Alpine Pond Ecology Across Hydroperiod and Climate Gradients
Investigates how aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, and ecosystem processes respond to variation in pond permanence, interspecific competition, and climate-driven hydrological change in subalpine wetlands.
Knowledge Graph (357 nodes, 1954 connections)
Research Primer
Background
High-elevation ponds scattered across the Gunnison Basin may look tranquil, but they are some of the most dynamic and biologically rich habitats in the Rocky Mountains. Because many of these ponds fill with snowmelt and then shrink or disappear as summer progresses, they form a natural gradient of pond hydroperiod — the length of time a basin holds water each year. Temporary ponds may dry by mid-summer, semi-permanent ponds persist through most years, and permanent ponds retain water year-round. This gradient sorts species according to their ability to tolerate drying, escape predators, or complete development before the water vanishes. Understanding that sorting matters for land managers and community members because alpine ponds concentrate biodiversity, cycle nutrients, and act as early indicators of how climate and nitrogen pollution are reshaping mountain ecosystems.
Several concepts recur throughout this research area. Interspecific competition (when different species compete for the same limited resources) and intraguild predation (when one predator eats another species that would otherwise be its competitor) shape which invertebrates dominate each pond type. Cannibalism — individuals eating members of their own species — is especially important in tiger salamander populations, where large adults and older larvae can consume young-of-the-year. Facultative paedomorphosis is an alternative life history in which some salamanders skip metamorphosis and stay aquatic as sexually mature adults, while others transform into terrestrial adults. Caddisfly larvae, meanwhile, build protective cases from plant fragments and pebbles, and this case construction strongly influences their vulnerability to predators and cannibals.
Beyond species interactions, these ponds are hotspots of animal-driven nutrient cycling, in which invertebrates and salamanders release nitrogen and phosphorus through excretion, fueling algae and detritus processing. Shredding caddisflies and other detritivores break down coarse particulate organic matter (leaves and sedge litter larger than 1 mm) into finer particles available to other consumers. Two climate-linked processes tie everything together: pond drying, which triggers behavioral and developmental responses in aquatic organisms, and climate-induced range shifts, in which species move to higher elevations as growing seasons lengthen. Biofluorescence — the re-emission of absorbed light at longer wavelengths — is a newer topic of interest, particularly in tiger salamanders, where its ecological role is still being worked out.
Foundational work
Early research at RMBL's Mexican Cut Nature Preserve and nearby sites established that high-elevation ponds sort species sharply along hydroperiod and predation gradients. Sprules (Sprules, 1972) showed that shallow and deep ponds on Galena Mountain supported distinct zooplankton communities maintained by size-selective predation from salamanders and Chaoborus larvae, not by chemistry alone. Dodson (Dodson, 1974) followed with cage experiments in an alpine Colorado pond demonstrating that a predatory copepod — not competition among herbivores — excluded small Daphnia from ponds containing large Daphnia, reshaping how ecologists thought about zooplankton community assembly. Harte and Hoffman (Harte & Hoffman, 1989) raised early alarms about anthropogenic stressors by linking a 65% decline in a subalpine tiger salamander population to possible acidic deposition, although later work by Wissinger and Whiteman (Wissinger & Whiteman, 1992) found that year-to-year recruitment fluctuations were not explained by pH.
A second pillar of foundational work came from studies of invertebrate interactions. Wissinger (1989, 1992) (Wissinger, 1992) showed that dragonfly larvae competed and preyed on one another simultaneously, and introduced indices of niche overlap that accounted for body size and developmental stage. Wissinger and McGrady (Wissinger & McGrady, 1993) demonstrated non-additive predation, where combined effects of two dragonfly species on shared prey were weaker than expected because one species suppressed the other's foraging. Whiteman (Whiteman, 1994) synthesized the theory of facultative paedomorphosis in salamanders, laying out competing hypotheses for why some individuals stay aquatic. Wissinger et al. (Wissinger et al., 1996) then showed that asymmetric intraguild predation — aggressive Asynarchus caddisfly larvae eating Limnephilus larvae — helped explain why each species dominates a different part of the hydroperiod gradient, a theme that would organize decades of subsequent work.
