Division at Grand Teton. It was apparent that a series of mutual benefits could result, where University archaeologists would aid the Park with its increasing number of federally-mandated compliance projects while at the same time providing student training and employment opportunities. In addition, nearly 400 sites had been located in Grand Teton National Park and the adjacent Rockefeller Parkway at that time, but very little current information was available for many of them and modem reÂ­evaluations were needed. At the same time, these various "applied research" compliance surveys and site revisit projects could contribute to broader theoretical frameworks relevant to our research throughout the region. The investigation of prehistoric settlement patterns and other aspects of landscape utilization is enhanced even by basic surface evidence, for example. The 1998 UW/GTNP CAP crew included the writer, UW Anthropology graduate students Alan Bartholomew and Mike Peterson, and volunteer archaeologist Jill Anderson. All work in Grand Teton has been coordinated with Park Historian Mike Johnson and USFS/GTNP Archaeologist Merry Haydon. Dave Hammond with the GTNP GPS unit and several other individuals aided with our projects. Yellowstone National Park Archaeologist Ann Johnson provided needed advice and materials on several occasions. All of our work was only possible because of the availability of the AMK Science Camp facilities, and the hospitality provided there by Hank and Mary Ann Harlow and their staff.
Remote Sensing-Based Geostatistical Modeling For Conifererous Forest Inventory and Characterization
Authors: Jakubauskas Mark , Martinko Edward , Price Kevin
Published: July 2020

Resource managers of private and public forests are often faced with a host of questions on forest extent, condition, and change in the course of land management. With more than 700 million acres of land covered by forest in the United States, the task of mapping and inventorying forested lands is a challenging one. Detailed and accurate maps of forest condition and structure are a necessity for rigorous ecosystem management. Forest maps are a fundamental information source for fire behavior modeling, animal habitat management, prediction and mapping of forest insect infestations, and plant and animal biodiversity assessment. Digital images acquired by earth imaging satellites are being used to help forest managers provide this information. Satellite images, when analyzed using advanced geostatistical techniques, can produce information on forest condition and structure, information that can be used to help answer questions such as those posed above. Satellite imagery has been used for many years to map land cover in forested regions, but natural resource managers are also starting to use remotely sensed satellite imagery to calculate the age, density, species, and successional state of forests under their care. In May 1999, the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing (KARS) Program at the University of Kansas was selected by NASA Earth Science Enterprise Applications Division to develop methods that use remote-sensing data and advanced geostatistical methods to create maps of forest age and successional state, or "cover types," and of forest biophysical factors, including density, biomass, leaf area, basal area, and height. By calibrating remotely sensed multispectral data with a small number of ground measurements, characteristics of the forest measured at sample points can be extrapolated across a large geographic region. This has significant advantages for forest management, especially when forests are in remote or inaccessible locations. The goal of this research is to develop new methods for the analysis of forest canopy structure, secondary forest regrowth, and forest fire history that take advantage of both the spectral and spatial correlation of ground phenomena and remotely sensed information.
A Landscape Approach to Aspen Restoration: Understanding the Role of Biophysical Setting in Aspen Community Dynamics
Authors: Brown Kathryn , Hansen Andrew
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study is to better understand the relationship of biotic and abiotic variables to the distribution, performance, and rates of loss of aspen in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Aspen commumtles, though critically important for maintaining biodiversity, soil quality, and nutrient cycling, are declining rapidly in the Northern Rockies. Fire suppression, elk browsing, and climatic change are the most widely advanced explanations for this widespread loss of aspen. The role of biophysical factors (e.g. topography, climate, soils, and competing vegetation) in determining aspen performance, however, is poorly understood. Knowledge of these relationships may provide a basis for tailoring aspen restoration efforts to specific landscape settings. To better understand the influence of biophysical variables on aspen dynamics, this study addresses three hypotheses: 1. The aerial distribution of aspen is not random across the landscape and varies as a function of biophysical setting. 2. Within its distribution, growth rates and productivity of aspen stands differ relative to biotic and abiotic variables. 3. Rates of aspen loss in the landscape differ relative to biophysical setting. Here we report progress on the first year of the two-year study.
GTNP Breeding Bird Monitoring Project
Authors: Cody M.
Published: July 2020

