bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interseismic Hanging Wall Uplift on Teton Normal Fault, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, 1988-1997, Measured by Precise Leveling
Authors: Sylvester Arthur , Smith Robert , Hitchcock Christopher , Byrd John
Published: July 2020

The 55 km-long Teton normal fault at the eastern base of the Teton Range, Wyoming, has one the highest rates of Holocene slip of any fault in the Basin-Range, but it is seismically dormant at the M2 + level and presently lies in the center of a 50 km-long seismic gap (Byrd et al, 1993). Analyses of trenching, fault scarp heights, and fault proftles indicate earthquakes on the Teton fault are nonÂ­Poissonian, with from 5 to 10 M >7 earthquakes occurring from 7,900 to 14,000 years ago, but only two such events between 5,000 and 7,900 years ago, and none in the last 5,000 years (Byrd et al., 1994).
Above-Ground Net Primary Production, Leaf Area Index, and Nitrogen Dynamics in Early Post-Fire Vegetation, Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Turner Monica , Reed Rebecca , Romme William , Finley Mary , Knight Dennis
Published: July 2020

The 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Wyoming, affected >250,000 ha, creating a striking mosaic of burn severities across the landscape which is likely to influence ecological processes for decades to come (Christensen et al. 1989, Knight and Wallace 1989, Turner et al.1994). Substantial spatial heterogeneity in early post-fire succession has been observed in the decade since the fires, resulting largely from spatial variation in fire severity and in the availability of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) seeds in or near the burned area (Anderson and Romme 1991, Tinker et al. 1994, Turner et al. 1997). PostÂ­fire vegetation now includes pine stands ranging from relatively low to extremely high pine sapling density (ca 10,000 to nearly 100,000 stems ha-1) as well as non-forest or marginally forested vegetation across the Yellowstone landscape may influence ecosystem processes related to energy flow and biogeochemisty. We also are interested in how quickly these processes may return to their preÂ­ disturbance characteristics. In this pilot study, we began to address these general questions by examining the variation in above-ground net primary production (ANPP), leaf area index (LAI) of tree (lodgepole pine) and herbaceous components, and rates of nitrogen mineralization and loss in successional stands 9 years after the fires. ANPP measures the cumulative new biomass generated over a given period of time, and is a fundamental ecosystem property often used to compare ecosystems (Carpenter 1998). Leaf area (typically expressed as leaf area index [LAI], i.e., leaf area per unit ground surface area) influences rates of two fundamental ecosystem processes -Â­ primary productivity and transpiration -- and is communities (
Climatic Factors Reproductive Success and Population Dynamics in the Montane Vole, Microtus montanus
Authors: Pinter Aelita
Published: July 2020

Multiannual fluctuations in population density ("cycles") of small rodents have been known since antiquity (Elton 1942). Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon (for reviews see Finerty 1980, Taitt and Krebs 1985). However, none of these hypotheses, alone or in combination, has been able to explain the causality of cycles, although recently removal of parasites was shown to prevent population cycles in the red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scoticus (Hudson et al. 1998). The objectives of this long-term study are to determine whether environmental variables, possibly acting through reproductive responses, contribute to the multiannual fluctuations of the montane vole, Microtus montanus.
Ecological Responses of Stream Ecosystems Ten Years After Disturbance by Wildfire
Authors: Bowman Kathryn , Minshall G.
Published: July 2020

Wildfire is a major large-scale disturbance that profoundly influences stream ecosystems over broad spatial and temporal scales. Research has focused primarily on short-term effects, with most data collected within the first few months or years following wildfire. We determined the ecological conditions of 13 streams (10 burned, 3 unburned) 10 years after major fires in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), in order to determine the mid-term responses of stream ecosystems to wildfire. Information from this study is critical to the basic understanding of the role of wildfires in the flowing water systems of wilderness areas and national parks. In addition, this information will be helpful in the formulation of future fire policies and resource management approaches in public forests, wilderness areas, and parks and will provide educational and interpretive information to aid the public and its representatives in better understanding the importance of fire in natural ecosystems. Differences among burned streams in chemical properties were related to local geology and not to the effects of fire. Stream habitat measurements indicated that there was more fine sediment in the burned headwater streams compared to the reference streams and that burned mid-size streams were wider and shallower than the comparable sized reference stream. Benthic macroinvertebrate density was higher and percent Ephemeroptera-PlecopteraÂ­Trichoptera was lower in the burned streams than in the reference. These changes were accompanied by an increase in the proportion of smaller, more vagile taxa, suggesting a shift in community structure from K- to rÂ­ strategists. However, these differences did not exist for taxa richness or biomass, indicating that metabolic compensation accompanied the change in community structure. Mid-term recovery appears to be delayed in YNP streams as a result of increased precipitation and runoff in recent years. These results indicate that significant changes are still occurring in these streams ten years after the fires; these impacts and trends are expected to be even more apparent when the patterns over the whole ten years are examined.
Distribution, Morphology, Survival, and Genetics of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Seedlings Following the 1988 Yellowstone Fires
Authors: Turner Monica , Reed Rebecca , Romme William , Tuskan Gerald
Published: July 2020

