dead tree

A forensic analysis of a dead ponderosa pine

Dec. 19, 2021

Why did that one tree die? An expert is on the case.

cattails

Cattails are on the move in North America

Dec. 7, 2021

Invasive propensities of the various species are enhanced and more successful in disturbed environments. Consequently, both native and introduced cattails are expanding their ranges.

ruby

Late-fall pollination reflects the globally changing climate

Nov. 17, 2021

My observation that fall temperatures and pollination seemed to last longer this year is anecdotal, but the anecdote seems to fit into a documented pattern of climate change altering the onsets and durations of the seasons.

Jeff

The value of national monuments, national parks and wilderness areas

Oct. 28, 2021

Just as we have learned that the cost of freedom is constant vigilance, we must accept the notion that the lands set aside for forever must continually be guarded.

buckwheat

Fremont’s buckwheat supports a community of users

Oct. 6, 2021

Biologists initially thought the distribution of Fremont’s buckwheat was determined by a requirement for gypsum in the surface soils.

a strand of mushrooms showing the variability in the field Amanita muscaria young & old shows more variability

Fly Agaric and related death cap mushrooms synthesize dangerous chemicals

Aug. 31, 2021

Amanita species can be described as edible, inedible, poisonous, deadly poisonous, and psychoactive.

a photo of the same flower and 	swallowtail, but showing the ventral side

Western tiger swallowtails sip milkweed nectar and chew aspen leaves

Aug. 5, 2021

Monarch butterflies gained access to milkweeds after they evolved the metabolic trick of absorbing the cardiac glycosides by sequestering them in fat bodies.

Putnam Cicadas

Cicadas plague Boulder

July 22, 2021

Mountain cicadas, Okanagana bella, are also found locally, and it is the only cicada common in the mountains.

Male White faced meadow hawk

White-faced meadowhawks have multiple color patterns

July 21, 2021

A mating wheel allows a precise comparison of the colors and patterns of males and females The little marsh swarmed with insects. Tiny moths popped up from the grass, darted a short distance and then disappeared back into the grass. Small wood nymph butterflies kept searching for the perfect spot...

Hummingbird chin view

Broad-tailed hummingbirds need to return to Colorado sooner

May 25, 2021

Because billions of birds migrate in North America, this asynchrony of needs and availability of resources could become a widespread problem.

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