Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL)

Is winter arriving earlier than it used to?

After a conversation with John Harte, David Inouye looked at decades of data from the Crested Butte weather station. The trend suggests more winter precipitation is falling earlier in the season by late January.

Learn more on our website.

Changes in climate reshape soil ecosystems as well as plant communities, according to new findings by RMBL scientists Jennifer Rudgers, Stephanie Kivlin, Aimée Classen, and Lara Souza (pictured L-R at the RMBL research site). Read the new article in PNAS: https://tinyurl.com/warming-winters-PNAS

Nonlinear phenomena in marmot alarm calls: a mechanism encoding fear? Abstract. I review a case study of marmots that contributed to the empirical basis of the nonlinearity and fear hypothesis, which explains why certain nonl

Research shows marmot alarm calls aren’t just cute—they’re nonlinear, meaning these furry sentinels dial up the vocal drama to signal danger in surprisingly complex ways.

Predators nearby? The sound gets intense.

Read more here: royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...

Climate change reshuffles plant communities in unexpected ways.
RMBL found warming and cooling change which species appear, but not how related they are.
👉 Species counts don’t tell the full story.

#RMBL #ClimateChange #PlantScience

Read more here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Host species and geographic location shape microbial diversity and functional potential in the conifer needle microbiome - Microbiome Background The aerial surface of plants, known as the phyllosphere, hosts a complex and dynamic microbiome that plays essential roles in plant health and environmental processes. While research has fo...

What lives on conifer needles?

Metagenomics of 67 Rocky Mountain trees uncovered 447 microbial genomes. Communities vary more by location than tree species—revealing a highly adaptive phyllosphere.

#Microbiome #ForestEcology #Metagenomics

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Improving plant DNA metabarcoding accuracy with ecological filters and Angiosperms353: Field and pollen microscopy validation Premise Metabarcoding has become a successful tool for the identification of species in ecological assemblages. However, the usefulness of metabarcoding for identifying plant species has been hamper...

Plant metabarcoding upgrade:
Adding time + place data boosted bumble bee pollen ID by 77.5%. Clearer bee diets, stronger ecology. 🌿🐝

#Metabarcoding #Pollinators

Learn more here: bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Investigating KDP signatures inside and below the dendritic growth layer with W-band Doppler radar and in situ snowfall camera Abstract. Polarimetric radars provide variables like the specific differential phase (KDP) to detect fingerprints of dendritic growth in the dendritic growth layer (DGL) and secondary ice production, ...

❄️ Snowfall study!

W-band radar and snowflake images show high KDP can arise from turbulence, blowing snow, small crystals, and surface dendritic aggregates—not just heavy snowfall.

#SnowScience #RadarMeteorology #Cryosphere
Learn more Here: acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/...

Study reveals even common plants are threatened by climate change - Odum School of Ecology New research from Jill Anderson is published in Science.

🌼 New Science study shows that even common, widespread plants like Drummond’s rockcress are at real risk from climate change. Big implications for biodiversity.

Read Here: ecology.uga.edu/2025/05/01/s...

#ClimateScience #Ecology #Biodiversity #PlantResearch #RMBL #ClimateChange

Quantifying Groundwater Response and Uncertainty in Beaver‐Influenced Mountainous Floodplains Using Machine Learning‐Based Model Calibration Floodplain structures and hydraulic conductivities are important for groundwater response with beaver ponds in mountainous floodplains Large down-valley underflow in permeability-stratified flood...

Beavers aren’t just cute engineers—they’re reshaping mountain rivers in big ways. 🦫💧
A new study used hydrologic models + machine learning to see how beaver ponds boost groundwater.

Read here: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

Different Aspects of Dominance Are Not Equivalent When Testing for Trade‐Offs in Ant Communities Dominance hierarchies are often invoked to explain the outcomes of competition across ecological communities. However, there are a number of difficulties associated with quantifying dominance, making...

🐜 Check this study out! It reveals that not all “dominant” ants rule the same way! 💪 The study highlights that dominance in nature is complex, with different species excelling in different ways. 🌿
#RMBLResearch #Ecology #AntScience #ClimateBiology
Read here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Improving plant DNA metabarcoding accuracy with ecological filters and Angiosperms353: Field and pollen microscopy validation Premise Metabarcoding has become a successful tool for the identification of species in ecological assemblages. However, the usefulness of metabarcoding for identifying plant species has been hamper.....

🎉 Big congrats to RMBL scientists Reed Benkendorf, Jane Ogilvie, Paul CaraDonna, and collaborators on their new paper in Applications in Plant Sciences! Their work reveals hidden plant–pollinator stories by pairing field data with genomics.

Read here: bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

✨ A rare sight in Gothic! A strong geomagnetic storm sent charged solar particles colliding with Earth’s magnetic field, painting our mountain skies with the aurora borealis. 🌌

#RMBL #NorthernLights #AuroraBorealis #ScienceInTheMountains
Read more: www.denverpost.com

📸 Ashley Hale & David Inouye

Temperature influences pollinators' choice of floral partners independently of community composition This paper presents novel research that empirically demonstrates a direct link between temperature and plant–pollinator interaction patterns, independently of changes to community composition in eith...

🌼 New research alert! A study led by Kaysee Arrowsmith and co-authored by Berry Brosi reveals that rising temperatures are changing which flowers pollinators choose—reshaping plant-pollinator networks.🌿#ClimateChange #Pollination #MountainScience

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Investigating KDP signatures inside and below the dendritic growth layer with W-band Doppler radar and in situ snowfall camera Abstract. Polarimetric radars provide variables like the specific differential phase (KDP) to detect fingerprints of dendritic growth in the dendritic growth layer (DGL) and secondary ice production, ...

❄️ Exciting news from RMBL! Anton Kötsche and collaborators published their findings on snowfall microphysics in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics from the 2022–2023 SAIL atmospheric campaign. Congratulations to the team! 🎉 acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/...
#RMBL #SnowScience #ClimateResearch

Hello, Bluesky! 👋
We are the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) — one of the world’s leading field stations for ecological and climate research 🏔️ rmbl.org

Follow us for field research highlights, scientist stories, and updates from Gothic, Colorado! #Ecology #FieldScience #ClimateResearch