An unexpected consequence of the 1988 Yellowstone fires was the widespread establishment of seedlings of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the burned forests, including areas outside the previous range of aspen (Kay 1993, Romme et al. 1997). Although aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America (Fowells 1965), it is relatively uncommon and localized in distribution within Yellowstone National Park (Despain 1991). Most aspen stands in Yellowstone are found in the lower elevation landscapes in the northern portion of the park, and the species was absent -- prior to 1988 -- across most of the high plateaus that dominate the southern and central park area. Aspen in the Rocky Mountain region reproduces primarily by means of vegetative root sprouting. Although viable seeds are regularly produced, establishment of seedlings in the wild is apparently a rare event due to the limited tolerance of aspen seedlings for desiccation or competition (e.g., Pearson 1914, McDonough 1985). In the immediate aftermath of the 1988 Yellowstone fires, there was a brief "window of opportunity" for aspen seedling establishment, as a result of abundant aspen seed production, moist weather conditions in spring and summer, and bare mineral soil and reduced plant competition within extensive burned areas (Jelinski and Cheliak 1992, Romme et al. 1997). We initiated this 3-year study in 1996 to address four questions about the aspen seedlings now growing in burned areas across the Yellowstone Plateau: (1) What are the broad-scale patterns of distribution and abundance of aspen seedlings across the subalpine plateaus of Yellowstone National Park? (2) What is the morphology and population structure -- e.g., proportions of genets (genetic individuals that developed from a single seed) and ramets (vegetative root sprouts produced by a genet) of various ages -- in aspen seedling populations? (3) What are the mechanisms leading to eventual persistence or extirpation of seedling populations along an elevational gradient, particularly with respect to ungulate browsing and plant competition? (4) What is the genetic diversity and relatedness of the seedling populations along gradients of elevation and substrate? We completed our sampling for questions 2 and 4 in 1996 (see our 1996 annual report for details). In 1997 and again in 1998 we continued our annual sampling related to questions 1 and 3.
Captures and Recaptures of Small Mammals to Assess Responses to Fire in a Coniferous Forest in the Greater Yellowstone Area
Authors: Stanton N. , Seville R. , Buskirk S. , Miller S. , Spildie D. , Fowler J.
Published: July 2020

Natural fires are common in coniferous forests in the Rocky Mountains, and one of the largest fires in recent history occurred in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) in 1988 when over a million acres of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) burned. In the summers of 1989, 1990 and 1991 and again in 1997 and 1998, we trapped small mammals in two burned and two adjacent unburned forests in the Huckleberry Mountain fire in the Rockefeller Memorial Parkway, 0.5 km north of Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). Here we report on the captures and recaptures of the two most common species of small mammals, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi); and analyze retrapping frequency for each species in the burned and unburned forest. Our intent was to test the hypothesis that the probability of recapture is the same for both species in burned and unburned habitats. These capture/recapture data will be used by other co-investigators in additional publications to report on estimated population sizes and microhabitat associations.
Precambrian Geological Evolution of the Teton Range, Western Wyoming
Authors: Chamberlain Kevin , Frost B. , Frost Carol
Published: July 2020

The crystalline rocks that form the core of the Teton Range are part of the Wyoming Province, which is one of the oldest portions of North America. Study of the basement of the Tetons, coupled with the results of ongoing research in similar-aged rocks exposed elsewhere in Wyoming, will provide information on how the crust evolved in the early Earth in general and in the Wyoming province in particular. In 1999 the project involved two weeks of fieldwork in Grand Teton National Park and regions to the east, including the Gros Ventre Range, deep canyons of the Buffalo Fork River near Togwotee Pass, and outcrops of basement near Dubois, Wyoming. The main goals of the fieldwork were to complete the sampling of key units in Grand Teton National Park, and to determine whether or not the next nearest outcrops of basement (Gros Ventre, Togwotee Pass and Dubois regions) share the early geologic history preserved in the rocks of Teton National Park. This field work involved four faculty members from UW and a graduate student, who is doing the study as part of her MS thesis. Several months of laboratory analysis at UW have characterized the rocks through thin section, stained slabs, and whole rock geochemical and Nd, Sr, and Ph isotopic methods and produced preliminary U-Pb dates. The principal results from this year 's efforts are that the Teton basement rocks consist of large proportions of juvenile crust, the majority of the rocks formed over a relatively narrow time span from ~2.74 to 2.68 Ga, they were deformed at about 2.67 Ga, and that rocks exposed in the Buffalo Fork River to the east are shallow level equivalents to the deep rocks exposed in the Tetons. Based on these observations and measurements, we hypothesize that the basement rocks of the Tetons formed in an offÂ­shore, island arc setting between 2.74-2.68 Ga, and they were accreted to the Wyoming province at about 2.67 Ga. Post-tectonic intrusion of distinctive peraluminous granites in both the Teton's (Mt. Owens quartz monzonite) and elsewhere in the Wyoming province at 2.55 Ga strengthens our interpretation of a shared history after 2.67 Ga. If this model for the basement rocks in the Teton's holds up, it will be the first case of crustal growth by lateral accretion for the Archean Wyoming province, and one of the earliest examples of plate tectonics style crustal growth documented from anywhere in the world. Plate tectonic growth has dominated the Earth 's evolution from ~2.5 Ga to the present, but it is unclear whether or not analogous processes operated before 2.5 Ga.
Spatial Distribution of Large Woody Debris on the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Marston Richard , Gray Robin
Published: July 2020

