bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rare Plants of Bryce Canyon National Park
Authors: Peabody Frederick
Published: July 2020

The list of rare and potentially rare plants in Bryce Canyon National Park was refined. A literature survey has been completed in order to determine plant species that have been considered rare, and also plant species that are potentially rare. Refer to original proposal for citations.
Paleo-Historical Fluctuations in Paleogeography, Depositional Environment, and Chemistry of Eocene Fossil Lake
Authors: Buchheim H.
Published: July 2020

Fossil Butte National Monument contains within its boundaries a significant portion of the world's best preserved and most complete ancient lake deposit, known in the scientific literature as the Fossil Butte and Angelo Members of the Green River Formation (Oriel and Tracy 1970). Fossil Lake, the Eocene depository of these members of the Green River Formation, occupied a north-south trending structural basin within the Wyoming Thrust Belt known as Fossil Basin. Within Fossil Basin one can follow individual time horizons or rock units from lake center to margin with relative ease and great accuracy. Those rock units have faithfully recorded lake center to lake margin differences in lake depth, turbidity, salinity, alkalinity, temperature, and faunal elements. Areal changes in thickness and lithology (rock type) can be measured and mapped revealing details of lake shape, geography, and regional differences in lake depth and chemistry. Details concerning location and size of fluvial inlets and deltas, variations in lake bottom gradient and sediment type, and how these relate to flora and fauna can be discerned. An understanding of these aspects of the ancient lake system are essential if paleontologists are to put together a complete picture of the lake's fish fauna, which is the focal point of the monument. A variety of basin analysis maps derived from data collected in the field and laboratory will be used to make paleoenvironmental and paleogeographical interpretations of Fossil Lake through time.
Small Mammal Distributions in Riparian and Adjacent Habitats of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Authors: Villalobos C. , Keller Barry
Published: July 2020

Riparian ecosystems are among the most productive biological systems providing food, water, shade, and cover for wildlife (Thomas et al. 1979a). Furthermore, they may display a greater diversity of plant and animal species and vegetative structure than adjacent ecosystems (USDI 1986). Thomas et al. (1979a) provide a descriptive definition which characterizes riparian ecosystems by the presence of trees, shrubs, or herbaceous vegetation that require free or unbound water, or conditions that are more moist than those of the surrounding areas. They suggest that more wildlife species depend entirely on or spend disproportionally more time in riparian habitat than any other. Although the importance of riparian vegetation to wildlife has been apparent since the 1970's, its overall importance to vertebrate species has not been widely studied, especially in the western United States (Patton 1977). Elsewhere, there is a paucity of information on the ecological role of small mammals in riparian areas. Because small vertebrate species may serve as an especially important link in the food chain of threatened, endangered, or reintroduced species, and because small mammal species seem to be compacted in environmentally diverse areas, analysis of riparian vertebrate communities should provide important insights in mechanisms of habitat subdivision and utilization. Clearly, riparian areas contain a greater variety of species than adjoining forest or upslope habitats (Cross 1985). The effect of patch shape on the number of species occupying riparian habitats also has received limited attention (Patton 1975). Because riparian habitat consists of a narrow patch, the elongated shape of riparian areas produces a low interior-toÂ­high-edge ratio which may facilitate or enhance ecological processes, especially the production and dispersal of small mammals. Unfortunately, no documentation exists about patterns of mammalian movement along stream corridors (Forman and Godron 1986). Thus, the importance of the relative use of the edge, riparian, and upland areas by small mammals needs to be investigated, especially in forested mountain land, where riparian areas tend to have smaller areal extent and economic value than upslope vegetation (Swanson et al. 1982). The principle objective of our study was to determine if consistent environmental and landscape features could be found in western riparian, edge, and upland communities, and if these features affected residency of small mammals in Grand Teton National Park. Three independent study sites were studied from June, 1991 through October, 1991 in preparation for a proposed long-term analysis of the role of riparian areas in production of small mammals.
Landscape-Level Interactions Among Ungulates, Vegetation, and Large-Scale Fires in Northern Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Turner Monica , Wu Yegang , Pearson Scott , Romme William , Wallace Linda
Published: July 2020