Overview: GTNP Breeding Bird Monitoring Project. 1. Following initial independent work by M. L. Cody and 3y funding from NPS, we instigated a scheme for long-term monitoring of breeding land bird populations in a wide variety of habitats representative of the northern Rockies and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Census sites are located almost entirely within Grand Teton National Park, where a broad range of representative vegetation types is accessible within close geographic proximity. 2. 30 monitoring sites are established within and adjacent to the park in pristine habitat. Sites range from the Jackson Hole lowlands to subalpine and alpine sites, from meadow, sagebrush and marshland, through willow scrub, cottonwood and aspen woodlands, to lodgepole pine and spruce-fir forests. Some sites have a monitoring history of >30 y; others were established in the mid-1990's. 3. The location and accessibility of the study sites permits all to be regularly and repeatedly censused during the short (6-week) breeding season. Census sites are standardized in area (5-10 ha in size) and mapped in detail (topographic features, vegetation). Census schedules, timing, and methodological protocols are established, and allow for controlled inter-site and inter-year comparisons in breeding bird populations, species composition, and densities.
Breeding Raptor Census in Grand Teton National Park, 2002
Authors: Craighead Derek , Smith Roger
Published: July 2020

We documented abundance and diversity of raptors in a relatively undisturbed landscape in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, from February through August 2002. Within a 31.1 km2 study area we located 46 nesting pairs that consisted of 9 raptor species. The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) and the Common raven (Corvus corax) were the two most abundant species on the study area. We considered Common ravens as an ecological and trophic level equivalent of raptors. Six of nine species fledged at least one young, and the mean number of young fledged per occupied nest for all species was 1.0 (sd = 1.0, range = 0 to 3.0). We observed complete nesting failure for Swainson's hawks (n=4 nests), Bald eagle (n=1 nest), and the Long-eared owl (n = 1 nest). We located the territory but not a nest for two Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) adults, and two Sharp-shinned hawk adults. Six of the nine species observed in 2002 migrate, and two of the nine species are known neotropical migrants. Cold and wet weather conditions along with a high wind storm during the early incubation period appeared to have a negative effect on the breeding success of stick-nest breeders on the study area.
When Wolves Recolonize: Indirect Effects on the Small and Medium-Sized Mammal Community
Authors: Miller Brian , Harlow Hank
Published: July 2020

The abundance and diversity of mammals will be greatly affected by a number of factors, including plant productivity, climate, natural disturbance, and disease. Of particular interest to conservation strategies, there is little known about the ecological role that carnivores play in maintaining ecosystem structure. Large carnivores were essentially eliminated from much of their range during the last century. Yet, a growing body of experimental evidence indicates that top carnivores are keystone species, and they play important roles in maintaining the health of Nature. The predatory activities of large carnivores produce effects that ripple through the trophic levels of an ecosystem and affect organisms that seem distantly removed, ecologically and taxonomically. But, few studies have examined the indirect impacts of predation across those trophic levels. Such studies have been deemed a high priority in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Presently, we are assessing the abundance of selected species of mammals at sites representing five major vegetation types found in the Grand Teton National Park. The five vegetation sites are sampled in areas with and without wolves. The size range of these mammals extends from voles/mice to coyotes. Small rodents are being assessed through standard capture/recapture techniques using Sherman traps. Carnivores are being estimated by genetic identification of scat. That method is non-invasive, and by walking transects two times, we can essentially estimate populations sizes using the Lincoln-Peterson statistical technique. Mammals that can not be easily trapped or identified through scat will be followed over time using indices of abundance.
A Landscape Approach to Aspen Restoration: Understanding the Role of Biophysical Setting in Aspen Community Dynamics
Authors: Brown Kathryn , Hansen Andrew , Keane Robert , Graumlich Lisa
Published: July 2020