Large woody debris (LWD) plays a key role in controlling the ecology and geomorphology of streams. Woody debris traps coarse particulate organic matter and sediments (Andersen and Sedell, 1979; Bilby and Likens, 1980; Marston, 1982); provides habitat for aquatic insects (Angermeier and Karr, 1984; Benke et al., 1985); and provides cover in pools and slow water areas (Bisson et al., 1982, 1987; Tschaplinski and Hartman, 1983; Fausch and Northcote, 1992). The role of wood in affecting stream morphology is dependent on the size of the stream (Bilby and Ward, 1989). In smaller streams, woody debris can create step pool sequences (Heede, 1972, 1985; Marston, 1982), increase pool area (Murphy and Hall, 1981; Ralph et al., 1994), and reduce sediment transport (Bilby, 1984). Nakamura and Swanson (1993) noted that the importance of woody debris to the morphology of first order streams can be limited by the size of the debris, which is often large enough to bridge the channel and not interact with the flow. Woody debris plays a larger role when it enters the channel bottom, where it can divert flow and affect erosion and deposition. The scale issues raised by Bilby and Ward (1989) and Nakamura and Swanson (1993) are critical to understanding the role of woody debris. To date, LWD has not been adequately studied at watershed scales in larger rivers. In fact, there is little understanding of the relationship between LWD and the geomorphic pattern of the river channel (Piegay and Marston, 1998; Piegay and Gumell, 1997; Piegay, 1993). The purpose of this study is to document the distribution of LWD jams on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming in order to understand the effects of LWD on channel morphology in large river systems.
Male Manipulation of Female Receptivity in Sagebrush Crickets
Authors: Weddle Carie , Avery Rachel , Brady Pamela , Sakaluk John , Trullinger Jason , Sakaluk Scott
Published: July 2020

Male sagebrush crickets, Cyphoderris strepitans, offer an unusual nuptial food gift to females during copulation: females are permitted to feed on the hind wings of males and ingest hemolymph that flows from the resulting wounds. A previous study of this species showed that females experimentally precluded from wing feeding during initial copulations were more receptive to subsequent matings than females allowed to obtain a full blood meal during initial copulations (Johnson et al. 1999). The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that hormonal substances contained in the hemolymph of males and ingested by females during copulation function to decrease female receptivity to further matings, and thereby constitute male manipulation. We tested this hypothesis by allowing females to ingest one of the following substances prior to experimental pairings: adult male hemolymph, adult female hemolymph, or insect Ringer's solution. Experimental females were given the opportunity to mate 24 hours after treatments were established and latency to mating was used as a measure of female receptivity. There was no significant difference in latency to mating across treatments. The lack of a difference could be due to a decay in the activity of putative hormonal substances over the 24-hour period separating hemolymph delivery and mating trials. In addition, the simultaneous act of wing-feeding combined with intitial copulation may provide a behavioral primer that triggers any effect on female receptivity.
Modeling Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Montane Meadows and Biodiversity in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Debinski Diane , Jakubauskas Mark , Kindscher Kelly
Published: July 2020

Our project is an examination of ecological dynamics in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), concentrating specifically upon the spatial and temporal dynamics of montane meadow communities. We are examining both the abiotic aspects of these communities as well as the biodiversity of plant, bird and butterfly communities. Our long-term goal is to develop predictive species assemblage models based upon landscape level habitat analysis. This involves using intensive, local field sampling to test for relationships between species distribution patterns and remotely sensed data. This research involves several steps: 1) quantifying the spatial and temporal variability in montane meadow communities; 2) developing a spectrally-based spatially-explicit model for predicting plant and animal species diversity patterns in montane meadows; and 3) testing the spectrally-based spatiallyÂ­explicit model for predicting plant and animal species diversity patterns in montane meadows.
Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue in Microtus montanus from Natural Populations
Authors: Pinter Aelita
Published: July 2020

