Colorado College State of the Rockies Report Card

Welcome to Colorado College’s third State of the Rockies Report Card. Building upon a strong start in 2004 and continuing through 2005, the Rockies Project this year provides a fresh look at key challenges to this beautiful but fragile region. This Report Card and the companion April 2006 State of the Rockies Conference are significant outreach activities of Colorado College: Vision 2010, an agenda to strengthen our college and our engagement in the region

Bibliography of Arizona vertebrate paleontology

We provide a bibliography of Arizona vertebrate paleontology that consits of approximately 625 references covering vertebrate occurrences ranging in age from Devonian to Holocene. Not surprisingly, references to Triassic and Neogene vertebrates are the most numerous, reflecting the particular strengths of the Arizona record. We break the bibliograph

Triassic vertebrate fossils in Arizona

The Triassic System in Arizona has yielded numerous world-class fossil specimens, including numerous type specimens. The oldest Triassic vertebrates from Arizona are footprints and (largely) temnospondyl bones from the Nonesian (Early Triassic: Spathian) Wupatki Member of the Moenkopi Formation. The Perovkan (early Anisian) faunas of the Holbrook Member of the Moenkopi Formation are exceptional in that they yield both body- and trace fossils of Middle Triassic vertebrates and are almost certainly the best-known faunas of this age in the Americas. Vertebrate fossils of Late Triassic age in Arizona are overwhelmingly body fossils of temnospondyl amphibians and archosaurian reptiles, with trace fossils largely restricted to coprolites. Late Triassic faunas in Arizona include rich assemblages of Adamanian (Carnian) and Revueltian (early-mid Norian) age, with less noteworthy older (Otischalkian) assemblages. The Adamanian records of Arizona are spectacular, and include the “type” Adamanian assemblage in the Petrified Forest National Park, the world’s most diverse Late Triassic vertebrate fauna (that of the Placerias/Downs’ quarries), and other world-class records such as at Ward’s Terrace, the Blue Hills, and Stinking Springs Mountain. The late Adamanian (Lamyan) assemblage of the Sonsela Member promises to yield new and important information on the Adamanian-Revueltian transition. Revueltian records are nearly as impressive as those of the Adamanian, including extensive exposures in the vicinity of the Petrified Forest National Park and the best-known tetrapod assemblages from the Owl Rock Formation. The combination of an exceptionally rich record and outstanding exposures of sedimentary sections that allow the correlation of tetrapod faunas means that Arizon

Geographic patterns of genetic distribution within Calochortus Gunnisonii in the central and southern Rocky Mountains

Organismal population ranges and genetic architecture have largely been shaped by climatic events. The Quaternary Period (2.6 million years to present) has been characterized by a series of climatic events manifested as Ice Ages. During glacial periods, plants and animals in temperate and arctic regions were restricted to small patches of suitable habitat less affected by expanding glaciers and extreme cooling. These refugia held importance for the persistence of organisms through glacier interphases. Mountain system vegetation in temperate latitudes was affected by patchy glacier patterns that separated some species into multiple refugia. The isolation of such populations has had a profound effect on genetic architecture across the globe. Glacial induced reproductive isolation causes genetic differences to arise and may result in the genesis of new species. Peripatric speciation is a species concept that seeks to explain these geneses and states that species arise when climatic or tectonic events isolate small populations from an ancestral population that differentiate due to no or limited gene flow. Isolation of populations to distinct geographic areas via peripatry exposes populations to local genetic drift and/or selection pressures and the resulting genetic architecture should reflect in a geographically concordant manner. Within the southern Rocky Mountains of North America, recent glacial patterns were patchy and plant populations were highly fragmented. Calochortus gunnisonii S. Watson (Liliaceae) is a common lily with a large range spanning Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and southwestern South Dakota. Herbarium records indicated disjunctions stemming from intermontane basins where suitable habitat is either too patchy or absent in the current climate conditions. The highly dissected range contains populations restricted to high elevation, “island-like” mountain ranges in the southern Rocky Mountains. Using microsatellite data, this research investigated the role of glacial oscillatory demographic changes in the central and southern Rocky Mountains in shaping genetic structure of populations across multiple montane disjunctions. Previous genetic studies of Calochortus are limited to AFLP and chloroplast DNA analyses. Neutral, codominant markers, such as microsatellites, are lacking for the genus. Here, 13 novel species-specific microsatellites were designed for analysis of C. gunnisonii populations within mountain ranges from Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. All thirteen microsatellite loci were polymorphic for Calochortus gunnisonii and used to analyze 616 individuals spanning seven mountain ranges and 25 populations in the southern Rocky Mountain cordillera. Genetic analyses displayed large amounts of diversity and structure for each population and region. Patterns of relatedness between regions indicated recent colonization and diversification. Furthermore, genetic clustering of populations suggested that multiple areas within the region have served as macro and microrefugia for C. gunnisonii during Pleistocene glacial events. Calochortus gunnisonii appears to have resided in multiple montane refugia in the southern Rocky Mountains during warm interphases of the Earth’s glacier cycles. Here, four refugia were proposed including the Laramie Complex, Sierra Madre/Medicine Bow Complex, Central Colorado Complex, and the Absaroka region. Long-term isolation results in divergence patterns between refugia and complex patterns of admixture during cooling phases are evident from the genetic data. This lily also inhabits elevations beyond the border of boreal forests on the periphery of mountain ranges. It is this pattern that may be of value as an indicator for recolonization routes of the region for higher alpine floras in future genetic studies