Key findings
Across this research area, hydroperiod emerges as the master variable structuring pond communities. Wissinger et al. (Wissinger et al., 2003) showed that caddisfly species sort along the permanence gradient based on life-history traits: species with desiccation-tolerant eggs, ovarian diapause, and rapid larval growth can exploit temporary ponds, while species lacking these traits are restricted to permanent waters. Bohonak and Whiteman (Bohonak & Whiteman, 1999) showed that fairy shrimp distributions also depend on hydroperiod because their eggs require drying cues to hatch, while salamanders disperse some viable eggs across ponds. Cased caddisfly larvae suffer far lower salamander predation than caseless ones, but cases do not equalize vulnerability across species — Asynarchus remains more exposed to salamander predation than Agrypnia (Wissinger et al., 2006) and than Limnephilus (Wissinger et al., 1999). When ponds begin to dry, Asynarchus larvae become increasingly aggressive and cannibalistic, a response driven by larval density and protein limitation rather than water level alone (Wissinger et al., 2012; 2016) (Lund et al., 2016).
Salamander population dynamics are shaped just as strongly by within-species interactions. Wissinger et al. (Wissinger et al., 2010) showed that paedomorphic adults and large larvae cannibalize young-of-the-year, causing exponential declines in juvenile survival and additional nonconsumptive effects such as reduced activity and injuries. Long-term monitoring revealed decade-long fluctuations in salamander abundance driven in part by these cannibalism dynamics (Whiteman et al., 2010). Kirk et al. (2023, 2024) (Kirk et al., 2024) used a 32-year mark-recapture dataset to show that climate and density dependence jointly determine whether a salamander becomes a terrestrial metamorph or an aquatic paedomorph: longer growing seasons favor metamorphosis, while cold winters and light snowpacks promote paedomorphic outcomes by elevating cannibal and larval densities. Cayuela et al. (Cayuela et al., 2024) then found that paedomorphs age faster and die younger than metamorphs, linking life-history plasticity to senescence.
Nutrient dynamics tie these pieces together. Elser et al. 2009a, 2009b{pub_id:1503} found that atmospheric nitrogen deposition has shifted many Rocky Mountain lakes from nitrogen limitation to phosphorus limitation, increasing phytoplankton biomass. At the pond scale, caddisflies drive substantial nutrient and detritus fluxes: detritivores accelerate breakdown roughly fivefold (Wissinger lab, 2018), different caddisfly species vary eight- to thirteen-fold in excretion and detritus processing rates (Balik et al., 2018; 2022) (Balik et al., 2022), and animal-driven nutrient supply exceeds ecosystem demand in permanent ponds but falls into deficit in temporary ponds (Balik et al., 2021). Dried pond sediments can release carbon dioxide at rates 10–33 times higher than pond water (Balik et al., 2020), suggesting that drying ponds are overlooked components of mountain carbon budgets.
Current frontier
Early work from the 1970s through the 1990s established how predation, competition, and hydroperiod sort species. Studies in the 2000s and 2010s quantified life-history trade-offs and nutrient fluxes. Since 2020, research has pivoted toward climate-induced range shifts and the functional consequences of changing community composition. Twelve lentic caddisfly species now occupy an elevational gradient from about 2,300 to 3,500 meters in the East River valley, with some expanding upslope and others retreating (Balik lab, 2019). Balik et al. (2020, 2023) (Balik et al., 2023) showed that competition reduces survival of the range-shifting Limnephilus picturatus at higher elevations, and that even as species' relative contributions to nitrogen supply, phosphorus supply, and detritus processing shift during three successive invasions, total ecosystem process rates stay remarkably stable. A global synthesis (Epele et al., 2024) confirms that wetland invertebrate traits respond most strongly to local hydroperiod while family composition tracks broad-scale temperature and precipitation seasonality.
Recent work has also opened entirely new questions about sensory ecology and individual variation. Multiple 2023–2025 studies have documented biofluorescence in Arizona tiger salamanders and tested whether it functions in mate choice, with mixed evidence so far (von der Ohe, 2024; Killian, 2025; Chairez, 2025){pub_id:65} (Chairez, 2025). Kirk et al. (Kirk et al., 2023) found that metamorphs and paedomorphs respond differently to climate in terms of body condition, highlighting climate-mediated fitness trade-offs. Miller McShan (Miller McShan, 2024) began probing how cattle-derived nutrients from surrounding pastureland influence salamander hatchling growth. New methods — biophysical models of salamander water loss (Schultz lab, 2021), PIT tagging (Anderson et al., 2016), and long-term mark-recapture — are letting researchers link individual physiology to population and ecosystem outcomes.