Impaired immunocompetence may contribute to the multiannual fluctuations ("cycles") in population density of arvicoline rodents (Mihok et al. 1985, Pinter 1988, Lochmiller et al. 1993). In a variety of species environmental variables influence at least one component of the immune system, the gut-associated lymphoid system, GALT (Lopez et al. 1985, Li et al. 1995). Preliminary laboratory observations suggest that the development of GALT in Microtus montanus can be influenced by such factors as age and diet (Smith and Pinter 2000). However, these observations are from captive-bred voles, maintained on a synthetic laboratory diet, under strictly controlled laboratory conditions. The complexity and abundance of variables under natural conditions must influence the development and function of GALT- yet, nothing is known about it from Microtus montanus under natural conditions. The purpose of this study was essentially twofold: (1) to describe the morphometries of GALT in wild-caught M. montanus, and (2) to characterize the morphometric changes that occur in GALT of these animals as a function of their age, sex, and the season of the year.
Tree-Ring Based Reconstructions of Paleo-Precipitation Regimes in the Eastern Yellowstone Region
Authors: Gray S. , Jackson S. , Taylor K. , Palmer C. , Fastie C.
Published: July 2020

There are few other regions where the influence of climate on basic ecosystem attributes has been as well documented as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Research has shown that elk, bison, and grizzly bear populations in the GYE are tightly linked to annual climate variation (Meagher 1976, Picton 1978). Authors have shown that the distribution of vegetation types in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks is influenced by the seasonality of precipitation (Despain 1987, 1990). Natural disturbances, especially fires and insect outbreaks, are also known to coincide with specific climate scenarios in this region (Knight 1987, Balling et al. 1992). Therefore, understanding how climate can vary over time is essential for the proper management of these areas (Luckman 1996). Modem instrumental records have contributed greatly to our understanding of the current GYE climate system. In particular, work by Mock (1996) and Bartlein et al. (1997) has demonstrated how local manifestations of large-scale circulation patterns produce distinct climates within the GYE. In addition, studies using modem climate records and General Circulation Models by Balling et al. (1992) and Bartlein et al. (1997) have identified trends toward increasing aridity in the GYE and the potential for these trends to continue well into the future. Late Pleistocene and Holocene (18-1 kya) climate in the GYE is known mainly from lakeÂ­sediment cores. Work by Whitlock (1993), Whitlock and Bartlein (1993), and Thompson et al. (1993) indicates that after deglaciation, increased solar radiation during summer months led to a highly seasonal climate regime. As levels of solar radiation changed through the Holocene, GYE climate became increasingly more like today until the modem regime became established around 1500-1600 AD (Whitlock 1993, Elias 1997). While existing modem and paleoecological studies reveal important aspects of the GYE climate system, there is a distinct lack of high-resolution data for most of the last millennium. Lake sediments only record climate variation at a resolution of hundreds to thousands of years, and instrumental records do not exist before the 1890s. Dendroclimatology, the study of climate using patterns of tree-ring growth (Fritts 1976) is particularly well suited to fill this gap in our knowledge of GYE climate. Tree-rings have been used successfully for climate reconstructions worldwide, offer records spanning decades to millennia, and can provide annual resolution. Therefore, we are developing a network of tree-ring sites in the western Absaroka Mountains and eastern Bighorn Basin to fill important spatial (areas east of Yellowstone NP) and temporal (high resolution for the past 700-1,000+year) gaps in our knowledge of GYE climate.
Breeding Raptor Census in Grand Teton National Park, 2001
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 2001. We located a total of 38 nesting pairs / 31.1 km, and a total of 8 raptor species. The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) and the Common raven (Corvus corax) were the two most abundant species on the study area. In this study, we considered Common ravens as an ecological and trophic level equivalent of raptors. Five of the eight species migrate, and two of the eight species are known neotropical migrants. The mean number of young fledged for all species was 1.9 (range=0.2 to 3.1, SD=1.3). We located the territory but not a nest for three Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) pairs. Low precipitation and warm temperatures characterized weather during the last two years. Effects of weather conditions and human disturbance on raptor abundance within the study area were examined.
First-Order Leveling Reveals Anomalous, Interseismic, Contractile, Transient Strain Across Teton Normal Fault, 1988-2001, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Authors: Sylvester A. , Smith R. , Chang Wu , Hitchcock C.
Published: July 2020