Selenium speciation determined by ICPMS: effects on fish diversity, solubility, and bioavailability to the bryophyte Hygrohypnum ochraceum in Fountain Creek, Colorado

2019 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Selenium (Se) is a micronutrient that can be present in high levels in aquatic environments which may result in toxic effects observed in aquatic wildlife. The levels in Fountain Creek Colorado are of special concern as these levels are above the EPA limit of 5 µg/L. The high Se levels are a result of the exposure of the water to Pierre Shale deposits that underlie parts of the creek. The effects of this creek water on fish diversity were examined at different locations along the creek. The hypothesis tested was that high Se present in the water and bryophytes should be an indicator of fish species diversity. In addition, the possibility of low toxicity resulting from Se species was explored. The speciation analysis determined the levels of Se(IV) and SE(VI) at 12 sites and the statistical results show that sites with higher Se(IV)/Se total exhibit lower fish diversity and fish number than the other sites. There is a statistically significant difference in Ca, Mg, and Se levels in each of the 3 main tributaries in the Fountain Creek Watershed. The tributaries are Monument Creek and Upper Fountain Creek, which join at a confluence near Eighth Street in the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to form the Lower Fountain Creek which empties into the Arkansas River in eastern Pueblo, Colorado. The following factors were considered in determining the forms of Se that could exist: Ca2+, Mg2+, SeO42-, SeO32-, and carbonates in addition to the reported thermodynamic relationships. There is a correlation that exists between water hardness and Se level. This correlation can be described in terms of the formation of a soluble CaSeO4. The formation of CaSeO4 is assisted by the increase in Ca2+ by the presence of Mg2+ regardless of the equilibria with the Ca2+ level reducing carbonate. The bryophyte Hygrohypnum ochraceum has been shown to accumulate zinc, cadmium, and lead is often found growing near acid mine drainages. This natural ability to accumulate metals makes H. ochraceum an good organism to use in the study of heavy metals and metalloids in the environment. In a previous work the bryophytes were shown to differentially uptake Se based on season. In this study the seasonality of the uptake of Se was examined and it is suggested to be related to an Iron (Fe) cofactor. The H. ochraceum cultures were placed in the creek for 10 days, harvested, dried and digested according to EPA Method 3052. The resulting digestates were analyzed using EPA Method 6020a for ICPMS metal determination. The results show that Fe and Se uptake are correlated. The hypothesis that was developed from these results is that Fe is needed by the plant for Se uptake from the creek water. Indeed H. ochraceum demonstrated statistically significant log-linear uptake of Se in the presence of dissolved Fe (R2=0.8488, p=0.002). Se uptake was negatively sloped in the fall compared to the linear relationship in the spring. It was determined that the Fe in the water went from a soluble form to an insoluble form. We failed to reject the null hypothesis that Fe is not required in a soluble form for the bryophyte H. ochraceum to uptake Se. Further examination did show that a significantly different slope exists between the Se(IV) uptake and the Se(VI) uptake. There was not a significant difference between the total dissolved Se and Se(VI). In the future directions, this work could be extended to look at specific markers for Se induced stress in the fish populations that may aid in determining the cause for a lack of diversity in some areas as the habitat along the reaches is similar for that reach. Targeted research of water chemistry could investigate the interesting solubility phenomenon giving rise to the seasonal variation of the Fe in Fountain Creek. Finally, the use of plants as bioremediation in the high Se areas could be further investigated with the knowledge that plant nutritional needs must be accounted for when using plants such as H. ochraceum as biological indicators or biological remediators

From Nascar to Cirque du Soleil: Lessons in Audience Development

Examines marketing trends and principles in entertainment and performance. Case studies include nonprofit arts organizations, mega-concert promoters, for-profit entertainment conglomerates, sports promoters and religious organizations