Open questions
Several major uncertainties remain. How will continued warming and shifting snowpack reorganize the hydroperiod gradient itself, and can ecosystem functions remain stable when many species shift simultaneously rather than one at a time? What are the functional and communicative roles of salamander biofluorescence, and does it respond to environmental stress in ways useful for monitoring? How do nutrient subsidies from terrestrial sources — including cattle grazing and atmospheric nitrogen deposition — interact with animal-driven nutrient cycling to alter productivity and food-web structure? Finally, because paedomorphosis and metamorphosis carry different lifespans, reproductive schedules, and climate sensitivities, how will the balance between these life-history strategies evolve as mountain climates continue to change? Answering these questions will require sustained long-term monitoring, cross-elevation experiments, and tighter integration of individual-level physiology with ecosystem-level processes.
References
Anderson, T. L., et al. (2016). A PIT tagging technique for Ambystomatid salamanders. →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2018). High interspecific variation in nutrient excretion within a guild of closely related caddisfly species. →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2019). Mapping the range shifts of East River Valley caddisflies (Trichoptera). →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2020). Biogeochemical characteristics and hydroperiod affect carbon dioxide flux rates from exposed high-elevation pond sediments. →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2020). Elevation alters outcome of competition between resident and range shifting species. →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2021). Animal-driven nutrient supply declines relative to ecosystem nutrient demand along a pond hydroperiod gradient. →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2022). Species-specific traits predict whole-assemblage detritus processing by pond invertebrates. →
Balik, J. A., et al. (2023). Consequences of climate-induced range expansions on multiple ecosystem functions. Communications Biology. →
Bohonak, A. J., Whiteman, H. H. (1999). Dispersal of the fairy shrimp Branchinecta coloradensis: effects of hydroperiod and salamanders. Limnology and Oceanography. →
Cayuela, H., et al. (2024). Polyphenism predicts actuarial senescence and lifespan in tiger salamanders. Journal of Animal Ecology. →
Chairez (2025). The effects of natural sun exposure on the intensity and distribution of salamander biofluorescence. →
Dodson, S. I. (1974). Zooplankton competition and predation: an experimental test of the size-efficiency hypothesis. Ecology. →
Elser, J. J., et al. (2009). Nutrient availability and phytoplankton nutrient limitation across a gradient of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Ecology. →
Elser, J. J., et al. (2009). Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Science. →
Epele, L. B., et al. (2024). A global assessment of environmental and climate influences on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure and function. Global Change Biology. →
Harte, J., Hoffman, E. (1989). Possible effects of acidic deposition on a Rocky Mountain population of the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum. Conservation Biology. →
Killian (2025). Biofluorescence in Arizona Tiger Salamanders as an indicator of sexual readiness. →
Kirk, M. A., et al. (2023). The role of environmental variation in mediating fitness trade-offs for an amphibian polyphenism. Journal of Animal Ecology. →
Kirk, M. A., et al. (2024). Climate mediates the trade-offs associated with phenotypic plasticity in an amphibian polyphenism. Journal of Animal Ecology. →
Miller McShan (2024). The effects of cattle derived nutrients on growth rates of Arizona Tiger Salamander hatchlings in pastureland. →
Schultz lab (2021). Experimental validation of biophysical models of tiger salamanders. →
Sprules, W. G. (1972). Effects of size-selective predation and food competition on high altitude zooplankton communities. Ecology. →
von der Ohe (2024). Biofluorescence as a mechanism of sexual selection in Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum. →
Whiteman, H. H. (1994). Evolution of facultative paedomorphosis in salamanders. Quarterly Review of Biology. →
Whiteman, H. H., et al. (2010). Salamander cannibalism. →
Wissinger lab (2018). Comparing detritus breakdown rates with and without detritivores in subalpine ponds with different hydroperiods. →
Wissinger, S. A. (1989). Seasonal variation in the intensity of competition and predation among dragonfly larvae. Ecology. →