As part of a comprehensive neotectonic study of interseismic behavior of active faults, we have done six first order leveling surveys of 50 permanent bench marks in a 22 km-long base line across the Teton fault to characterize its interseisrnic behavior between 1988 and 2001. This 55 km-long normal fault extends along the eastern base of the Teton Range, exhibits up to 30 m of post-glacial offset, and has one the highest rates of Holocene slip of any fault in the Basin-Range. It is seismically dormant at the M2+ level, however, and presently lies in the center of a 50 km-long seismic gap. Results of five of the six levelings are remarkably similar and suggest that the alluvium-filled valley of northern Jackson Hole (hanging wall) subsided 6-8 mm relative to bedrock of the Teton Range (footwall) relative to the 1989 survey. Height changes were insignificant from 1989 to 1993. In 1997, however, a 2 km-wide zone adjacent to the fault rose 12 mm relative to the 1993 survey, and then dropped 16 mm by the 2001 leveling. This zone coincides with an area of low topography characterized by lakes ponded along the fault and south-flowing streams parallel to the range front, rather than eastward away from the range. This subsidence zone records hanging wall subsidence related to long term faulting. The 1997 uplift of the valley floor and subsidence zone may reflect an unexpected, reverse loading and local crustal shortening between 1993 and 2001. Campaign GPS surveys (1987 to 2000, only briefly summarized in this report) support this hypothesis, indicating that the principal direction of horizontal shortening was locally E-W perpendicular to the fault, and that crustal shortening occurred in the period 1995-2000. Regionally during 1987-1995, subsidence and shortening characterized deformation of the Yellowstone caldera when GPS recorded uplift and extension across the Teton fault, only 30 km to the south. During 1995-2000, subsidence slowed or ceased for much of the caldera, whereas the overall GPS vectors across Jackson Hole were directed west with almost 2 mm/yr of E-W motion (N. America fixed). This shortening strain field implies that the regional stress field was compressional normal to the fault at the time of the 2000 GPS survey. The return of the 2001 leveling signal to pre-1997 values suggests that the strain reversed or relaxed, and that the 1997 leveling anomaly was a contractile strain transient that passed across the fault probably between 1995, when the strain pattern at Yellowstone caldera changed, and the 2000 GPS survey but before the 2001 leveling. Preliminary elastic dislocation models indicate 10-20 mm reverse slip at a depth of 1-2 km. Alternatively the observed leveling changes may reflect a complex combination of other processes including local poroelastic effects, or nearfield drag of the hanging wall as it subsides overall in farfield extension.
Recolonization of Substrates Burned in the 1988 Yellowstone Park Fires by Cryptogams (Lichens, Mosses, Fungi)
Authors: Eversman Sharon
Published: July 2020

The fires of 1988 in Yellowstone National Park burned 1.1 million acres (1719.4 square miles) within the park boundaries, about 44.5% of the park. Six per cent of the area burned was meadowÂ­grassland and 94% was forests. Most of the forested areas that burned were dominated by lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud), with smaller tracts of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco)), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.). The burns were mosaic in nature, leaving different sizes of areas severely burned, moderately burned and unburned, and adjacent patches of mostly ground fires, mostly canopy fires, both ground and canopy fires or unburned stands (Rothermel et al., 1994). Many park projects have documented recovery of vascular plants, especially lodgepole pine and the understory perennials (Anderson & Romme, 1991; Baskin, 1999; Foster, et al, 1999; Reed, et al ,1999; Tomback, et al, 2001; Turner et al, 1994, 1997). The conclusions were that lodgepole pine has regenerated itself, as expected, from seed sources in adjacent unburned patches. Herbaceous and shrubby understory regeneration has depended primarily on the plants that were present at the study sites before the fires, with regrowth from surviving underground parts as well as from nearby seed sources. This study investigates the initial return of non-vascular vegetation, lichens and mosses, all of which were presumably destroyed when their substrates were burned. None of the other Yellowstone studies included cryptogam observations. Studies concentrating on recolonizing cryptogamic crusts, including mosses, algae and lichens, on dryland soil after fires, have occurred in Utah (Johansen, et al, 1984) and Australia (Eldridge & Bradstock, 1994). Algae tended to return before lichens and mosses, especially during wet years, and after five years the lichens and mosses were recovering but not yet to pre-burn cover. Researchers have found that, on limestone, two lichen species colonized after four years. Thomas, et al. (1994) found that Ceratodon purpureus appeared to be insensitive to pH differences of burned peat surfaces and readily colonized ashed surfaces within one year after fire; Polytrichum piliferum was dominant after three years.
The 2002 Class III Cultural Resource Inventory of the AMK Ranch Project Area, Grand Teton National Park, Teton County, Wyoming
Authors: Sanders Paul , Holtman Pam
Published: July 2020