Considerable debate surrounds the persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities in western North America. Loss of aspen cover has been documented in several studies in various Rocky Mountain ecosystems (Loope and Gruel 1973; Romme et al. 1995; Renkin and Despain 1996; Wirth et al. 1996; Baker et al. 1997; Kay 1997; Bartos and Campbell 1998; White et al. 1998; Gallant et al. 2003). Explanations for loss of aspen include conifer encroachment, fire exclusion, herbivory, and climatic fluctuations (Loope and Gruell 1973; Mueggler 1985; Bartos et al. 1994; Romme et al. 1995; Kay 1997; White et al. 1998). However, many studies documenting aspen decline have been geographically limited or based on a small sample of subjectively chosen stands (Barnett and Stohlgren 2001; Hessl 2002; Kaye et al. 2003).
Avian Studies in Montane Meadows: Songbird Abundance and Nesting Success
Authors: Vannimwegen Ron , Debinski Diane
Published: July 2020

The loss of biological diversity has become a global concern during the last decade (Wilson, 1988; Reid and Miller, 1989). The need to predict those species of concern and areas of high species richness is even more pressing as we enter an era of potential global climate change. Prerequisites to good decision-making with regard to the management of biological diversity are adequate floral and faunal inventories for the lands in question and a rigorous understanding of species-habitat relationships (e.g., Noss, 1983; Davis et al., 1990; Scott et al., 1990; Scott et al., 1993). The emergence of landscape ecology as a discipline has been instrumental in helping scientists understand spatial patterns of species distribution (Noss, 1983; Urban et al., 1987; Turner, 1989). Once these relationships are understood, it may be possible to predict species diversity based upon landscape level habitat analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) and remotely sensed data (Urban et al., 1987; Turner, 1989) at fine-scale resolutions (e.g., 20 - 50 meter sampling sites). Conversely, such analyses can help optimize sampling strategies or allow us to test hypotheses regarding the spatial correspondence of species diversity "hotspots" among taxonomic groups (e.g. Prendergast et al., 1993). The debate over global climate change has created renewed interest in documenting baseline variability in biodiversity. Goals of the Committee on Earth Sciences (1989) regarding the U.S. Global Change Research Program focus on the development of sound scientific strategies for monitoring and predicting environmental change. Key priorities, as noted by the committee, are as follows: "Systematic sampling and monitoring are essential to document critical natural versus human-induced change in the structure and function of globally relevant biological systems on various time scales." (Committee on Earth Sciences, 1989).
The GTNP Breeding Bird Monitoring Project: Covariation Among Sites in Breeding Densities
Authors: Cody M.
Published: July 2020

The breeding densities of migrant birds are subject to a wide range of influences that may cause their variation, within a site from one year to another, within years but among habitats and sites from one location to another, and also among species with different migration strategies in terms of travel distances and wintering habitats. First measuring, and then understanding, this variation and its drivers is a substantial challenge for breeding bird monitors and population ecologists. Variation in breeding bird densities in Grand Teton National Park have been monitored since the early 1990's, following protocols instigated by M. Cody & S. Cain (1995 NPS Report). Of the thirty monitoring sites established by this report, one half to two-thirds have been censused yearly up to the present time, and a subset of the sites has been monitored yearly without discontinuities. Thus for many sites there is a census history of a decade or more, forming a data base that now approaches statistical adequacy for testing hypotheses about patterns of variation in breeding bird densities.This report presents preliminary data on the covariation of breeding densities, within and between species, over the various monitoring sites. Given that many of the breeding birds leave GTNP in the nonÂ­breeding season and overwinter elsewhere, early summer GTNP breeding densities are likely a consequence both of off-site conditions (winter survival and migration success) and on-site resources in the breeding habitat, likely in part weather-related. We ask questions such as: a) are there years when breeding densities are substantially higher than in other years? Are high-density years typical of many migrant species simultaneously, or do they occur independently over time among species? For a given species in a high-density year, are all breeding/monitoring sites occupied at higher density, with positive correlations among sites, or are some sites negatively correlated? Is the range of sites occupied by breeding birds greater in years when densities reach higher values in the most favored sites?
Trophic Cascades and Biodiversity in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Debinski Diane
Published: July 2020