Wissinger, S. A. (1992). Niche overlap and the potential for competition and intraguild predation between size-structured populations. Ecology. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (1996). Intraguild predation and cannibalism among larvae of detritivorous caddisflies in subalpine wetlands. Ecology. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (1999). Foraging trade-offs along a predator-permanence gradient in subalpine wetlands. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (2003). Caddisfly life histories along permanence gradients in high-altitude wetlands in Colorado. Freshwater Biology. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (2006). Predator defense along a permanence gradient: roles of case structure, behavior, and developmental phenology in caddisflies. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (2010). Consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of cannibalism in fluctuating age-structured populations. Ecology. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (2012). Increased aggression among Asynarchus nigriculus caddisfly larvae in a rapidly drying environment. →
Wissinger, S. A., et al. (2016). Caddisfly behavioral responses to drying cues in temporary ponds. →
Wissinger, S. A., McGrady, J. (1993). Intraguild predation and competition between larval dragonflies: direct and indirect effects on shared prey. Ecology. →
Wissinger, S. A., Whiteman, H. H. (1992). Fluctuation in a Rocky Mountain population of salamanders: anthropogenic acidification or natural variation? →
Concept (41) →
interspecific competition
Negative interactions between individuals of different species competing for limited resources
pond hydroperiod
The frequency and duration of annual pond inundation vs. exposure, with categories including temporary ponds (dry annually in early summer), semi-perm...
climate-induced range shifts
Changes in species geographic distributions in response to changing climate conditions, typically involving movement to higher elevations or latitudes
facultative paedomorphosis
Alternative life history strategy where some individuals retain larval traits and become sexually mature in aquatic environment while others metamorph...
cannibalism
Predation behavior where individuals consume members of their own species, particularly common in A. m. nebulosum populations targeting first year hat...
precipitation seasonality
Temporal variation in precipitation patterns expressed as coefficient of variation in monthly precipitation over 5 years
pond drying
Temporary pond hydroperiod reduction that triggers behavioral and physiological responses in aquatic organisms
animal-driven nutrient cycling
The contribution of animals to ecosystem nutrient fluxes through excretion, with supply determined by animal biomass, excretion rates, and time spent ...
case construction
Caddisfly larvae ability to construct protective cases from environmental debris using silk-like string
insect recruitment
Addition of new individuals to insect populations through successful reproduction and development
Show 31 more concepts
PIT tag telemetry
Use of passive integrated transponder tags for remote detection and tracking of individual animals without need for recapture
phenological mismatch
Food availability timing related to snow melt and vegetation growth potentially mismatched with juvenile foraging periods
biofluorescence
The emission of visible light by organisms following the absorption of shorter wavelengths of light
algal resource quality
The nutritional value of algae as food for aquatic consumers, typically measured by nutrient content
detritivore feeding preference
Selective consumption behavior of invertebrates feeding on different types of organic detritus
functional feeding groups
Categorization of invertebrates based on feeding mechanisms: collector-gatherers, grazers, predators, shredders, and suspension-feeders
Henry's Law equilibration
The proportionality relationship between partial pressure of a gas in air and its aqueous concentration used to measure dissolved CO2
energy flux
The flow of energy through ecological systems, measured as invertebrate biomass transfer from terrestrial to aquatic environments
electivity index
A measure comparing the proportion of prey in predator diet to proportion in environment to detect selection or avoidance
case grazing
Behavior where caddisfly larvae consume material from their own or others' protective cases
demographic compensation
Population response where decreases in fitness due to other factors are offset by increases in another demographic parameter
animal communication
Mechanisms used by individuals to convey different cues to others, including color, vocal cues, body language, and biofluorescence
non-additive effects
Combined impact of multiple predators differs from the sum of their individual effects, can be greater or less than additive
Schoener's index
A measure of niche overlap calculated as SI = 1 - (1/2) Σᵢ |pᵢₖ - pⱼₖ| where values approach 1 when resource use curves coincide perfectly and approac...
terrestrial subsidies
Input of terrestrial invertebrates into aquatic food webs providing energy to aquatic predators
coarse particulate organic matter
Organic matter particles larger than 1 mm, including intact leaves and larger detrital fragments
best of a bad lot mechanism
Paedomorphosis becomes the preferred life strategy when growing conditions such as prey abundance, water temperature, and population density are poor,...