A class III cultural resource inventory of a 32 acre area surrounding the AMK Ranch/University of Wyoming-National Park Service Research Center along Jackson Lake was conducted by the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist (OWSA) for the National Park Service, Grand Teton National Park. The inventoried area surrounds the 12 acre AMK Ranch Historic District (48TE968), which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was previously inventoried by OWSA in 2001. The project was conducted as a part of a fire fuels reduction program to help protect the AMK Ranch from natural fires. No cultural resources were noted. No further work is recommended, as the fire fuels reduction program will have no adverse effect on the AMK Ranch Historic District. As a result, cultural clearance is recommended with the standard stipulation that should archaeological remains be uncovered during any future construction, the appropriate state and federal regulatory agencies be contacted immediately.
The Effects of Human Residential Development on Avian Communities Along the Snake River Riparian Corridor in Jackson Hole, WY
Authors: Smith Courtland
Published: July 2020

Throughout North America, bird declines may be attributable to loss of habitat on the breeding grounds. Human land uses, especially residential development pressures within western ecosystems, are greatly impacting riparian landscapes and biota, particularly breeding birds. While most studies have focused on eastern birds, it is unclear how western bird assemblages respond to development and its concomitant effects on habitat alteration and fragmentation. I sampled bird community parameters and habitat variables at three spatial scales (microhabitat, macrohabitat, and landscape) along a human development gradient along the Snake River riparian corridor in Jackson Hole, WY. Fifty-six cottonwood forest patches were surveyed during the 2001-02 breeding season. Principal component analysis, canonical correspondence analysis, and multiple linear regression statistical tests were used to determine the effects of housing densities on avian assemblages, guilds, and habitat features. Overall species richness and diversity declined with increasing human development. Neotropical migrant species were most negatively impacted and consistently declined in proportional representation on forested plots as human development densities increased. Short-distance migrants, food generalists, ground gleaners, and avian nest predators all increased with increasing human development. Brood parasites, on the other hand, did not increase with increasing fragmentation and their distribution may reflect the availability of nest host species. Of the environmental variables measured, landscape features were most affected and metrics consistent with habitat fragmentation were most correlated with human development. These results suggest that residential development within riparian habitats may be exerting a strong negative influence on western bird communities and at high densities may lead to a depauperate avian biota and reproductive sinks.
Testate Amoebae as Paleoclimatic Proxies in Rocky Mountain Peatlands: A Case Study in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Booth Robert , Zygmunt Jennifer
Published: July 2020

We investigated the potential of testate amoebae (Protozoa: Rhizopoda) for reconstructing past climate changes in the Rocky Mountain region. Our specific objectives were to determine environmental controls on modem testate amoeba distribution in Sphagnum-dominated peatlands of the region, reconstruct past temporal changes in testate amoebae from a Sphagnum-dominated peatland in southwestern Yellowstone National Park, and assess relationships between climate variability and testate amoebae for the past century. Our results indicate that substrate moisture is the dominant control on modem testate amoeba distribution in the region, consistent with studies from other regions. Temporal changes in testate amoebae reconstructed from a floating peat mat in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem show considerable variability during the past several hundred years, and variability during the past century was correlated with the instrumental record of drought at decadal timescales. The patterns suggest that sensitive paleoclimatic reconstructions are possible from floating mats in the region, and perhaps elsewhere. Testate amoebae from peatlands in the Rocky Mountains show great potential for reconstructing past climate variability, corroborating and extending records inferred from other proxies.
Amphibian and Reptile Inventory and Monitoring Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
Authors: Patla Debra , Peterson Charles
Published: July 2020

This is a report of the results of amphibian surveys conducted in Yellowstone (YELL) and Grand Teton (GRTE) national parks and the J. D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway (JODR) in the summer of 2002. Work was financially supported by the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (USGS-ARMI) and the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program (NPSÂ­ I&M). YELL and GRTE provided multiple forms of logistic support including permits, boat transport, loan of radios, and field crew lodging. This report is intended to satisfy the NPS-I&M contract requirement for an annual and cumulative progress report. An initial progress report was prepared last year (Patla and Peterson 2002); a final report will be submitted to NPS by February 2004. This report will be provided to the GRYN I&M office, YELL and GRTE, and ARMI. For more information, contact Chuck Peterson (petechar@isu.edu). This report contains three sections covering the three project components: systematic surveys, targeted species surveys, and the Lodge Creek Columbia Spotted Frog monitoring site. Each section includes background information, methods, results and discussion. An updated list of herpetofauna species follows the targeted species section. A relational database submitted on a CD with this report provides data documenting sampling events and findings. We also are providing digital photographs of sites visited and voucher photos, and ArcView GIS themes depicting the locations of sites and amphibian/reptile records.
Invasive Species Impact: Direct and Indirect Interactions Between Two Stream Snails and Their Algal Resources
Authors: Riley Leslie , Dybdahl Mark , Hall, Jr. Robert
Published: July 2020