The scale of the 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) raised numerous questions for the management of natural areas subject to large, infrequent disturbances. An important management issue in YNP involves the interaction of large-scale fire with the large assemblage of native ungulates and vegetation dynamics in the landscape. We used landscape modeling and field studies to address basic questions about the effects of fire scale and heterogeneity on resource utilization and survival of free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) and bison (Bison bison), and the production and regeneration of preferred forage grasses and aspen in northern Yellowstone Park. More specifically, we asked (1) how fire size interacts with winter severity to control ungulate feeding behavior and survival, both in the initial postfire winter, when fire reduces forage, and in later postfire winters, when fire augments forage; (2) how fire pattern (e.g., clumped vs. dispersed burn sites) modifies the effects of fire size; (3) which environmental factors, including fire, influence selection of feeding areas by wintering ungulates at a variety of scales, from a single feeding station to the entire northern winter range; and (4) how the size and spatial pattern of burning influence regeneration of aspen (Populus tremuloides), a preferred and heavily browsed species in YNP. We focus on elk and bison because these are by far the most numerous ungulates in the area (Houston 1982), and we have chosen to examine winter grazing and browsing for several reasons. Winter range conditions are the primary determinant of ungulate survival and reproduction in Yellowstone, and winter utilization of the vegetation by ungulates appears to be intense in some areas. Ungulates make distinct foraging choices in the winter as in the rest of the year, and burn patterns may influence those choices in ways that we represent as hypotheses described later. In addition, the activities of animals can be readily monitored in the winter, and the exact locations of feeding and bedding sites can be determined. Travel routes are easily monitored, and the ability to sight animals is high; therefore, group locations and sizes can be readily determined. This research complements ongoing studies in Yellowstone by expanding the spatial scale at which plant-herbivore dynamics are considered and by explicitly addressing the effects of spatial heterogeneity. We produced a spatially explicit simulation model of the winter range that predicts plant and ungulate dynamics under varying fire sizes, fire patterns, winter weather scenarios. The model and field studies will generate quantitative comparisons of the effects of large and small fires on ungulate survival and will thereby permit the simulation of the effects of alternative fire management scenarios.
The Effects of Habitat Modification on a Spotted Frog Population in Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Patla Debra , Peterson Charles
Published: July 2020

Declines and extinctions of many populations of amphibians have been noted worldwide in recent years (Corn and Fogelman 1984, Beiswenger 1986, McAllister and Leonard 1990, Wake and Morowitz 1990, Wake 1991, Adler 1992). Habitat modifications due to human activities may contribute to many of these declines. Habitat may be destroyed overtly, or it may be fragmented. Fragmentation results in reduced area, a differential loss of important habitat components, and increased isolation of populations (Wyman 1990). The persistence of amphibians in areas where modifications short of total habitat destruction occur depends on the preservation of essential habitat components and landscape connectivity that allows individual animals access to breeding, foraging, and wintering sites (Sinsch 1989). Long-term persistence also may rely on the immigration of individuals from other populations (Pechmann et al. 1991, Sjogren 1991). Our efforts to conserve amphibian species and to establish methods of sustainable resource use depend on our understanding of habitat fragmentation and knowledge of the behavioral and population responses to different types of habitat modifications (Gibbons 1988, Groom and Schumaker 1993). Few studies have addressed these types of questions. Notable exceptions include some studies on the effects of logging (Corn and Bury 1989) and acidification (Wyman and Hawksley-Lescault 1988, Harte and Hoffman 1989, Corn and Vertucci 1992). In Europe, researchers and wildlife conservationists are investigating the impacts of roads on amphibians and attempting to find solutions to fragmentation and mortality effects (Langton 1989), but this concern has not yet received noticeable attention in North America. We lack studies evaluating the relative importance and integration of foraging areas, hibernacula, breeding sites, areas occupied pre- and post-breeding, and dispersal routes connecting these areas. With these kinds of information, researchers and land managers will acquire the ability to better analyze, predict, and mitigate the effects of habitat modifications that are sources of amphibian population declines.
Feeding Selectivity of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles (Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus)
Authors: Jannett, Jr. Frederick
Published: July 2020

The purpose of the research, begun in 1989, is to ascertain how selectively voles feed, and to assess vegetation as a factor in demographic processes. Microtus longicaudus exhibits relatively stable numbers while M. montanus has dramatic fluctuations in some habitats. The study sites for M. montanus have been chosen to include primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. Vegetation has heretofore not been quantitatively analyzed.
Forty-Year Changes in the Avifauna of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, with Emphasis on Neotropical Migrants
Authors: Jones Stephanie , Knopf Fritz
Published: July 2020