dietary specialization
Differential prey use based on habitat type, with fairy shrimp comprising majority of diet in temporary ponds
intraguild predation
Asymmetric intraguild predation (IGP) between caddisflies where larger, faster-growing species prey on smaller competitors
nutrient spiraling
The downstream transport and repeated cycling of nutrients through uptake and release in stream ecosystems
principal component analysis
Statistical method used to identify the structuring factors driving life-history variation and to detect slow-fast continuum patterns
sexual dimorphism
Differences between sexes in fluorescent patterns, as identified in Plethodon metcalfi
mass-specific excretion rate
the rate of nutrient excretion per unit body mass of an organism
exploitation competition
Competition through depletion of shared resources without direct interaction
positive feedback loop
Mechanism where state and behavior mutually reinforce each other, measured as positive correlation between individual intercept and slope in random re...
detritivory
Consumption of dead organic matter by organisms, particularly caddisfly larvae feeding on detritus
environmental harshness
Degree of environmental stress affecting survival and reproduction, differing between elevational sites
realized tolerance
The ability to maintain fitness after damage, measured through both genetic and environmental components of tolerance including resource acquisition a...
digestive efficiency
The ability to extract nutrients from consumed food, measured here by frass mass relative to provision mass and extent of pollen grain digestion
detritus shredders
Functional guild of macroinvertebrates that break down dead organic material, contributing to nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems
actuarial senescence
The increase in mortality with age, showing broad variation at the intraspecific level
Protocol (26) →
Factorial environmental stress experiment (Limnephilidae)
2x2 factorial design manipulating temperature and conductivity to test environmental drying cues on caddisfly development and survival. Uses shade man...
mark-recapture (Ambystomatidae)
Annual capture-recapture surveys over 24 years to track individual survival, growth, reproduction and developmental pathways in a polyphenic salamande...
Fluorometric ammonium method
Fluorometric analysis of ammonia in water samples using working reagent that produces fluorescent compound when reacting with ammonia. Uses quadruplic...
instar staging
Standardized measurements of wing length and dried body mass components under stereomicroscope to quantify adult fitness proxies and assess elevation ...
Leaf pack decomposition assay
Controlled microcosm experiments measuring invertebrate-mediated breakdown of sedge detritus by quantifying mass loss of coarse and fine particulate o...
slit emergence traps
Systematic collection of water samples from ponds across a hydroperiod gradient for analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. Samples collected a...
Tiger salamander feeding preference mesocosm trials (Ambystomatidae)
Controlled feeding trials in plastic mesocosms where starved salamanders are presented with multiple prey types and their consumption and foraging beh...
focal animal sampling (Limnephilidae)
Individual caddisflies are observed for fixed time periods to record movement patterns, social interactions, and aggressive behaviors. Follows establi...
gastric-lavage (Ambystomatidae)
Modified gastric-lavage technique to obtain stomach contents for prey identification, enumeration, and biomass/caloric calculations using published co...
CNS elemental analysis (Limnephilidae)
Short-term incubation of caddisfly larvae in filtered pond water to measure nitrogen and phosphorus excretion rates under ambient conditions. Five lar...
Show 16 more protocols
Multiple-choice feeding preference assay (Limnephilidae)
Larvae offered multiple food choices in aquatic containers with instantaneous behavioral sampling over extended time periods to quantify feeding prefe...
d-frame net sampling
Standardized sampling of large and small benthic invertebrates using D-net sweeps and benthic cores, with zooplankton sampling using mesh nets. Animal...
Macroinvertebrate nutrient excretion incubation
Organisms are incubated in filtered pond water for one hour to measure nitrogen and phosphorus excretion rates through water chemistry analysis before...
DAYMET climate data (Ambystomatidae)
Collection and integration of climate variables from multiple databases including temperature, solar radiation, snow metrics, and topographic factors ...
Multi-parameter water quality monitoring (Amphibia)
In-situ measurement of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and barometric pressure at multiple points around each pond during peak photosynthetic activ...
Salamander biofluorescence photography under blue excitation (Amphibia)
Standardized photography protocol using blue light excitation to capture biofluorescence in salamanders under controlled conditions with specific came...
body condition index (Ambystomatidae)
Calculation of body condition metrics (mass/SVL³) and derived fitness proxies including condition-weighted reproductive opportunities for males and es...