We measured the strength of direct and indirect interactions in order to develop a standardized estimate of the impact of an invasive snail on its resource and a competitor. The freshwater New Zealand snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, an invasive species in the western U.S., is the most abundant benthic macroinvertebrate grazer in several rivers, where it overlaps with several threatened endemic snails. In one watershed, Potamopyrgus coexists with the snail, Pyrgulopsis robusta, which may be affected by resource competition with Potamopyrgus. In field enclosure experiments, we quantified the direct grazing effect of snails on algae and the indirect effects between consumers. Potamopyrgus significantly limited growth of Pyrgulopsis. In contrast, Pyrgulopsis appeared to facilitate growth of the invasive snail (Potamopyrgus). In natural populations, snail densities were positively correlated over five sites, but negatively correlated at two downstream sites. Interaction strengths between snails and algae were equivalent for both snails at both sites, indicating that invasion success could not be attributed to differences in resource acquisition. However, the overall impact of the invader was much higher at the downstream site when both snail abundance and interaction strengths were considered. Negative individual effects of Potamopyrgus at two trophic levels in conjunction with high Potamopyrgus abundance demonstrated a significant impact of the invader in this lotic community.
Assessment of Recreational Impace of Black Bear Habitat Use and Implication of Grizzly Bear Range Expansion in the Southern Tetons
Authors: Cain Steve , Frattaroli Leslie , Schwartz Chuck , Moody Dave
Published: July 2020

Grizzly bears have been moving slowly southward in the Tetons and increasing their abundance over the last 20 years. Their distribution is now expanding into areas previously occupied by black bears only that are heavily developed and receive proportionately more recreational use. At the same time, white pine blister rust and other humanÂ­caused factors may reduce bear food abundance in the near future. Grand Teton National Park is now positioned for an unprecedented interplay of bears, declining bear food sources, and humans in a relatively small temporal and spatial scale. In a new study designed to provide information critical to future black and grizzly bear conservation in this area, 6 spread spectrum technology (SST) GPS radio collars were deployed on black bears in the southern end of Grand Teton National Park in 2005. SST collars allow interrogation of the data in the GPS unit on a regular basis. GPS units were programmed to record positions every 90 to 190 minutes, and data were downloaded aerially on a weekly basis. Four female bears, two with cubs of the year, an adult male, and a subadult male provided the bulk of approximately 2700 positions obtained in 2005, about 1560 of which were visted for detailed site analysis. Sites visited were based on a randomly selected 24 hour period for each bear each week, and all sites were visited within a week of the location's recording. Efforts in 2006 will focus more intensively on site visits and associated data collection and analyses.
How Many River Otters Inhabit Yellowstone Lake? An Assessment with Fecal and Hair DNA Analyses
Authors: Ben-David Merav , Crait Jamie
Published: July 2020

River otters (Lontra canadensis) in Yellowstone Lake are different from most other otter populations in that they are heavily dependent on one prey species - Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri; Crait and Ben-David 2006, Crait et al. 2006). Our 2002-2003 studies in Yellowstone Lake showed that cutthroat trout were the most common prey item in otter scats throughout the summer. Overall, trout occurred in 72% and longnose suckers (Catostomus catostomus) in 43% of otter feces, based on 515 samples identified to the family-level and 110 samples analyzed to the species-level. Suckers were more prevalent than trout in otter scats only on tributary streams, towards the end of the cutthroat trout spawning season. Introduced lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), which inhabit deep water and are largely inaccessible to otters, occurred in less than 5% of otter scats. In addition, based on fecal deposition rates, we established that otters were more active on spawning streams and less active along the Yellowstone Lake shoreline during the height of the cutthroat trout spawning season, with a return to elevated activity on the lake after spawning had ended (Crait and Ben-David 2006). Therefore, because of the lack of a suitable alternative prey, it is likely that a decline in cutthroat trout (Koel et al. 2005) will translate into a decline in the abundance of otters in this system. Indeed, our 2002-2003 survey indicates the number of river otter latrine sites in the Yellowstone Lake ecosystem is lower than expected based on similar surveys in the Rocky Mountain region (Crait and Ben-David unpublished data).
Reciprocal Interactions Between Bark Beetles and Wildfire in Subalpine Forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Simard Martin , Griffin Jake , Powell Erinn , Jin Suming , Raffa Ken , Townsend Philip , Turner Monica , Romme William , Tinker Daniel
Published: July 2020

