50th Anniversary The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research 1951–2001 University of Colorado at Boulder 50th Anniversary The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research 1951–2001 Scott Elias, INSTAAR, examines massive ground ice, Denali National Park,Alaska. Photo by S. K. Short. 50th Anniversary The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research 1951–2001 University of Colorado at Boulder Contents 1 History of INSTAAR 29 Memories & Vignettes INSTAAR Photographs 57 INSTAAR’s News 81 Fifty Years of INSTAAR Theses credits Many past and present INSTAAR members contributed to this book with history, news, memories and vignettes, and informa- tion. Martha Andrews compiled the thesis list.The book was col- lated, edited, and prepared for publication by Kathleen Salzberg and Nan Elias (INSTAAR), and Polly Christensen (CU Publications and Creative Services). ©2001 Regents of the University of Colorado History of INSTAAR 1951–2001 his history of INSTAAR of arctic and alpine regions. Dr. Marr was has been compiled by Albert W. appointed director by the president of the TJohnson, Markley W.Paddock, university, Robert L. Stearns.Within two William H. Rickard,William S. Osburn, and years IAEE became the Institute of Arctic Mrs. Ruby Marr, as well as excerpts from and Alpine Research (IAAR). the late John W.Marr’s writing, for the pe- riod during which John W.Marr was direc- 1951–1953: The Early Years tor (1951–1967); by Jack D. Ives, former director, for 1967–1979; Patrick J.Webber, The ideas that led to the beginning of the In- former director, for 1979–1986; Mark F. stitute were those of John Marr; he was edu- Meier, former director, for 1986–1994; and cated in the philosophy that dominated plant James P.M. Syvitski, present director, for ecology during the first several decades of the 1995–2001. 20th century.Following Tansley (1935), his work was based on the concept of “ecosys- John W. Marr, a young plant ecologist in tem.” In a speech to the Rocky Mountain the Department of Biology of the University Alpine Seminar, 7 December 1956, Marr ar- of Colorado, realized that to understand the ticulated his philosophy thus:“… it is much ecology of the neighboring mountains bet- better to do our work and thinking in terms ter, it would be helpful to know what of ecosystem units than to attempt to work processes were going on year round, espe- with communities and environment as dis- cially during the winter.There were very crete entities.The community is, of course, in few data available for this season at high alti- any area, a very artificial unit in that it does tudes. In 1946, he developed a course in not have any integrity when separated from its “Winter Research in Mountain Plant Ecol- environment.” Further, in an address at the ogy,” using the facilities at the University of Denver Botanic Gardens at the XI Interna- Colorado field station, Science Lodge, for tional Botanical Congress Field Excursions, one weekend in each month. On one occa- 31 July 1969, he describes what he means by sion, he and his students left the Lodge to ecosystem:“… an ecosystem is the smallest climb above timberline and stopped for complete functional unit in the landscape.... lunch and discussion in the tree-limit area. It consists of organisms, environmental fac- A blizzard soon enveloped them, and it was tors, and ecological processes operating in a agreed that it would be very valuable to have dynamic open-ended system.” a series of environment measurement sta- The prevailing point of view was that equi- tions in the research area.This germ of an librium exists between major groupings of idea gradually grew and matured until 20 plants (communities) and their regional cli- April 1951, when the Board of Regents of mates.Thus, grasslands, deciduous forests, the University of Colorado established the coniferous forests and deserts, for example, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Ecology are characterized not only by different plants, (IAEE) to more effectively nurture the study but by different climates.These equilibrium 1 2 Fiftieth Anniversary communities were referred to as climatic cli- Jean Matthews. 2000. The Mountain Research max communities, and they occur on sites that Station:A Research Station with an Altitude.The are considered to be “normal” for the climatic University of Colorado Institute of Arctic type.The boundaries between them according and Alpine Research. 