University of Wyoming Open Journals
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Alpine Moist Meadow Response to Nitrogen Deposition in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
No full textThe deposition of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen (N) in alpine ecosystems can have multiple deleterious effects on plants, soils and hydrology in both the alpine and areas downstream through leaching and export. Thresholds for ecological responses to N deposition have been established for lakes, soils and changes in plant community composition in some areas of the Rocky Mountains. These thresholds offer a target for land and air resource managers to prevent significant changes in ecosystem function, however the underlying feedbacks controlling ecosystem response have not been fully examined. Research originally proposed in association with our UW NPS Small Grant aimed to examine plant to ecosystem interactions within alpine moist meadows between two sites receiving different levels of N deposition. This focus has been modified, in response to site limitations, to examine the mediation of the N cycle by the alpine moist meadow plant community
Validation of Fecal-based Methods for Monitoring Nutrition and Reproduction of Moose in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
No full textUnderstanding the influence of habitat and climate on wildlife nutrition, reproduction and demography is a major goal for natural resource managers and ecologists alike. Although both top-down (i.e., predation and disease) and bottom-up (i.e. habitat and nutrition) forces impact demography, the nutritional condition of an animal is an integration of its environment (Parker et al. 2009) and influences reproduction and survival (Clutton-Brock et al. 1987, Keech et al. 2000, Cook et al. 2004), thus allowing for the identification of limiting factors. Researchers and managers must understand which factors limit population growth before mitigating actions can be taken
Spatio-temporal Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics in Natural Butterfly Populations (2013 Field Season)
No full textThe study of evolution in natural populations has advanced our understanding of the origin and maintenance of biological diversity. For example, long term studies of wild populations indicate that natural selection can cause rapid and dramatic changes in traits, but that in some cases these evolutionary changes are quickly reversed when periodic variation in weather patterns or the biotic environment cause the optimal trait value to change (e.g., Reznick et al. 1997, Grant and Grant 2002). In fact, spatial and temporal variation in the strength and nature of natural selection could explain the high levels of genetic variation found in many natural populations (Gillespie 1994, Siepielski et al. 2009). Long term studies of evolution in the wild could also be informative for biodiversity conservation and resource management, because, for example, data on short term evolutionary responses to annual fluctuations in temperature or rainfall could be used to predict longer term evolution in response to directional climate change. Most previous research on evolution in the wild has considered one or a few observable traits or genes (Kapan 2001, Grant and Grant 2002, Barrett et al. 2008). We believe that more general conclusions regarding the rate and causes of evolutionary change in the wild and selectionâs contribution to the maintenance of genetic variation could be obtained by studying genome-wide molecular evolution in a suite of natural populations. Thus, we have begun a long term study of genome-wide molecular evolution in a series of natural butterfly populations in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA). This study will allow us to quantify the contribution of environment-dependent natural selection to evolution in these butterfly populations and determine whether selection consistently favors the same alleles across space and through time
University of Wyoming Outdoor Studio Art Class
No full textSince its inception as a Summer Innovative Course in 2000, the Department of Art Summer Outdoor Studio class has been exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to stay and work at the AMK Research Station as part of the three week summer intensive course. For art students, the dramatic setting and accommodation are inspiring and it is a highlight of the experience. From the AMK Ranch, students have full access to Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP as well as the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson. Last year we scheduled a docent tour of the Wildlife museum and attended an informative lecture on Native Art in the National Parks at the Coulter Bay Visitors Center. Art students appreciate the interaction with student researchers from different science disciplines. Often those conversations have direct impact on the creative work students produce during their stay. The AMK staff and, in particular, Professor Hank Harlow have offered us incredible hospitality and generosity. Professor Harlowâs knowledge of the geology, biology, and history of Grand Teton National Park is invaluable to this course. Also, his enthusiasm for art and scientific research is infectious. Our stay at the AMK always culminates in an exhibition of student and faculty creative work, hosted by Hank Harlow, UW NPS Research Station Director
Utah State University Watershed Sciences Graduate Student Induction Course
No full textUtah State University Department of Watershed Sciences runs an introductory course for all incoming graduate students (10 in fall 2013) immediately prior to each fall semester. The course is an intense, five day introduction to the fundamental concepts of Watershed Science, as well as the people of the Department of Watershed Science and the techniques they use in research. The course begins with one day focused on water quality and wetlands at Cutler Reservoir in Logan, Utah, then one and a half days focusing on collection of fish, remotely sensed data, and topographic surveys in the Logan River watershed, followed by one and a half days discussing landscape organization and evolution and making field observations in the Grand Teton region. We use AMK Ranch for lectures, discussions, group dinners, sleeping quarters, and as a central base for Teton area activities, including rafting on the Snake River (photos above)
Colin de Verdière parameters of chordal graphs
No full textThe Colin de Verdi`ere parameters, μ and ν, are defined to be the maximum nullity of certain real symmetric matrices associated with a given graph. In this work, both of these parametersare calculated for all chordal graphs. For ν the calculation is based solely on maximal cliques, while for μ the calculation depends on split subgraphs. For the case of μ our work extends some recent work on computing μ for split graphs