Wildfire and bark beetle epidemics are two ecologically important natural disturbances in the Intermountain West, yet we know very little about how these two phenomena interact. It is widely believed that beetle-killed trees increase the risk of severe fires; and trees that are weakened, but not killed by fire, are thought to be more susceptible to beetle invasion. However, few studies have rigorously tested these hypotheses. The GYE is currently experiencing an outbreak of unprecedented intensity and complexity, involving several species of bark beetles, including the mountain pine beetle. The outbreak is affecting multiple species of coniferous trees in and near recently burned areas, providing a timely opportunity to investigate these interactions at multiple scales.
Using Stable Isotopes of Water to Determine Contribution of Glacial Melt to Stream Flow and Plant Water Use in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Cable Jessica , Ogle Kiona
Published: July 2020

The loss of mountain glaciers will have a substantial impact on streamflow, and will consequently impact human and ecological systems. Grand Teton National Park is renowned for its glaciers, namely the Grand and Middle Teton glaciers, and their extent is rapidly declining. Not well understood is the contribution of glacier meltwater to streamflow and the importance of the rivers for riparian plant water use. The goals of this study were to determine the relative contribution of snowmelt and glacier meltwater to streamflow in the Middle and Grand Teton watershed, and the contribution of these watersheds to Cottonwood Creek, a tributary of the Snake River. Additionally, the contribution of river water vs unsaturated alluvial soil water to riparian plant water use was quantified. A field campaign was conducted in mid-August, 2008, where snowmelt, river, plant stem, and soil samples were collected from the Middle Teton (MT) and Grand Teton (GT) watersheds, and Cottonwood Creek. Water was extracted from the plant stems and soils. All water was analyzed for stable isotopic content (8D and 8180). The data were analyzed with a mixing model in a Bayesian framework, which allowed for full accounting of uncertainty in the data and model. Despite a fairly large and persistent snowpack, glacier meltwater contributed nearly 92% and 79% to stream flow in the Grand and Middle Teton watersheds during this period of time. However, the range of glacier meltwater contributions was quite large because of the similar isotope values of snowmelt and glacier melt water. The MT watershed contributed 29% of the water to Cottonwood Creek and the GT watershed contributed about 16%. The remammg contribution was likely outflow from Jenny Lake. Nearly 28-55% of plant water was derived from the river, so the bulk of their water was derived from unsaturated alluvial soils. This is likely because plant roots require well-drained soils, so they do not have their roots directly in the river. These findings suggest that further decline in the Grand and Middle Teton glaciers will reduce streamflow within each watershed and streamflow in Cottonwood Creek. The latter effect may impact the Snake River, which is a major tributary of the Columbia River. Further, loss of the Grand and Middle Teton glaciers will impact riparian plant water availability, and any impact on growth may affect other species, such as birds, which are important animals for Park visitors.
Chronic Anthropogenic Noise Exposure and Songbird Hearing
Authors: Barber J.
Published: July 2020

As human populations have increased, our impact can now be felt even in the deepest remnants of wilderness (Vitousek et al. 1997). The resource demands of the ever-increasing human enterprise are creating substantial amplification of man-made pollution, including noise production. The dominant sources of anthropogenic noise are transportation networks, development (including energy, urban and industrial) and recreational activities. These activities are increasing faster than population growth. Between 1970 and 2007 the US population increased by approximately one third whereas (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statabO traffic on US roads nearly tripled, to almost 5 trillion vehicle kilometers per year, (http://www.thwa.dot.gov /ohim.tutw/tvpage.cfm.) Similar trends in shipping noise have also been observed in marine ecosystems, as discussed in reviews of noise impacts on marine animals (e.g., Nowacek et al. 2007).
Carbon Storage Responses of Subalpine Forests to Moutain Pine Beetle Outbreaks Under Current and Altered Climate Regimes in Western North America
Authors: Kashain 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.
Riparian Plant Community Structure in Managed Hydrological Regime
Authors: Mellman-Brown Sabine , Roberts Dave , Pugesek Bruce
Published: July 2020

The hydrology of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park is partly determined by releases from Jackson Lake Dam. The dam was first built in 1908 and became part of the National Park system GTNP was expanded to include most of Jackson Hole. Completion of the present structure of Jackson Lake Dam occurred in 191 7 and resulted in an increase above the natural level of Jackson Lake of 11.9 m. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) manages the dam and sets discharge schedules, primarily to meet agricultural needs, and to a lesser extent the needs of recreational river use. Major changes to the hydrological regime of the Snake River include lower than natural peak releases, decrease in frequency of extreme flood events, and unusually high flows from July to September. In addition, peak releases prior to 1957 were not synchronized with spring runoff but shifted to July or early August. Changes in inundation frequencies of floodplains, inundation duration and timing of peak flows have profound effects on the extent and composition of the riparian zone.