Ornithologists and wildlife biologists have always been interested in documenting long-term changes in bird populations (e.g., Temple and Temple 1976, Kendeigh 1982). Long-term comparisons can assist in identifying patterns of change. These patterns, in turn, provide assistance in defining human impacts that may lead to some species or groups declining towards extirpation. One study specifically (Wilcove 1988) has had a major impact upon current resource issues within the Fish and Wildlife Service. That study used 40-year comparisons to confirm that fragmentation of the eastern deciduous forest had led to declines of neotropical migrants. The Wilcove (1988) study along with an essay (Hutto 1988) and an ecological study in New Hampshire (Holmes and Sherry 1988) were fundamental in identifying that declines in this group of birds cannot be blamed solely upon changes on Latin American wintering grounds. Missing from the neotropical migrant story, however, is an image of how neotropical migrants from western North America have changed in recent decades. An historical data set for comparison is available for seven vegetative associations in the vicinity of Jackson, Wyoming (Salt 1957). This project was begun in 1993 to replicate Salt's 1957 study in Grand Teton National Park. The work in 1993 was a pre-study to evaluate the potential for replicating Salt's study in the mid 1990's, 40 years after the original work.
1993 Reobservations of the Teton Leveling Line for the Assessment of Earthquake Hazards
Authors: Sylvester Arthur , Smith Robert , Morey David
Published: July 2020

The Teton normal fault, Wyoming, is characterized by a 55-km long fault scarps of postglacial age (< 14,000 yrs.). These well developed late Quaternary scarps range in height from 3 to 52 m (Smith et al., 1993; Byrd et al., 1994) and have been the locus of several large, scarpforming earthquakes. The Teton fault is located in a tectonically active area of the Intermountain Seismic Belt but occupies a notable gap in the seismicity and is considered a major earthquake hazard to the region. The Teton fault is, therefore, considered a location of future large earthquakes with accompanying strain accumulation that may be measured by accurate measurements of changes in ground height, which has been the objective of our 1993 and past Teton fault leveling surveys. A 1st-class, 1st-order level line was established across the Teton fault in Grand Teton National Park in 1988 and has been observed in 1989, 1991, and 1993 to assess long-term deformation. This document is a progress report of the . most recent re-observations of the level line conducted in August, 1993.
A Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Model of Habitat as a Predictor of Biodiversity
Authors: Debinski Diane , Kindscher Kelly
Published: July 2020

Conservation biologists need better methods for predicting species diversity. This research investigated some new methods to analyze biodiversity patterns through the use of Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing technologies. We tested the correlation between remotely sensed habitat types and species distributions. The goal was not to do away with ground-based fieldwork, but rather to optimize and focus fieldwork by using GIS and remotely sensed data as tools for making the work more accurate and specific. Our research was conducted at a fine (30 x30 m) landscape scale using on-the ground locations of birds, butterflies, and plants in the northwest portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Three remotely sensed forest types (distinguished by species density and coverage) and six remotely sensed meadow types (ranging from xeric to hydric) were surveyed and coverage data were collected for grasses, shrubs, forbs and trees. Presence/absence data were collected for birds and butterflies. The objectives of this research were: 1) to determine the extent of the correlation between spectral reflectance patterns and plant or animal species distribution patterns, and 2) to test the spatial correspondence of species diversity "hotspots" among taxonomic groups. Field surveys in 1993 and 1994 validated the vegetation density, cover, and moisture gradients expected from satellite data interpretation. Both tree species composition and diameter at breast height were significant in discriminating among forest types. Twenty-two species of grasses and forbs were significant in distinguishing among meadow types. However, a smaller percentage of the animal species was significantly correlated with one habitat type. In order to find a strong correlation between species distribution patterns and remotely sensed data, a species must be moderately common and show some habitat specificity. Hotspots of species diversity coincided for shrubs, grasses, forbs, birds, and butterflies and were found in mesic meadows.
Estimating Population Densities of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs
Authors: Severson Kieth , Plumb Glenn
Published: July 2020

The recent black-footed ferret reintroduction into the Conata Basin area of westÂ­central South Dakota has prompted managers of USDA Forest Service, Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and National Park Service, Badlands National Park, to reassess methods of determining population size of black-tailed prairie dogs Cynomys ludovicianus. Most agencies are currently relying on a protocol developed by Biggins et al. (1993) to assess black-footed ferret habitat, a section of which deals with prey abundance. The protocol is based on population estimates derived from counting the number of active burrows. The justification for this was a set of unpublished data that reported fair and good relationships between counts of active burrows and black- and white-tailed prairie dogs C. leucurus, respectively (Biggins et al. 1993). While there is no other correlative information relative to active burrows, Powell et al. (1994) suggested that counts of active burrows alone may not be a reliable indicator of black-tailed prairie dog populations. Menkens et al. (1988) examined relationships between populations determined by mark-recapture and total burrow counts. They reported that whiteÂ­tailed prairie dog density was not significantly related to burrow density and was not a useful predictor of population density. However, Fagerstone and Biggins (1986) and Menkens et al. (1990) reported high correlation coefficients when comparing visual counts of white-tailed prairie dogs with mark-recapture densities. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among population estimates from mark-recapture techniques with visual counts, active burrow counts, and total burrow counts derived by ground and aerial surveys all within the same experimental design.
Brown-Headed Cowbird Parasitism of Lazuli Buntings; Relationships with Habitats and Ungulate Hosts
Authors: Greene Erick , Roach John
Published: July 2020