Focal Spot, Summer 1997

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/focal_spot_archives/1076/thumbnail.jp

Fate of Dinwoody Glacier, The: present state of mass balance and downstream impacts of glacier runoff

2018 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.The Wind River Range in Wyoming supports many of the few remaining continental glaciers of the North American Rocky Mountains; the glacier meltwater runoff feeds four major river systems within the U.S. West. Runoff from glaciers affects downstream ecosystems by influencing the quantity, seasonality, and chemistry of the water. We describe the present state of Dinwoody Glacier, the fourth largest glacier in the Wind River Range. We utilize photogrammetry, snow depth measurements, and ablation measurements to characterize surface mass balance for summer of 2017. Localized and nearby stream gauge measurements help to quantify glacial meltwater runoff inputs to Dinwoody Creek. Both of these methods allowed us to put the changes of the Dinwoody Glacier into the broader context of the Missouri River Watershed. If melted, Dinwoody Glacier would no longer provide a reliable source of melt water for thousands of people living in the Missouri River Watershed. Understanding how shrinking glaciers and decreasing melt-water runoff will impact communities and ecosystems downstream is critical for effective environmental management. The response of the Wind River glaciers to future climate is uncertain; however, past research has shown declines in glacial mass, snow cover, snowmelt timing and stream power. The data we collected in the summer of 2017 tells the story of a quickly diminishing and critical resource despite 2017 being a uniquely wet and cold year. While glacier meltwater runoff contributions to Dinwoody Creek were above average, the Accumulation Area Ratio for Dinwoody Glacier in 2017 was 21% suggesting a glacier in severe recession

Bats and Water: Anthropogenic Alterations Threaten Global Bat Populations

Natural bodies of open water in desert landscapes, such as springs and ephemeral pools, and the plant-life they support, are important resources for the survival of animals in hyper arid, arid and semi-arid (dryland) environments. Human-made artificial water sources, i.e. waste-water treatment ponds, catchments and reservoirs, have become equally important for wildlife in those areas. Bodies of open water are used by bats either for drinking and/or as sites over which to forage for aquatic emergent insects. Due to the scarcity of available water for replenishing water losses during roosting and flight, open bodies of water of many shapes and sizes may well be a key resource influencing the survival, activity, resource use and the distribution of insectivorous bats. In this chapter, we review the current knowledge of bats living in semi- and arid regions around the world and discuss the factors that influence their richness, behaviour and activity around bodies of water. We further present how increased anthropogenic changes in hydrology and water availability may influence the distribution of species of bats in desert environments and offer directions for future research on basic and applied aspects on bats and the water they use in these environments

An Empirical Test of the Relationship between Sustainability and Urban Form Based on Indicator Comparisons using Sustainlane Sustainable City Rankings

Sustainable development is one of the greatest challenges to urban planning in the 21st century. Current patterns of urban development, called byspecially sprawl, and human activity have led to environmental degradation and created a serious threat to continued human existence and sustainability of life on earth. The United States, concerns over consequences of urban sprawl have led to increased advocacy for more compact and traditional urban development. The compact city is now widely accepted as the most effective solution to sustainable urban form. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between sustainability and urban form. In order to achieve the aims of this study, 50 cities in the United States are analyzed and compared with the 2008 sustainable city rankings from the organization SustainLane, using four categories of urban form indicators: densities, mode of commute to work, mean travel time to work & traffic congestion cost, and planning & land use. This research is based on the hypothesis that a sustainable city has a compact city form. According to the SustainLane 2008 US sustainable city ranking high ranked cities were considered more sustainable cities and low ranked cities were regarded as less sustainable cities. Using SPSS’s correlation analysis tool, I studied the relationship between overall city ranking and four categories of urban form the indicators. The overall finding of the analysis of the relationship between each indicator and urban form yields mixed results. The result of this research found that that sustainable city and urban form has several correlations; densities, mode of commute to work, and planning and land use have a strong positive correlation with sustainable city; however, mean travel time to work and traffic congestion cost have a negative correlation with SustainLane’s sustainable city ranking. These results mean that sustainable cities which were high ranked cities in the SustainLane 2008 US sustainable city ranking have a high density, sustainable mode of commute to work, and strong planning and land use. Particularly, when a mixed land use, centeredness, and street connectivity were combined, the planning and land use category of indicators shows stronger correlation with sustainability. According to this result, these findings suggest that when the planning and land use indicators are combined synergistically compact urban form can be an indicator of a more sustainable city