PIT tagging technique for Ambystomatid salamanders (Amphibia)
Controlled laboratory experiment comparing survival, growth, and tag retention between PIT-tagged and control salamanders over 90 days to validate tag...
De-mentation behavioral interference assay
Laboratory aquarium experiment using surgically modified (de-mented) dragonfly larvae to separate behavioral interference effects from direct predatio...
Ambystoma population dynamics differential equation modeling
Development and analysis of a seven-dimensional nonlinear differential equation system modeling tiger salamander population dynamics across life stage...
Ecosystem nutrient uptake measurement (Amphibia)
Nutrient addition experiments in benthic substrates and sedge biofilms to measure ecosystem demand through exponential decay models. Measures uptake c...
Ceramic tile algal biomass estimation
Use of ceramic tiles as standardized substrates for measuring benthic algal biomass via chlorophyll-a extraction and fluorometry. Includes grazed vs u...
Thermal gradient runway temperature selection assay
Custom apparatus measuring salamander temperature selection behavior using water-cooled and heated runway with position and body temperature tracking ...
Three-chamber salamander choice experiment (Ambystomatidae)
Controlled behavioral experiments using salamanders in tanks with traps at either end to test preferences for different light stimuli and biofluoresce...
Stream Solute Workshop method
Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization method involving simultaneous injection of water tracer and nutrients with downstream breakthrou...
pond hydroperiod classification
Classification of ponds into permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary categories based on historical drying patterns and hydroperiod duration from lon...
Publication (125) →
Caddisfly life histories along permanence gradients in high-altitude wetlands in Colorado (U.S.A.)
Carbon Dioxide Concentrations and Efflux from Permanent, Semi-Permanent, and Temporary Subalpine Ponds
Nonlinear effects of consumer density on multiple ecosystem processes
A global assessment of environmental and climate influences on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure and function
From animals to ecosystem processes: Predicting functional outcomes of climate-driven changes in animal communities through species traits
Larval growth in polyphenic salamanders: making the best of a bad lot
Caddisfly behavioral responses to drying cues in temporary ponds: Implications for effects of climate change
Biotic interactions at species’ range limits in a changing climate
Larval cannibalism, time constraints, and adult fitness in caddisflies that inhabit temporary wetlands
Lifetime Fitness, Sex-Specific Life History, and the Maintenance of a Polyphenism
Show 115 more publications
Perils of life on the edge: Climatic threats to global diversity patterns of wetland macroinvertebrates
Consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of cannibalism in fluctuating age-structured populations
Predator defense along a permanence gradient: roles of case structure, behavior, and developmental phenology in caddisflies
High interspecific variation in nutrient excretion within a guild of closely related caddisfly species
Fluctuation in a Rocky Mountain population of salamanders: anthropogenic acidification or natural variation?
Animal-Driven Nutrient Supply Declines Relative to Ecosystem Nutrient Demand Along a Pond Hydroperiod Gradient
Intraguild predation and cannibalism among larvae of detritivorous caddisflies in subalpine wetlands
Reinforcing abiotic and biotic time constraints facilitate the broad distribution of a generalist with fixed traits
Cross-trophic-level dynamics in aquatic ecosystems and their application across ecological contexts
Seasonal movement patterns in a subalpine population of the tiger salamander, <i>Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum</i>
Growth and foraging consequences of facultative paedomorphosis in the tiger salamander, <i>Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum</i>
Foraging trade-offs along a predator-permanence gradient in subalpine wetlands
Elevation alters outcome of competition between resident and range shifting species
Species-specific traits predict whole-assemblage detritus processing by pond invertebrates
The role of environmental variation in mediating fitness trade-offs for an amphibian polyphenism
Climate mediates the trade-offs associated with phenotypic plasticity in an amphibian polyphenism
Evolution of Facultative Paedomorphosis in Salamanders
Predators balance consequences of climate-change-induced habitat shifts for range-shifting and resident species
Females know best: dispersal polymorphism maintained by sex-specific foraging
Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America: Ecology and Management
Natal philopatry varies with larval condition in salamanders
Foraging tactics in alternative heterochronic salamander morphs: trophic quality of ponds matters more than water permanency