Brown-headed Cowbirds Molothrus ater, a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, has recently undergone a tremendous range expansion. Before European settlement, this species was restricted to short-grass prairie, where it followed buffalo Bison bison and fed on insects stirred up by their movements (Lowther 1993). Settlement of North America by Europeans, the subsequent large-scale deforestation, and extirpation of buffalo lead to Brown-headed Cowbirds shifting to associate with cows and horses. These changes in landscape and host associations allowed a rapid range expansion and increase in numbers (Payne 1977, Laymon 1987, Rothstein et al.1980). Brown-headed Cowbirds now are found from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast, and from south-central Mexico north to tree line in Canada (Lowther 1993). Cowbirds are apparently expanding their range altitudinally as well, so that they can now be found breeding over 3,000 m in elevation (Hanka 1985). Lazuli Buntings Passerina amoena are small neotropical migrant birds that breed throughout western United States and southwestern Canada. These conspicuous birds breed in a wide variety of brushy habitats, ranging from sea level along the Pacific coast to over 3,000 m in Sierras and Rocky Mountains. Preferred breeding habitat includes arid bushy hillsides, riparian habitats, wooded valleys, aspen, willow, alder or cottonwood thickets, sage brush, chaparral, open scrub, recent post-fire habitats, thickets and hedges along agricultural fields, and residential gardens (Greene et al. in press).
Additional Records of Ectomycorrhizal Macrofungi in the Vicinity of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
Authors: McKnight Kent , Moser Meinhard
Published: July 2020

Fieldwork on this project and study of previous collections in 1994 concentrated on the primary longÂ­term objective of adding to the species inventory of the broad geographic area previously defined (McKnight, 1982; McKnight, et al., 1986; McKnight & Moser, 1993) using the same collecting, laboratory, and herbarium methods. Our studies again concentrated on the Cortinariaceae, particularly the genus Cortinarius. This work was aided significantly when we were joined for a short time during August by Dr. Egon Horak from the Geobotanisches Institut, ETH. Zurich, Switzerland, currently specializing in the genus Galerina.
Spatial Structure of Melanism in Yellow-Bellied Marmots
Authors: Montopoli George , Visser Nick , Crone Michael
Published: July 2020

Melanism (black fur coloration) in the yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris, is encountered uniquely in the Teton Range in northwest Wyoming. This study is designed to investigate whether the occurrence of melanism is associated with reduced predation due to high human activity. Because overuse by humans can particularly stress the environment, the implications of this project are especially significant for Grand Teton National Park where efforts are directed to minimizing human impact. In addition, an estimation technique to calculate the likelihood that the melanistic allele is dominant is developed.
Seasonal Variation in the Dietary Preferences of the Montane Vole, Microtus montanus
Authors: Pinter Aelita , Negus Norman , Berger Patricia
Published: July 2020

Seasonal variation in food selection has been documented in several species on voles (Rothstien and Tamarin 1977, Cole and Batzli 1979, Goldberg et al. 1980) with considerable implications for winter survival and population dynamics. In Aficrotus montanus a similar link may exist between growth, maturation, longevity, and population dynamics on the one hand and dietary composition on the other (e.g., Pinter and Negus 1965, Berger et aL 1981, Pinter 1988, Berger et al. 1992, Negus, Berger and Pinter 1992). Consequently, we undertook a study to investigate, in detail, the utilization of plant resources by the montane vole, Microtus montanus. The objectives of this project are twofold: (1) to identify the plant species that constitute the diet in natural populations of M. montanus and (2) to determine seasonal food preferences in relation to the availability of plant species and to the age, sex and cohorts of the montane vole.
Effects of 1988 Fires on Ecology of Coyotes in Yellowstone National Park: Baseline Preceding Possible Wolf Recovery
Authors: Crabtree Robert
Published: July 2020