The reintroduction of wolves into Grand Teton National Park has the potential of affecting species distribution patterns from the large ungulates down to the insect and plant communities. Trophic cascades, as these effects are called, epitomize the interconnectedness of ecological communities. My research team has been studying montane meadow biodiversity of plants, birds, and butterflies in the Grand Teton National Park since 1996. We have used satellite imagery to classify meadows along a moisture gradient into six categories (Ml-M6). Hydric meadows are dominated by willows and sedges, mesic meadows have a diversity of grasses and flowering plants, and xeric meadows are dominated by sagebrush and grasses. These meadows are important reservoirs of biodiversity in the arid Rocky Mountain ecosystems. We have identified a suite of species in each taxonomic group that are tightly linked with each of the meadow types. We expect that as wolves move into Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding areas, there will be changes in herbivory and species distribution patterns that will cascade through the system. This research will focus on monitoring montane meadow communities to test for trophic cascades in the willow and bird communities.
Monitoring Selected Species of Mammals in Grand Teton National Park From 1999 Through 2003
Authors: Miller Brian , Harlow Hank
Published: July 2020

Understanding abundance, distribution, habitat choice, and ecological interactions of mammalian species can promote management decisions that benefit overall ecosystem health. Monitoring programs that build an ecological model of the landscape, and assess the trends in relation to biotic and abiotic changes, are essential to adaptive management, yet are seldom a standard part of management activities (Sinclair 1991; Noss and Cooperrider 1994; Lancia et al. 1996; Noss et al.1996). Monitoring implies a repeated assessment of status. In other words, the single year is placed into a larger context (Thompson et al. 1998). Indeed, a conservation plan requires a long-term obligation to standardized ecological monitoring so that actions can be adjusted according to new information (Noss et al. 1996). Over the long term, this standardized monitoring plan will provide information on small and medium-sized mammals that will (1) assess species use of habitat, (2) monitor changes in species composition as a result of environmental change, and (3) analyze the impact of wolf (Canis lupus) colonization on the mammal (and plant) community. If data become tight enough, we could formulate a predictive model for mammal and habitat relationships. The abundance and diversity of mammals can be greatly affected by a number of factors. These include plant productivity (Hunter and Price 1994; Krebs et al. 1995; Polis and Strong 1996), climate (Pinter 1996; Hoogland 1995; Post et al. 1999), natural disturbance (Pickett and White 1985), disease (Dobson and May 1986), environmental change (Lancia et al. 1996; Thompson et al. 1998), and changes in numbers of large predators (McLaren and Peterson 1994; Terborgh et al. 1999; 2001; Crooks and Soule 1999; Crete 1999; Oksanen and Oksanen 2000; Miller et al. 2001).
Trophic State Evaluation for Selected Lakes in Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Miller Woodruff
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this study was to tentatively classify the trophic level for selected lakes, except Yellowstone Lake, in Yellowstone National Park. This paper also documents the monitoring methods and perspectives used in this study as meeting current acceptable practice. For selected lakes in Yellowstone National Park, phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and other lake characteristics were studied to identify shortÂ­term lake behavior and to classify the annual average trophic state of the lakes. By studying short-term lake behavior, there may be a greater understanding of how the trophic state of a lake can be averaged annually. Both the annual average trophic state and short-term lake behavior may help to understand the longer term trophic state of a lake. There is concern that natural processes and human activity on and around the lakes are causing the water quality to decline. We were unable to find any previous studies that defined the trophic state of the lakes. Therefore, an objective of this study is to evaluate the current trophic state of the lakes and develop a preliminary baseline to which future evaluations can be compared. This study has provided a benchmark trophic state survey not only for comparison to future evaluations, but to identify possible areas of concern. The greater the trophic state, the greater the level of eutrophication that has taken place. As lakes advance in the eutrophication process, water quality generally decreases.
Ethnobotanical Research in Grand Teton National Park, Honoring the First People and Their Plant Knowledge
Authors: Hill Evelyn
Published: July 2020