61 pp.) to this view are climatically determined. John Marr assembled a team of graduate Other communities occur that are in equilib- students who for several years, served as the rium with local conditions that override the backbone of field operations.These students regional climate, for example, steep slopes, were Albert W.Johnson,William S. Osburn, wet depressions, fire, unusual soil conditions and William H. Rickard, Department of Biol- and the like. For these situations, Marr intro- ogy,and Ronald Headland, Department of duced the concept of topo-edaphic climax, Geography.Johnson and Osburn worked which was commensurate with Tansley’s ideas throughout the period of the Mountain Envi- of polyclimax. ronments Project; Rickard left in 1953 for John Marr emphasized the concept of graduate school at Washington State College, ecosystem and illustrated the ecosystem by Pullman. Headland left the project in 1952. reference to the altitudinal distribution of Victor Favier and Markley Paddock worked climate regions in the Front Range of the on the project during these years as did many Rocky Mountains west of Boulder. Nowhere other field assistants, among them Harold was the point about primacy of the climate Mooney,Ricardo Luti, and O.Albert Knorr. made more clearly to Marr’s students than in Planning began on two major fronts: (1) his year-long course “Winter Research in locating sites and installing 16 climatic sta- Mountain Plant Ecology,” where he argued tions within the four major climax regions of that one cannot fully understand the dynam- the Front Range from 7,500 to 12,300 feet ics of ecological units unless one knows win- altitude; and (2) renovating Science Lodge ter conditions, the traditional “off-season” for use as a year-round base. for most ecologists. Field exploration soon confirmed that a John Marr’s interest in climate coincided more or less continuous ridge system ex- with national defense needs.The U.S.Army’s tended from the westernmost extent of Ni- Quartermaster Research and Development wot Ridge at about 12,500 feet altitude Command found that to equip troops for po- eastward to about 7,000 feet altitude. Sci- tential action in a variety of world climates, ence Lodge, renamed “The Mountain Re- it needed to know more about the weather search Station” in 1967,lay at 9,500 feet in which they would be operating. Mountain elevation on the southern flank of this ridge climates were among the areas of their inter- system. Ecosystems representing the four est. In due course, Marr proposed to the major climax regions of the Front Range oc- Quartermaster Corps that they enter into a curred along the ridge system and, except contract with the University of Colorado to for the highest altitudes were accessible by study climates in the Colorado Front Range. road. In the study, these four climax regions Negotiations for the research project were were referred to as lower montane from concluded in 1951, and with the agreement about 6,000 to 7,500 ft. alt.; upper montane of the University, Science Lodge, the Uni- from 7,500 to about 9,000 ft. alt.; subalpine versity’s abandoned summer science camp, from about 9,000 to 11,400 ft, alt.; and tun- became the base of the Institute’s field oper- dra, above about 11,400 ft. alt. Each of the ations. (For much more information about four was characterized by dominant species: Science Lodge—The Mountain Research lower montane, ponderosa pine; upper mon- Station—and its history refer to: Kindig, tane, Douglas-fir; subalpine, Engelmann History of INSTAAR,- 3 spruce and subalpine fir; and tundra, low cold, snow, and high winds at high altitudes shrubs, grasses and sedges especially the were to be expected.The shelters were sedge Kobresia. modified with special bracing and guying to To quantitatively characterize the climates hold them in place against winds that at within each of the four climax regions, four times were in excess of 100 mph in the weather stations were established in each, thus alpine. Many problems characterized the sixteen stations in all, the major one on a first year of operation. Most crucial was the ridgetop and secondary ones on north- and inability of standard design weather instru- south-facing slopes and valley bottoms at the ments to function in high-altitude condi- same altitude as the ridgetop station. Each sta- tions. Much time was spent in designing tion was equipped with a standard Stevenson ways around the problems, because the screen instrument shelter, a clock-driven ther- kinds of instruments that would have served mograph and hygrograph, maximum and min- project purposes simply did not exist. For imum thermometers, a sling psychrometer, example, clock-driven instruments some- standard rain gauge, recording anemometer, times stopped because (1) they had a ten- and maximum and minimum thermometers dency to fill with wind-driven snow; and (2) installed at 6- and 12-inch soil depths. Obser- the lubricants used in the clocks were too vations were to be made weekly. viscous for very cold temperatures.To miti- By September 1951, all 16 stations had gate these problems, instrument cases were been sited and equipped, and observations sealed against blowing snow and clocks were began. In addition to the weather station cleaned often and specially lubricated by ex- equipment, the Army provided vehicles, in- pert clockmakers.To provide some respite cluding over snow “weasels,” trucks, and and protection against severe weather, a army-issue cold weather clothing.