Sixty healthy coyotes Canis latrans and 53, 8-12 week old pups captured at dens were radioÂ­tagged in the Lamar Valley and Blacktail Plateau areas of the northern range of Yellowstone National Park. Adults range in age from 1 to 12 years and averaged 3.3 years old. Territorial packs in both study area are adjacent, non-overlapping, contiguous, and averaged 15 km2. Based on information the last four winters and data collected from 1946 to 1949, territorial areas are traditional and have changed little in the last 45 years. We estimate that 85 to 90% of coyotes on the northern range belong to packs. A territorial group or pack during the winter consists of 2 alpha individuals, 2 or 3 beta adults, and 2 or 3 adult-sized pups. Average pack size was 6.3 for Lamar Valley and 4.6 for Blacktail Plateau. Mean litter size for 1990 through 1994 was 4.1, 5.7, 6.5, 3.3, and 2.3 for those five years. Initial density estimates are 1.4 coyotes per square mile. Preliminary scat analysis suggests that small mammals, especially voles, dominate the diet with ungulate remains becoming important in May through July (presumably elk calves) and late winter (mostly scavenging). Graduate students Eric Gese, Kezha Hatier, and Scott Grothe have finished their data collection and are analyzing data and preparing manuscripts. More than 2500 hours of foraging observations were conducted from January 1991 through June 1993 resulting in data collection on more than 4400 predation attempts on small mammals. Eight hundred and fifty hours of den observations were completed during 1992 and 1993. Beta pack members were observed to bring food to pups and protect den sites from intruders. Coyote behavior and ungulate mortality data were collected on 80 carcasses found or translocated during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 winters. Coyotes were observed at these carcasses for 484 hours. Alpha males usually feed first at carcasses followed by alpha females, beta individuals and pups. Those first to feed typically eat the internal organs and muscle tissue first. Betas and pups are left to feed mostly on bones and hide. Five successful and 4 unsuccessful predations by coyotes on ungulates have been seen. Coyotes appear to impact ungulate numbers in 3 ways: predation on calves and fawns shortly after birth (up to 8 weeks), predation on short-yearlings and adults during winter, and indirect impact from harassment of other predators at ungulate-kills. Coyotes may be the major ungulate predator on the northern range due to cooperative social and foraging behavior, their ability to take advantage of vulnerable ungulates, and their high population levels. Wolf extirpation has probably resulted in high coyote population densities and coyotes have, at least, partially slid into this vacant niche.
Consequences of the Extirpation of Predators on Moose
Authors: Berger Joel , Cunningham Carol
Published: July 2020

This year was the first of our five year project. We established three primary study areas to examine possible biological effects of large predators on moose. Sites where fieldwork was conducted included apparent heavy predation by grizzly bears [the eastern slopes of the Talkeetna Mountains (Alaska)], little or no predation (Grand Teton National Park), and human predation (Bridger-Teton National Forest), the latter two in the southern portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Data were gathered in Alaska from April until August and, in Wyoming, for all months from February until August (except during April). At the southern Greater Yellowstone sites, information was collected on pregnancy rates, calf production, twinning, and juvenile and adult survivorship. Ecological and behavioral data gathered from all three sites included home range locations, foraging associations and rates, habitat use, group size, social interactions, migration, and responses to humans and potential predators. Twenty animals were radio-collared at the Wyoming site; as of December 1995 only 15 survived. One apparently starved to death, one was poached, one was legally shot, and two died of unknown causes. We improved our sample by using 13 females previously radio-collared on national forest lands by University of Wyoming and Wyoming Department of Game and Fish personnel. Of these, two died during the 1994-1995 winter and three had slipped their collars.
The Ecology of Melanism in Yellow-Bellied Marmots of Grand Teton National Park: A summary of 1994 and 1995.
Authors: Montopoli George , Visser Nick , Harlow Henry
Published: July 2020

Melanism (black fur coloration) in the yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris, is encountered uniquely in the Teton Range in northwest Wyoming. During the summers of 1994 and 1995, several aspects involving marmots and melanism were investigated, including the affect of human impact on the incidence of melanism, spatial implcations of melansim, differential survival rates of melanistic and non-melanistic phenotypes, and temporal implications. Results suggest the the presence of humans is not related to the incidence of melanism when all surveyed areas of Grand Teton National Park are included in the analysis. However, when only those areas involving high human use and negligible human use are analyzed, then both the total number of marmots observed, and the proportion of melanistic marmots, are significantly higher in high human use areas. Differential survival rates of melanistic and nonÂ­melanistic phenotypes were observed for both 1994 and 1995 when comparing the proportions of marmots corresponding to the different age classes GuveniJes, subadults, and adults) for each pelage type (normal, melanistic, and other). Although 1994 and 1995 differed considerably with respect to the climate, only minute differences were observed in the proportions of the differnt pelage types and age groupings for the two years. Several interesting behaviors were documented including aboreal activity, resistance to snow exposure, tunneling in ice and under rock, thermoregulation by conduction, and kissing and paw play as a means of communication.
Parasites of Small Mammals in Grand Teton National Park: Babesia and Hepatozoon
Authors: Moshier Suzanne , Watkins Raychel , Pinter Aelita
Published: July 2020

