Asking the pikas politely…
Hand-held GPS units were used to map study site locations and boundaries at Judd Falls sites.
Recording precise locations of study plots and nest locations using GPS equipment for spatial analysis and reference.
System for researchers to check out GPS units, collect field data, and receive processed results from department staff
Calculation of potential solar radiation at study sites using topographic variables including sun angle, latitude, ground slope, local shading, and day length.
Statistical analysis using Gaussian-distributed generalized linear models with data transformation to meet normality assumptions. Includes paired experimental design controls.
Computer simulation of population genetic changes during bottlenecks using BOTTLESIM software combined with multiple analytical approaches to detect bottleneck signatures.
Researchers employ manipulative provenance trials with pedigreed populations or GWAS panels planted into multiple gardens arrayed across environmental gradients, manipulating key environmental factors...
Systematic field investigation and mapping of vein systems, structural relationships, and ore distributions in mining districts. Includes documentation of fracture patterns, vein orientations, and spa...
Collection of rock samples from specific geographic locations in mountainous terrain for subsequent thermochronological analysis. Samples are GPS-located and systematically labeled for tracking throug...
Analysis of spatial patterns in ecological data using geostatistical techniques to quantify spatial heterogeneity through nugget-to-sill ratios and autocorrelation ranges. This approach reveals patch ...
A comprehensive approach combining taxonomic standardization, climatic variable extraction, and statistical modeling to assess global patterns of wetland macroinvertebrate diversity in relation to cli...
Spectrophotometric measurement of glutathione reductase activity as an indicator of oxidative stress through GSSG-dependent oxidation of NAD(P)H at 340 nm.
A graphical framework that plots growth rate and predation rate as functions of defensive trait change to predict optimal trait expression and resulting nonconsumptive effects magnitude. The model dec...
Collection of leaf and root tissues from dominant grass species in established warming experiments during growing season. Samples collected separately by tissue type and combined by species within plo...
Fresh plant tissue is collected during peak hydration, weighed fresh, dried at controlled temperature, then reweighed to calculate water content as the difference between wet and dry weights.
Statistical method to extrapolate extreme event magnitudes (300-year return period) from historical data using extreme value distribution theory.
High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of anthocyanin production in both reproductive and vegetative plant tissues from dried herbarium specimens.
Classification of bird species into habitat preference categories based on published nesting preferences and local field observations to test habitat-specific responses to riparian proximity.
Systematic collection of hair samples from specific body sites of wild and captive mammals, targeting hair bulbs for DNA extraction.
Random sampling method involving throwing a ruler and selecting nearest individual to avoid bias toward most visible plants.
Forward modeling approach using HeFTy software to simulate time-temperature conditions and map out thermal history of samples by matching predicted ages to measured thermochronological data.
Chemical breakdown of fossil-bearing sedimentary matrix using heated dimethyl sulfoxide to extract microvertebrate fossils for taxonomic identification.
Laboratory testing of mammalian sera for woodchuck hepatitis virus antigens, antibodies, and viral DNA polymerase activity using established protocols.
Collection of plant specimens from field sites followed by proper labeling and preparation for herbarium storage to create reference collections for taxonomic study.
A systematic approach to classifying willow branches by hierarchical position (primary, secondary, tertiary) and measuring diameters at specific locations relative to sap well positions, with size thr...
Hierarchical sampling design with nested random effects (site, plot, tree, branch) to assess intraspecific trait variation while accounting for clonal structure. Multiple leaves collected per branch t...
A Bayesian hierarchical model that allows phenotypic correlations between life history traits to vary continuously with environmental predictors using logit-link transformations. Accounts for both amo...
High spectral resolution lidar measurement of aerosol backscatter profiles to detect aerosol layer boundaries and depth. Uses Haar Wavelet transform gradient detection to identify significant changes ...
High sampling rate audio recording and spectrographic analysis of mechanical sounds produced by birds during flight, including wing and tail-generated sonations.
Frequent collection and ICP-MS analysis of river water samples to detect thorium concentration excursions as indicators of bedrock fracture processes. Samples collected up to daily frequency and analy...
Separation of plant root systems from soil and rocks using high-pressure washing, followed by careful removal of inter-specific root networks and dead tissue.
Integration of USGS Digital Elevation Models with National Hydrography Dataset to accurately delineate stream meanders for hydrological modeling when standard DEM resolution is insufficient.
High-frame-rate video recording and motion tracking of wild hummingbird aerial courtship displays to quantify dive kinematics and timing. Uses GoPro cameras at 120 fps to capture rapid courtship behav...
Long-term analysis of drinking water treatment facility DBP concentrations to identify seasonal and decadal trends in organic matter export from source watersheds. Uses quarterly regulatory compliance...
Method for linking individuals in a historical cohort to their childhood census records using multiple matching criteria including name, birth date, birthplace, and parental information. Employs proba...
Analysis of long-term temperature records from weather station data to characterize climate change trends and temperature frequency distributions over multi-decade periods.
Systematic identification of dispersers through newspaper records followed by retrospective family background analysis using census data. Compares family economic and demographic characteristics of lo...
Comprehensive compilation and spatial analysis of hunting season regulations across jurisdictions over 150-year period, including digitization of harvest boundaries and calculation of area-weighted re...
Retrospective analysis of existing long-term trapping data to examine relationships between capture success and environmental variables like distance to water and riparian vegetation.
Four-minute point counts within 100m radius to quantify instantaneous and prolonged human activity including people, dogs, vehicles, and infrastructure. Provides measure of human disturbance pressure ...
Back-trajectory analysis to determine air mass origins and transport pathways for correlating with microplastic deposition patterns.
Combines process-based mass conservation equations with empirical curvature relationships to predict soil thickness. Applies different methods based on erosional vs depositional terrain classification...
Systematic mapping and analysis of mineral assemblage distribution patterns from central pyritic zones to peripheral base-metal zones to understand paragenetic sequences and hydrothermal fluid evoluti...
Quantitative analysis of biofluorescent patterns using mark-recapture identification software to generate similarity scores between individuals by comparing key pattern points.
Acid digestion of plant and soil samples followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry to quantify metal concentrations in tissues. Standard laboratory protocol for elemental ana...
Regular collection and analysis of stream water samples for dissolved rhenium concentrations using weekly manual sampling or automated systems with ICP-MS analysis.
Standard molecular phylogenetic approach using ITS sequences to reconstruct evolutionary relationships and calculate phylogenetic distances between plant species. Includes sequence alignment, tree inf...
Calculation of species area of occupancy (AOO) using filtered GBIF occurrence records and standardized grid-based methods following IUCN guidelines for conservation assessment.
Analysis of conservation status patterns across bumble bee species categorized by tongue length using IUCN Red List assessments to test whether long-tongued species are more vulnerable.
Digital image processing workflow using ImageJ to convert fluorescence images to grayscale, define anatomical regions of interest, and quantify maximum brightness values for statistical analysis.