Concepts

Chemical composition of plant litter that determines its decomposability, typically characterized by C:N ratios and lignin content

Ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte white blood cell counts used as a measure of immune response activity

Low nutrient conditions that select for microorganisms adapted to low substrate availability

The impacts of dust from unpaved roads on plant physiology and reproduction

Ability of organisms to compensate for poor early-life conditions through increased feeding or altered resource allocation later in life

The process of managing or assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed as a means of sustaining ecosystem resilience and conserving biodiversity

Hypothesis that highly aroused animals produce nonlinear vocalizations because they lose control of their larynx over vocal fold production apparatus

Physiological shifts that allow plants to adjust their rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to compensate for changes in temperature

The formation of predictive relationships between contingent stimuli in the environment

Solitary bee species that construct nests in pre-existing cavities in wood, stems, or artificial structures rather than excavating ground nests

Nature-based tourism activities that can provide conservation benefits but may also impact wildlife behavior through human presence

Process of bringing rocks from depth to the surface through erosional unroofing

Ecological research projects that follow individuals or systems over extended periods, often spanning decades

Morton's theory that physical behaviors and acoustic signals are associated, with aggressive behaviors linked to noisy, low-frequency sounds and submissive behaviors to higher-frequency pure tones

Male-first flowering phenology where flowers function first as males then as females

Suite of plant responses to shade including stem elongation, reduced branching, and accelerated flowering to compete for light

Behavioral and physiological mechanisms whereby group-living animals share body heat to reduce thermoregulatory costs

Assumption that spatial differences in environmental conditions can predict temporal responses to environmental change

The horizontal and vertical distribution of components of a forest stand including the height, diameter, crown layers, and stems of trees, shrubs, herbaceous understory, snags, and down woody debris

Student learning experiences that occur in nature, taking various forms from field laboratories to multi-day field trips and research internships

Hypothesis that nonlinear phenomena are more variable or more abrupt and therefore more unpredictable, making animals less likely to habituate to them and causing prolonged responses

Non-living environmental factors such as climate, light, and temperature that influence organism performance

Mathematical relationships that describe how tree dimensions and biomass scale with each other

Behavioral and physiological adaptations of birds to extreme high elevation environments

Mechanisms used by individuals to convey different cues to others, including color, vocal cues, body language, and biofluorescence

The distance between the anus and the genital papilla, used as a non-invasive measure of prenatal exposure to sex steroid hormones