The role of parasitism, whether macro- or microparasites, and whether endo- or ectoparasites, in the demographic machinery of microtines is poorly understood. In a review of the parasites of Microtus, Timm (1985) lists no protozoan endoparasites whatsoever for this genus and observes that one of the most challenging and fruitful directions of future research with Microtus will be the statistical quantification of the cost of parasitism. Babesia microti, a parasitic protozoan, is transmitted by a tick vector and reproduces in the erythrocytes of its mammalian host. Initially, Babesia was thought to be restricted to small mammals, however, in 1970 the first human cases were diagnosed in residents of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts (Western et al. 1970). In the United States, human babesiosis is caused by B. microti. As hunians insert themselves into places where they have historically been present only occasionally, they often contract new diseases. A second protozoan parasite, Hepatozoon sp., which is widespread in small mammals in Europe, is also found in reptiles throughout the world. The record of Hepatozoon in North American small mammals is not extensive. Like Babesia, Hepatozoon is a two-host parasite. Unlike Babesia, for which the intermediate host is always a tick, the intermediate host of Hepatozoon may be a tick, a mite, a flea, or a mosquito. The method of transmission by the vector also differs in the two parasites. Babesia is transmitted in the tick's saliva when it bites, whereas Hepatozoon infection requires the vertebrate host to swallow the vector. In our 1995 studies, we sought more data on these two parasites. The objectives for 1995 were: to sample specific populations of M. montanus, in which we have previously documented Hepatozoon infections, to determine whether there were differences in the infection rates at different study sites in the park, and to search for any additional vectors of Hepatozoon sp. infections in M. montanus by examining ectoparasites. Our long-term objectives are to document the effects and cost of parasitism on M. montanus populations.
Seasonal Variation in the Dietary Preferences of the Montane Vole, Microtus Montanus
Authors: Pinter Aeltia , Negus Norman , Berger Patricia
Published: July 2020

Seasonal variation in food selection has been documented in several species on voles (Rothstein and Tamarin 1977, Cole and Batzli 1979 Goldberg et al. 1980) with considerable implications for winter survival and population dynamics. In Microtus Montanus a similar link may exist between growth, maturation, longevity, and population dynamics on the one hand and dietary composition on the other (e.g., Pinter and Negus 1965, Berger et al. 1981, Pinter 1988, Berger et al. 1992, Negus, Berger and Pinter 1992). Consequently, we undertook a study to investigate, in detail, the utilization of plant resources by the montane vole, Microtus montanus. The objectives of this project are twofold: (1) to identify the plant species that constitute the diet in natural populations of M. montanus and (2) to determine seasonal food preferences in relation to the availability of plant species and to the age, sex and cohorts of the montane vole.
Virgins are Louder: The Effect of Mating on Acoustic Signaling in Sagebrush Crickets
Authors: Snedden W. , Greenfield Michael
Published: July 2020

Female sagebrush crickets, Cyphoderris strepitans, feed on the male's hind wings during copulation. Because removal of hind wing material during mating may alter male acoustic signal characteristics and account for a virgin male mating advantage (Morris et al. 1989; Snedden, in press) we recorded virgin and mated males in the field, and virgins before and after surgical excision of a portion of the hind wings. We found no significant differences in signal spectral characteristics or pulse rate between virgin and mated males following hindÂ­wing excision. However, the signal amplitude of laboratory recorded virgins was greater than that of mated males, and song amplitude was reduced in manipulated males. In contrast, signal amplitude was lower in field recorded virgins than mated males.
Recent Debris-Flow and Flash-Flood History of Northeastern Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Landis Joshua , Meyer Grant
Published: July 2020