During the summer of 2004 I began the second phase of a three part study on ethnobotanical plants within the protected boundaries of Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and the Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Identification, location and collection of around 300 plant species used for food, medicine, utilitarian and ceremonial purposes by Shoshoni, Blackfoot, Crow, Ute, Arapahoe, Gosiute and Western Plains and Rocky Mountain Tribes, was and still is the goal of this project.
Climatic Factors, Reproductive Success and Population 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 long-term studies of the phenomenon are notoriously uncommon. The objectives of this project are to continue the long-term study of population dynamics of the montane vole, Microtus montanus, in Grand Teton National Park. Earlier observations (Pinter 1986, 1988) indicate that environmental variables might contribute to the population density cycles of these rodents, possibly by influencing their growth and various aspects of their reproduction.
Assessing the Impotance of Cutthroat Trout to River Otters in Yellowstone Lake
Authors: Ben-David Merav
Published: July 2020

Recently-introduced exotic stressors, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and whirling disease (caused by the Myxobolus cerebralis parasite), threaten the native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) population in Yellowstone Lake. A reduction in cutthroat-availability may affect fish predators negatively, specially during cutthroat spawning. In this study we examined the importance of spawning cutthroat trout to a fish specialist - the river otter (Lontra canadensis). We measured scentÂ­marking rates at 87 otter latrine sites on Yellowstone Lake and its tributary streams throughout the cutthroat spawning period and identified prey items in scats collected at these sites. Based on fecal deposition rates, otters were more active on spawning streams and less active on Yellowstone Lake during the height of the cutthroat spawning season, with a return to elevated activity on the lake after spawning had ended. Cutthroat trout appeared to be the most common prey item in otter scats throughout the study, based on 515 samples identified to the familyÂ­level and 110 samples analyzed to the species-level. Overall, trout occurred in 72% and longnose suckers (Catostomus catostomus) in 43% of otter feces. Suckers were more prevalent than trout in otter scats only on tributary streams, towards the end of the cutthroat spawning run. Introduced lake trout, which inhabit deep water and are largely inaccessible to otters, occurred in less than 5% of otter scats. River otters in the Yellowstone Lake system appear to be highly restricted in their diet and are heavily dependent on cutthroat trout. Our findings suggest that continued declines in the cutthroat trout population could negatively impact otters, potentially disrupting their role in linking the aquatic and terrestrial systems of Yellowstone Lake.
Bumblebee Preadators Reduce Pollinator Density and Plant Fitness
Authors: Dukas Reuven
Published: July 2020

Research in pollination biology has focused on the interactions between animals and the flowers they visit for food reward. However, other selective agents, including predators, seed feeders and herbivores, may affect pollination systems. Because flowers are predictable food sources for a variety of species, flowers are also reliable sites at which predators can locate flower-visiting animals. Prominent among pollinators' predators are beewolves (Philanthus spp), common sphecid wasps (Sphecidae) that prey almost exclusively on bees. My field work over three years indicates, first, that an area of approximately 50 square km surrounding a single bumblebee wolf (Philanthus bicinctus) aggregation had a low bumblebee (Bombus spp) density caused by intense predation by the wasps, and, second, that fruit set of the bumblebee pollinated western monkshood (Aconitum columbianum) was significantly lower at locations and times of bumblebee wolf activity than at control locations and times with no such predatory activity. These results indicate that predation can sometimes alter plantÂ­pollinator interactions.
Aspen Recruitment and Stand Structure in the Gallatin Elk Winter Range of Southwest Montana
Authors: Halofsky Joshua , Ripple William
Published: July 2020

