An organic geochemical record of the last interglacial–glacial transition from the high elevation Colorado Rocky Mountains

2015 ◽  
Vol 387 ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Joseph H. Street ◽  
Pratigya J. Polissar ◽  
Adina Paytan
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

scholarly journals Seasonal Patterns of Dry Deposition at a High-Elevation Site in the Colorado Rocky Mountains

2017 ◽  
Vol 122 (20) ◽  
pp. 11,183-11,200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaley M. Oldani ◽  
Natalie Mladenov ◽  
Mark W. Williams ◽  
Cari M. Campbell ◽  
David A. Lipson
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Dry Deposition ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
High Elevation Site ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

scholarly journals Sex and Nest Type Influence Avian Blood Parasite Prevalence in a High Elevation Bird Community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina D. Rodriguez ◽  
Paul F. Doherty ◽  
Antoinette J. Piaggio ◽  
Kathryn P. Huyvaert
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Blood Parasite ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Baseline Knowledge ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

Abstract Background - Prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed. Methods - Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection. Results - We estimated prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia across 24 bird species, detecting 39 parasite haplotypes. We found that open cup nesters have higher Haemoproteus prevalence than cavity or ground nesters. Additionally, we found that male Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s Warblers have higher Haemoproteus prevalence compared to other host species. Conclusions - Our study presents baseline knowledge of haemosporidian parasite presence, prevalence, and diversity among avian species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and adds to our knowledge of host-parasite relationships of blood parasites and their avian hosts.

scholarly journals Dust deposition drives microbial metabolism in a remote, high-elevation catchment

The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Bigelow ◽  
Natalie Mladenov ◽  
David Lipson ◽  
Mark Williams
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
Rate Constants ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Microbial Metabolism ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Dust Deposition ◽  
Fluorescence Excitation ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains ◽  
Over Time

In barren alpine catchments of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, microorganisms are typically carbon (C)-limited, and C-limitation can influence critical heterotrophic processes, such as denitrification. In these remote locations, organic matter deposited during dust intrusion events and other forms of aerosol deposition may be an important C source for heterotrophs; however, little is known regarding the biodegradability of atmospherically deposited organic matter. This study evaluated the extent to which organic matter in Holocene dust and other types of atmospheric deposition in the Colorado Rocky Mountains could support metabolic activity and be biodegraded by alpine bacteria. Microplate bioassays revealed that all atmospheric deposition samples were able to activate microbial metabolism. Decreases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations over time in biodegradability incubations reflect the presence of two pools of dissolved organic matter (DOM), a rapidly decaying pool with rate constants in the range of 0.0130–0.039 d–1 and a slowly decaying pool with rate constants in the range of 0.0008–0.009 d–1. Changes in the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix of solutions evaluated over time indicated a transformation of organic matter by bacteria resulting in a more humic-like fluorescence signature. Fluorescence spectroscopic analyses, therefore, suggest that the degradation of non-fluorescent DOM in glutamate and dust-derived C sources by bacteria results in the production of fluorescent DOM.

scholarly journals Sex and nest type influence avian blood parasite prevalence in a high-elevation bird community

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina D. Rodriguez ◽  
Paul F. Doherty ◽  
Antoinette J. Piaggio ◽  
Kathryn P. Huyvaert
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Blood Parasite ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Baseline Knowledge ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

Abstract Background The prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed. Methods Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate the prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection. Results We estimated the prevalence and diversity of avian Haemosporidia across 24 bird species, detecting 39 parasite haplotypes. We found that open-cup nesters have higher Haemoproteus prevalence than cavity or ground nesters. Additionally, we found that male Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s Warblers have higher Haemoproteus prevalence compared to other host species. Plasmodium prevalence was relatively low (5%), consistent with the idea that competent vectors may be rare at high altitudes. Conclusions Our study presents baseline knowledge of haemosporidian parasite presence, prevalence, and diversity among avian species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and adds to our knowledge of host–parasite relationships of blood parasites and their avian hosts.

scholarly journals Sex and nest type influence avian blood parasite prevalence in a high elevation bird community

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina D. Rodriguez ◽  
Paul F. Doherty ◽  
Antoinette J. Piaggio ◽  
Kathryn P. Huyvaert
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Blood Parasite ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Baseline Knowledge ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

Abstract Background - Prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed. Methods - Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection. Results - We estimated prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia across 24 bird species, detecting 39 parasite haplotypes. We found that open cup nesters have higher Haemoproteus prevalence than cavity or ground nesters. Additionally, we found that male Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s Warblers have higher Haemoproteus prevalence compared to other host species. Conclusions - Our study presents baseline knowledge of haemosporidian parasite presence, prevalence, and diversity among avian species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and adds to our knowledge of host-parasite relationships of blood parasites and their avian hosts.

scholarly journals Sex and nest type influence avian blood parasite prevalence in a high elevation bird community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina D. Rodriguez ◽  
Paul F. Doherty ◽  
Antoinette J. Piaggio ◽  
Kathryn P. Huyvaert
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Blood Parasite ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Baseline Knowledge ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

Abstract Background - Prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed. Methods - Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection. Results - We estimated prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia across 24 bird species, detecting 39 parasite haplotypes. We found that open cup nesters have higher Haemoproteus prevalence than cavity or ground nesters. Additionally, we found that male Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s Warblers have higher Haemoproteus prevalence compared to other host species. Plasmodium prevalence was relatively low (5%), consistent with the idea that competent vectors may be rare at high altitudes. Conclusions - Our study presents baseline knowledge of haemosporidian parasite presence, prevalence, and diversity among avian species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and adds to our knowledge of host-parasite relationships of blood parasites and their avian hosts.

Stable Isotopes in Yellow-Bellied Marmot (Marmota Flaviventris) Fossils Reveal Environmental Stability in the Late Quaternary of the Colorado Rocky Mountains

2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Reynard ◽  
David J. Meltzer ◽  
Steven D. Emslie ◽  
Noreen Tuross
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Environmental Stability ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Marmota Flaviventris ◽  
Mammal Community ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains ◽  
Over Time

High elevation plant and animal communities are considered extremely sensitive to environmental change. We investigated an exceptional fossil record of yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) specimens that was recovered from Cement Creek Cave (elev. 2860 m) and ranged in age from radiocarbon background circa 49.8 cal ka BP to ~ 1 cal ka BP. We coupled isotopic and radiocarbon measurements (δ18O, δD, δ15N, δ13C, and 14C) of bone collagen from individually-AMS dated specimens of marmots to assess ecological responses by this species to environmental change over time in a high elevation basin in the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Colorado, USA. We find little change in all four isotope ratios over time, demonstrating considerable environmental stability during periods when the marmots were present. The stable ecology and the apparent persistence of the small mammal community in the cave fauna throughout the late Quaternary are in marked contrast to the changes that occurred in the large mammal community, including local extirpation and extinction, at the end of the Pleistocene.

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