Diet and a developmental time constraint alter life-history trade-offs in a caddis fly (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)
The role of larval cases in reducing aggression and cannibalism among caddisflies in temporary wetlands
Consequences of climate-induced range expansions on multiple ecosystem functions
Determining the Effects of Climate-Induced Range Shifts on Caddisfly Population Dynamics
Polyphenism predicts actuarial senescence and lifespan in tiger salamanders
Characterizing the role of phosphorus availability and periphytic algae in the food choice and performance of detritivorous caddisflies (Trichoptera:Limnephilidae)
Effects of larval energetic resources on life history and adult allocation patterns in a caddisfly (Trichoptera: Phryganeidae)
Ecological role of <i>Limnephilus abbreviates</i> in detritus dynamics
Nutrient availability and phytoplankton nutrient limitation across a gradient of atmospheric nitrogen deposition
Temporal shift of diet in alternative cannibalistic morphs of the tiger salamander
Role of animal detritivores in the breakdown of emergent plant detrius in temporary ponds
Rates of Cannibalism in <i> Asynarchus Nigriculus </i> based on Sedge Nutrient Content
Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition
Maintenance of polymorphism promoted by sex-specific fitness payoffs
Biogeochemical characteristics and hydroperiod affect carbon dioxide flux rates from exposed high-elevation pond sediments
Limnephilus externus Case Grazing
Modeling the population dynamics and community impacts of <i>Ambystoma tigrinum</i>: A case study of phenotype plasticity
A PIT tagging technique for Ambystomatid salamanders
Effects of a caddisfly range shift on competition and facilitation in high elevation ponds
Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America: Ecology and Management
Testing how density affects caddisfly distribution along a detritus quality gradient
Efficacy and Uses of PIT Tag Telemetry in Salamanders From the Western USA: ,<i> Aneides vagrans </i>, <i> Ensatina eschscholtzii </i>, and <i> Ambystoma mavortium </i>
Contrasting short-and long-term outcomes of pairwise interactions between caddisflies at a hydrologically heterogeneous range margin
Effects of a range-shifting caddisfly on life histories of a top predator in high elevation ponds
Carbon Dioxide Efflux and Storage in Small, Drying Alpine Ponds
Nutrient excretion rates of common aquatic taxa in high elevation ponds at the Mexican Cut
Temporal Variation of Thermal Microhabitat Use of Tiger Salamanders
Increased aggression among <i>Asynarchus nigriculus</i> caddisfly larvae in a rapidly drying environment
The Impact of Environmental Factors on Arizona Tiger Salamander Larval Growth
The effects of cattle derived nutrients on growth rates of Arizona Tiger Salamander hatchlings in pastureland
Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America: Ecology and Management
Salamanders impact on L. externus population densities
Does species diversity of caddisflies enhance detritus breakdown and nutrient release in temporary ponds?
Intraguild predation and competition between larval dragonflies: direct and indirect effects on shared prey
Niche overlap and the potential for competition and intraguild predation between size-structured populations
Evolutionary ecology of facultative paedomorphosis in news and salamanders
A model of inter-cohort cannibalism and paedomorphosis in Arizona tiger salamanders, <i>Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum</i>
Herbivore growth responses to nutrient mobilization by detritivores
Quantifying physiological and behavioral differences in caddisfly larvae
Dissolved iron stimulates uptake of organic phosphorus by <i>Didymosphenia geminata</i>
Salamander cannibalism
Biofluorescence in Polymorphic Tiger Salamanders ( Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum)
Seasonal variation in the intensity of competition and predation among dragonfly larvae
Changes in the biofluorescence of Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum with age
Pond nutrient storage across permanence and temporal gradients
Comparing decomposition rates and detritivore preferences for caddisfly (Trichoptera) cases versus ambient detritus
Effects of Environmental Pond Drying Cues on <i> Asynarchus nigriculus </i> Cannibalism Rates
Morph and Sex differences in prey selectivity of tiger salamanders (<i> Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum </i>)
Influence of handling stress and fasting on estimates of ammonium excretion by tadpoles and fish: recommendations for designing excretion experiments
Foraging Differences Between Sexes in Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum
The effect of food quality and time constraints on caddisfly growth and development
From brown to green: how does caddisfly detritus processing affect the growth of invertebrate algal grazers
Do Pond Caddisflies Reap a Double Benefit from Detritus Processing?