This study examines the relationship between wolf, elk, and aspen within the framework of trophic cascades inside and outside of the Gallatin elk winter range. The overall goal of this study is to determine if an association exists between aspen recruitment, and historic and current elk browsing activities as affected by the absence or presence of wolf predation. This study also examines if other factors (climate fluctuations, conifer invasion, ftre suppression) may have had a role in aspen decline. Through the examination of current and historic elk browsing levels, current and historic browsing effects on aspen recruitment are addressed. Potential historic browsing affects were assessed with tree rings, aspen age structures, historic documents, and an elk exclosure erected in 1945. Current browsing levels were assessed through plant architecture methods and elk pellet counts. Initial results indicate that a gap in aspen recruitment is present yet aspen have successfully recruited inside an elk exclosure located within the same elk winter range. The lack of recruitment outside the exclosure appears to be due to chronic elk herbivory, although other factors need further evaluation. Future results will elucidate if the recruitment gap occurred after wolf extirpation in the 1920's.
How Do Disturbance-Generated Patterns Influence the Spatial Dynamics of Ecosystem Processes
Authors: Turner Monica , Romme William , Tinker Daniel
Published: July 2020

Our studies following the 1988 Yellowstone flres demonstrated that succession was surprisingly more variable in space and time than even current theory would have suggested, and that initial spatial patterns of disturbance may persist to produce longÂ­ lasting changes in vegetation. Our focus now is on explaining the spatial and temporal patterns of succession and understanding how these patterns influence ecosystem function. The most interesting new questions revolve around the degree to which the spatial variation in postfue vegetation in particular, the six orders of magnitude variation in pine sapling density, ranging from 0 to greater than 500,000 saplings/ha controls the spatial variability in ecosystem processes across the landscape. In our current research, we are conducting studies in both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to answer four major questions:
Investigation of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis in Four Boreal Toad (Bufo Boreas Boreas) Populations in Wyoming
Authors: St-Hilaire Sophie , Bruner Sarah , Murphy Peter , Patla Debra , Peterson Charles
Published: July 2020

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Figure 1) is a newly described chytridiomycete fungus that infects amphibian keratin (Berger et al. 1998). It is reported to cause disease and mortality in metamorphosed amphibians around the world (Lips 1998: Young et al. 2001; Bradley et al. 2002; Muths et al. 2003). In several cases, this pathogen is believed to be the primary cause of extinction for amphibian species (Daszak et al. 1999).
Distribution and Body Size Diverstiy of Emberizine Sparrows in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Cody Martin
Published: July 2020

Over the last decade or so, we have monitored breeding bird densities over the entire range of habitats within GTNP, from grasslands and sagebrush to scrub, woodland , and forest. Many field workers, including park scientists, have contributed to the monitoring efforts. In all, there are 30 established monitoring sites, and each has been visited on average in two out of three years since 1995. Some sites, however, have been censused yearly, and on some of these the census record extends back for several decades. The monitoring work provides a rather complete assessment of the park's breeding bird communities, i.e. species over habitats among years, and to date some 160 species have been recorded in the monitoring effort, all but a handful of which are breeding birds. This report addresses specifically one prominent group of breeding birds, the emberizine sparrows and buntings.
Montane Meadows as a Microcosm for Predicting Global Change
Authors: Debinski D.
Published: July 2020

The last decade has witnessed intensifying, abrupt global climate change. Despite this impact, we know little about when, what, and how changes occur. Most climate research is limited to studies of the abiotic environment, focusing on atmospheric composition and carbon fluxes. These studies fail to provide adequate indicators of climate changes and their impact on habitats and species. Recent and intensifying ecological changes have generated interest in (Root et al. 2003, Thomas et al. 2004), and the need for tools that can help to prepare for global climate shifts. Changes in ecological (biotic) communities are excellent indicators of climate shifts, providing models to predict changes over time. Montane meadows, defined here as persistently nonÂ­forested habitats in mountain ecosystems, make up a small percentage of terrestrial habitats, but they are likely to exhibit changes much more rapidly than most other areas. These meadows are arrayed along a hydrological gradient (from hydric to mesic to xeric) and inhabited by short-lived plants and highly mobile animal species that can exhibit quick changes in distribution patterns relative to environmental changes. Thus, they can provide an early warning system for other ecosystems across the globe. Currently, the extent and range of climatic changes that will occur in montane meadows are unknown.
Evidence for Shoshonean Bighorn Sheep Trapping and Early Historic Occupation in the Absaroka Mountains of Northwest Wyoming
Authors: Eakin Daniel
Published: July 2020