An understanding of the ecological health of stream systems and riparian areas in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) requires knowledge of their response to climatic and hydrological influences; intrinsic factors such as relief and geological materials are important influences as well (e.g., O'Hara and Meyer 1995). Recent studies of southwestern (Ely et al. 1993) and midwestern U.S. rivers (Knox 1993) have shown that relatively minor climatic changes in the late Holocene are associated with large fluctuations in flood magnitude and frequency. In small, steep drainage basins of northeastern YNP (Figure 1), Meyer et al. (1992, 1995) associated increased fire-related debris-flow activity with decadal to millennial-scale cycles of drought over the Holocene. Observations of modern events indicate that debris-flow and flash floods are also produced in the absence of fire in this rugged mountainous region, primarily by intense summer thunderstorm precipitation. Although a correlation between drought severity and fire magnitude in Yellowstone is clear (Balling et al. 1992a, 1992b), the relationship hypothesized by Meyer et al. (1992,1995) between warm, drought-prone climatic episodes and debris-flow activity in this region requires further investigation. Therefore, we use relatively high-resolution lichenometric and treeÂ­ring dating methods to construct a 250-year history of major hydrologic events in small, steep tributary basins of Soda Butte Creek in northeastern Yellowstone. This period spans the transition from the generally cooler global climate of the Little Ice Age to the present (e.g., Grove 1988). Although the Little Ice Age was not uniformly cold in either a spatial or temporal sense (Jones and Bradley 1995), and YNP climate is not well known in the earlier part of this interval, trends toward increasing summer temperatures and decreasing winter precipitation in YNP over the last ~100 yr are consistent with this transition (Balling et al. 1992a).
The Morrison Formation Extinct Ecosystems Project
Authors: Turner Christine , Peterson Fred , Chure D. , Demko T. , Engelmann G.
Published: July 2020

The Morrison Project is a multidisciplinary effort to interpret the ancient ecosystem that was present in the Western Interior of the United States during deposition of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. The project began in June of 1994 and the first two years of research (1994-95, 1995-96) were devoted primarily to identifying problems and gathering information that would form the basis for later interpretations. Efforts during the final year (1996-97) were directed toward resolving remaining problems or conflicting findings and synthesizing the various research endeavors into a reconstruction of the Late Jurassic ecosystem.
Trophic State Evaluation of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park
Authors: Miller Woodruff
Published: July 2020

This study is the continuation of an evaluation of the trophic state of lakes located in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The original 1995 study was motivated by concern that the water quality of the lakes within the Park may be declining due to increased human usage over the past several years. A trophic state evaluation, featuring nutrient and chlorophyll-a analyses, was chosen because it is believed to be a sound indicator of the lakes' overall water quality. In this 1996 study, a thorough evaluation was made of Jackson Lake. This summary is taken from the complete 100 page report which is available from Woodruff Miller at Brigham Young University or Hank Harlow at the University of Wyoming. In most cases water samples were taken four times during the summer of 1996, in June, July, August, and October. Jackson Lake was sampled at eight different locations on the surface and at depths near the bottom. The lake inlet and outlet were also sampled four times. Jackson Lake was sampled from a motor boat which also provided a means to measure the lake transparency and depth. The chlorophyll-a and nutrient concentrations were analyzed by the Utah State Health Department, Division of Laboratory Services. Jackson Lake was evaluated using the models of Carlson, Vollenweider, and Larsen-Mercier. The nature of the Larsen-Mercier and Vollenweider models, based on system inflow and outflow data, is such that they yield one trophic state assessment of the lake per inflow and outflow sample set. The Carlson Trophic State Indices (TSI), on the other hand, are based on in situ properties of the water at any point in the lake. Consequently, while there are four Vollenweider and four Larsen-Mercier evaluations for Jackson Lake, individual Carlson evaluations were made for the eight sample sites around the lake at the surface and at depth, and an evaluation for the lake as a whole was constructed using averages taken from the site evaluations. This allowed us to examine the relative water quality of different portions of the lake at different time periods.
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 of 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 radio-collared 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 documented killing cattle each year, was captured and euthanized in GTNP in 1996.
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 spatially-explicit model for predicting plant and animal species diversity patterns in montane meadows. Note: Details contained in this report are restricted to year one of a three year grant, so we focus primarily on techniques rather than results.
The Relationship Between Reparian Vegetation and the Trophic Structure of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities Within the Greater Yellowstone Area
Authors: Meier Peter , Travers David
Published: July 2020

