Ecology
The department's teaching and research addresses critical ecological and natural resources issues for Montana, but also tackles fundamental and applied questions around the globe. Undergraduate programs within the department include Fish & Wildlife Management and Ecology, Conservation Biology and Ecology, Organismal Biology, and Biology Teaching. Graduate programs (M.S. and P.hD.) include Fish & Wildlife Management or Biology and Biological Sciences and an intercollege PhD in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
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Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit
www.montana.edu/mtcfru
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Recent Submissions
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Habitat characteristics of the hoary marmot: assessing distribution limitations in Montana
(2018-10)Species that live in ecosystems with extremely different seasonal conditions must balance the constraints of each season to survive. Alpine species that do not migrate seasonally are especially adept at balancing the ... -
Occupancy modeling of Parnassius clodius butterfly populations in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
(2018-05)Estimating occupancy patterns and identifying vegetation characteristics that influence the presence of butterfly species are essential approaches needed for determining how habitat changes may affect butterfly populations ... -
Movement of Imperiled Chiricahua Leopard Frogs during Summer Monsoons
(2018-12)Habitat fragmentation and subsequent disruption of animal movement are responsible for extinctions in some species, including amphibians. Amphibians that can travel across fragmented landscapes may be at lower risk of ... -
Drought and increased CO2 alter floral visual and olfactory traits with context-dependent effects on pollinator visitation
(2018-03)Climate change can alter species interactions essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function, such as pollination. Understanding the interactive effects of multiple abiotic conditions on floral traits and ... -
Simulating cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion decreases access to food resources for small mammals in sagebrush steppe
(2018-03)Invasions by nonnative plants can alter the abundance of native animals, yet we know little about the mechanisms driving these changes. Shifts in vegetation characteristics resulting from nonnative plants can alter ... -
How do we ensure the future of our discipline is vibrant? Student reflections on careers and culture of ecology
(2018-02)Ecology must attract and retain diverse talented people to produce innovative research and relevant solutions to 21st-century environmental problems. Careers and culture form the foundation of scientific advancement, and ... -
Land use change and El Niño-Southern Oscillation drive decadal carbon balance shifts in Southeast Asia
(2018-03)An integrated understanding of the biogeochemical consequences of climate extremes and land use changes is needed to constrain land-surface feedbacks to atmospheric CO2 from associated climate change. Past assessments of ... -
Niche similarities among introduced and native mountain ungulates
(2018-07)The niche concept provides a strong foundation for theoretical and applied research among a broad range of disciplines. When two ecologically similar species are sympatric, theory predicts they will occupy distinct ecological ... -
Hillslope Topography Mediates Spatial Patterns of Ecosystem Sensitivity to Climate
(2018-02)Understanding how hillslope topography modulates ecosystem dynamics across topoclimatic gradients is critical for predicting future climate change impacts on vegetation function. We examined the influence of hillslope ... -
Putting Climate Adaptation on the Map: Developing Spatial Management Strategies for Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
(2018-06)Natural resource managers face the need to develop strategies to adapt to projected future climates. Few existing climate adaptation frameworks prescribe where to place management actions to be most effective under anticipated ... -
Nitrate is an important nitrogen source for Arctic tundra plants
(2018-03)Plant nitrogen (N) use is a key component of the N cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. The supply of N to plants affects community species composition and ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis and carbon (C) accumulation. ... -
Habitat characteristics of the hoary marmot: Assessing distribution limitations in Montana
(2017-10)Species that live in ecosystems with extremely different seasonal conditions must balance the constraints of each season to survive. Alpine species that do not migrate seasonally are especially adept at balancing the ... -
Opportunities and Trade-offs among BECCS and the Food, Water, Energy, Biodiversity, and Social Systems Nexus at Regional Scales
(2018-01)Carbon dioxide must be removed from the atmosphere to limit climate change to 2°C or less. The integrated assessment models used to develop climate policy acknowledge the need to implement net negative carbon emission ... -
Evaluating the predictability of distance race performance in NCAA cross country and track and field from high school race times in the United States
(2017-12)Successful recruiting for collegiate track & field athletes has become a more competitive and essential component of coaching. This study aims to determine the relationship between race performances of distance runners at ... -
Swimming performance of sauger (Sander canadensis) in relation to fish passage
(2017-12)A lack of information on the swimming abilities of sauger (Sander canadensis), a highly migratory species particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation, may inhibit the design of effective passage structures for this ... -
Opposing effects of group size on reproduction and survival
(2015-07)For cooperative breeders, we hypothesize that the effects of group size on reproduction and survival might run in opposition if the benefits of grouping cannot be shared without cost. We tested this hypothesis by examining ... -
Inconsistent outcomes of heterogeneity-based management underscore importance of matching evaluation to conservation objectives
(2013-08)Conservation policy often incentivizes managers of human-impacted areas to create landscape heterogeneity to maximize biodiversity. In rangeland, patchy disturbance regimes create landscape heterogeneity (patch contrast), ... -
Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America
(2013-08)Tallgrass prairies of central North America have experienced disturbances including fire and grazing for millennia. Little is known about the effects of these disturbances on prairie ants, even though ants are thought to ... -
Gradient-based habitat affinities predict species vulnerability to drought
(2013-05)Ecological fingerprints of climate change are becoming increasingly evident at broad geographical scales as measured by species range shifts and changes in phenology. However, finer-scale species-level responses to ... -
Land-use history and an invasive grass affect tallgrass prairie sedge community composition
(2014-09)Questions How abundant and diverse are sedges in upland tallgrass prairie? Are sedge communities associated with historical land use, abundance of an invasive species or different fire and grazing management regimes? How ...
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