Mapping the range shifts of East River Valley caddisflies <i> (Trichoptera) </i>
Cyclic Colonization in Predictably Ephemeral Habitats: A Template for Biological Control in Annual Crop Systems
Testing for nutrient limitation of algal biomass across elevational and permanence gradients in high elevation ponds near the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab
Life history patterns of Ambystoma tigrinum in montane Colorado
<i> Limnephilus externus </i> Case Grazing Effects on Predation
Macroinvertebrate excretion rates and their contribution to nutrient cycling in a rocky mountain stream
Accuracy assessment of skeletochronology in the Arizona tiger salamander (<i>Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum</i>)
Effects of elevation on salamander life strategies
Bio-fluorescence in Cannibalism Interactions in MCNP Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum Population
Conservation and Status of North American Amphibians
Community assembly and food web interactions across pond permanence gradients
Heterospecific prey and trophic polyphenism in larval tiger salamanders
Impacts of Historical Hydroperiod on Bird Predation of Emergent Aquatic Insects
Testing Nutrient Limitation Status Along a Subalpine Pond Hydroperiod Gradient
Effects of pond permanence on avian behaviors
Effects of size-selective predation and food competition on high altitude zooplankton communities
Effects of soil moisture on <i>Lupinus spp</i> growth and root nodulation
Morph- and sex-specific differences in corticosterone of Arizona tiger salamanders (<i>Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum</i>)
Comparing detritus breakdown rates with and without detritivores in subalpine ponds with different hydroperiods
Possible effects of acidic deposition on a Rocky Mountain population of the tiger salamander <i>Ambystoma tigrinum</i>
Identifying PCR primers to facilitate molecular phylogenetics in Caddisflies (Trichoptera)
Feeding Preference and Growth Effects for Three Trichoptera Species
The role of non-caddisfly taxa on detrital processing in montane ponds
Testing for competition, facilitation, and intraguild predation between two co-dominant detritivores: the caddisfly <i> Limnephilus externus </i> and chironomid midges
The adaptive significance of paedogenesis in North American species of <i>Ambystoma</i> (Amphibia: Caudata): an hypothesis
Dispersal of the fairy shrimp <i>Branchinecta coloradensis</i> (Anostraca): Effects of hydroperiod and salamanders
Experimental Validation of Biophysical Models of Tiger Salamanders (<i> Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum </i>)
The diet of Ambystoma tigrinum larvae from western Colorado
Growth rates and size at metamorphosis of high elevation populations of Ambystoma tigrinum
Biofluorescence in Arizona Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium nebulsoum) as an indicator of sexual readiness
The effects of natural sun exposure on the intensity and distribution of salamander biofluorescence
Dynamics of reproductive allocation from juvenile and adult feeding: radiotracer studies
An evaluation of MS-222 and benzocaine as anesthetics for metamorphic and paedomorphic tiger salamanders (<i>Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum</i>)
Biofluorescence as a Mechanism of Sexual Selection in Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum
Temperature Selection in the Arizona Tiger Salamander (<i> Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum </i>)
The distribution and habitat separation of three corixids (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in western Colorado
Zooplankton competition and predation: an experimental test of the size-efficiency hypothesis
Restoration of vegetation communities of created depressional marshes in Ohio and Colorado (USA): the importance of initial effort for mitigation success
Dietary differences between two co-occurring calanoid copepod species
Assessing the substitutability of mitigation wetlands for natural sites: estimating the restoration lag costs of wetland mitigation
Dataset (6) →
Data from: Lifetime fitness, sex-specific life history, and the maintenance of a polyphenism
Polyphenisms, alternative morphs produced through plasticity, can reveal the evolutionary and ecological processes that initiate and maintain diversit...
Elevation alters outcome of competition between resident and range-shifting species
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The role of environmental variation in mediating fitness tradeoffs for an amphibian polyphenism
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Data from: Climate mediates the tradeoffs associated with phenotypic plasticity in an amphibian polyphenism
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The Sagebrush Biome Range Extent, as Derived from Classified Landsat Imagery
This feature estimates the geographic extent of the sagebrush biome in the United States. It was created for the Western Association of Fish and Wildl...
Cottonwood Lake Study Area - Invertebrate Counts
This dataset contains macroinvertebrate sampling data for the wetlands in the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota. This dataset ...