This report briefly summarizes 2004-2005 archaeological investigations at five sites located on Boulder Ridge in northwest Wyoming's Absaroka Range. Archaeological investigations on Boulder Ridge began in the 1970s when Frison (1978:258-262) documented site 48PA781, the Boulder Ridge Animal Trap (Figure 1C). In July 2003, school documented several additional sites on Boulder Ridge, including 48PA2646, a previously unrecorded feature interpreted as remains of a bighorn sheep trap (Finley and Finley 2004).
Grazing Effects of the New Zealand Mud Snail Across a Productivity Gradient in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Riley Lesilie , Dybdahl Mark , Hall, Jr. Robert
Published: July 2020

Accurately predicting the effects of introduced species on native commumtles and ecosystems is a challenge. Utilizing methods of food web ecology, we measured grazing effects of the invasive freshwater New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, in streams within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Previous results indicate that P. antipodarum can significantly reduce algal standing stocks in less than one week, but it is not yet known if grazing effects vary across streams differing in benthic algae production. In this study, we measured the strength of P. antipodarum grazing on algal resources across six streams varying widely in ambient primary production. In field enclosure experiments within each stream, we estimated direct grazing effects of snails on algae by measuring chlorophyll a, gross primary production and chlorophyll a-specific primary production. In most streams, P. antipodarum decreased overall algal standing stocks, as measured by chlorophyll a, even though gross primary production was not affected. As a result, chlorophyll-a specific primary production increased in productive streams. Finally, standardized comparisons of P. antipodarum-algae interactions indicated that grazing effects were largest in the most productive streams. The overall impact of P. antipodarum on native stream communities will be greatest in the most productive streams if these assemblages are also capable of supporting dense P. antipodarum populations.
GTNP Breeding Bird Monitoring Project: The 2006 Season Year-to-Year Variation in Avian Breeding Densities in Grand Teton National Park.
Authors: Cody M.
Published: July 2020

Census work was carried out in midÂ­ June on 10 of the 30 breeding bird monitoring sites formally established in the mid 1990s. The censuses conducted in 2006 spanned a range of habitats from grassland and sage through willows and cottonwoods to pine and spruce-fir forest. Collectively, the sites cover all habitats within Grand Teton National Park, from lowest to highest elevations, and have produced records of 158 bird species since project initiation. Dry conditions prevailed in GTNP in late winter 2006 and extended into the spring and summer. Similarly, dry conditions were widespread in the overwintering areas of many of the migrants breeding within the park, from southern and southwestern USA south into northern and western Mexico. The 2006 breeding birds showed overall lower densities, with especially low numbers in those species typical of wetland habitats. On the other hand, many species characteristic of drier habitats within the park and with geographic ranges extending south and west of the park were more common than usual. Comparisons are drawn, for different suites of birds, between 2006 densities and the long term average densities at the monitoring sites. Some attempt is made to distinguish between on-site and off-site influences on breeding bird densities, although these efforts remain tentative.
Digitization of the Grand Teton National Park Herbarium, 2006-2007
Authors: Harlow Mary , Schmidt Lawrence
Published: July 2020

Examples of digitization projects in the history of science are understood to have lasting consequences for the intellectual history of their fields (Petersen, 2005; Roes 2001). Following this trend, herbarium collections around the world are beginning to be digitized with positive results for their institutions (Begnoche, 2002; Ong, 2002). Librarians, with their long history of making collections accessible, are participating in this trend (Foster, 2005). This project expands the University of Wyoming Libraries work in the digitizing of a unique collection of plant specimens.