This study investigated the effects of reduced vegetation cover on stream ecosystems within the Greater Yellowstone Area. The emphasis of the research concerned whether these effects express themselves within the aquatic macroinvertebrate community. Three general vegetation categories, each comprising three to four streams, were used to distinguish gradations of riparian vegetation: dense cover (control), moderate cover, and low cover. Within each site, five aquatic macroinvertebrate samples were collected from riffle areas with a Hess sampler. The organisms were identified to the lowest practicable taxonomic level and assigned to trophic groups on the basis of gut content analysis. Riparian and in-stream variables also were measured. Statistical analyses were performed to elicit significant differences in riparian, stream, and insect community indices among the streams and to relate the structure (i.e., density, diversity, trophic organization) of the insect assemblage to the riparian and stream variables. The analysis of the data yielded no statistically significant differences among the vegetation categories with respect to embeddedness, bank overhang, and several physicochemical indices of water quality. Similarly, macroinvertebrate densities, biomass, and species richness did not differ among the categories. The trophic group analysis, however, revealed that the abundance and biomass indices of the scraper community were significantly greater within the low cover sites than within the other streams. Conversely, the indices of the shredder community were significantly higher within the control streams than within the other sites. It is proposed that a shift from allochthonous to autochthonous food resources, corresponding to the different vegetation gradients, accounted for these observations. Of critical importance is the fact that the nominally shredder genera were not excluded from or even reduced in abundance within the low cover streams, but rather seemed to have adapted to the decline in allochthonous matter by shifting their mode of food acquisition from shredding to gathering. The implications of such trophic generalism for understanding the structure and function of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities are discussed.
Remote Sensing of Aspen Change in Northern Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Larsen Eric , Ripple William
Published: July 2020

We combined remote sensing with field surveys to compare the status of aspen on Yellowstone National Parks' (YNP) northern range with adjacent areas in the Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. Photographic enlargements from historic aerial photographs were paired with same scale enlargements of 1992 aerial photos to quantify the change in aspen and conifer canopy coverage in the study areas. In YNP aerial photographs from the years 1954 and 1992 were used to quantify change while photographs from 1958 and 1992 were used in the Shoshone and Gallatin National Forests. Vegetation was classified as either aspen, conifer or steppe and changes in canopy coverage were calculated for the time period. The data are being aggregated by area and changes in YNP conditions are being compared to changes in the Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. In the field 2x30 meter transects provided data on aspen overstory density, size class, degree of browsing pressure on ramets, and bark stripping of mature trees. The field transects also provided information on the size and intensity of conifer encroachment in aspen stands. Aspen cores are being collected to provide age information. Our data set is not yet complete and the results must be considered preliminary but we are observing differences between YNP and the adjoining areas. Based on the diameter at breast height (dbh) measurements collected in the 1997 field season, aspen in the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone and Sunlight basins (Shoshone National Forest) have a younger and more varied age class distribution than YNP's northern range. Over 99% of overstory aspen measured in the YNP transects are in the largest size class ( >20 cm dbh), a significantly higher percentage than in either the Clarks Fork or Sunlight Basin areas. Mortality as measured by the ratio of dead to live aspen stems was greatest in the Clarks Fork area, where dead trees comprised 36% of the total number of aspen. Conifer encroachement is greater in the Shoshone National Forest than YNP but a large percentage of conifers in all study areas are in the smallest size class. Ramet densities averaged 4067-5730 shoots/ha in YNP and the Shoshone National Forest, comparable to other undisturbed stands in the Rocky Mountains. We present here results primarily from the 1997 field season. The remaining field work is scheduled to be completed during the 1998 field season, including all of the work in the Gallatin National Forest. The full results will be available upon completion of data analysis and the integration of the remote sensing and field data.
Precambrian Geologic 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 1998 the project involved one week of fieldwork in Teton National Park to collect samples of key units for geochemical studies. This field work involved four faculty members from UW and a graduate student, who is doing the study as part of her MS thesis. The field work has been followed by several months of laboratory analysis at UW. We have characterized the rocks through thin section, stained slabs, and whole rock geochemical and Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic methods. Geochronology is in progress: datable minerals have been isolated from samples of four different units and precise ages with uncertainties on the order of Â± 5 million years are forthcoming.
Body Mass and Lipid Changes by Hibernating Reproductive and Nonreproductive Black Bears
Authors: Harlow Henry , Lohuis Thomas , Tinker Daniel , Grogan Ronald , Beck Thomas
Published: July 2020

Black bears have delayed implantation with fetal development and lactation energy demands during a period of maternal hibernation and starvation. Pregnant females in a state of diapause had about 23% greater fat depots than nonÂ­reproductive females going into hibernation. Fat provided 92% of the total energy for lactation and gestation. Rates of fat loss were 27% and protein loss 58% higher for reproductive females compared to non-reproductive females. The cost of winter reproduction to include gestation and lactation was 1432 kj/day to produce two cubs. While reproduction required elevated protein breakdown, the overall loss was relatively small, perhaps due to a short gestation period and urea recycling.