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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RESEARCH CENTER 35nd ANNUAL REPORT 2012 EDITED BY HENRY J. HARLOW PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING DIRECTOR UW-NPS RESEARCH CENTER MARYANNE HARLOW REFERENCE LIBRARIAN UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING LIBRARIES UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING UW-NPS Research Center Director, Dept. 3166 Summer Address 1000 University Ave. PO Box 170 Laramie, Wyoming 82071 Moran, Wyoming 83013 Telephone: (307) 766-4227 Telephone: (307) 543-2463 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE STEERING COMMITTEE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ix INTRODUCTION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- xi FEATURE ARTICLE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 “How conifer diversity and availability influence the abundance and biology of the red crossbill” T.P. Hahn & E.M. Schultz ...........................................................................................................................................................5 RESEARCH PROJECT REPORTS Grand Teton National Park M.L. Cody..................................................................................................................................................................17 S. Giri & M.E. Dillon .............................................................................................................................................. 23 D.J. Larsen & S. Spaulding.......................................................................................................................................31 S.K. Sakaluk, G.D. Ower, C.M. McGrath, C. Collins, et al. ............................................................................. .....39 M. Weeks……………………………………………………................................................................................43 P.S. Williams, R. Darville, M. Legg ........................................................................................................................51 Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem R. Al-Chokhachy, J. Kershner & P. Uthe ................................................................................................................ 65 Z. Gompert & L. Lucas.............................................................................................................................................73 L. Gutierrez................................................................................................................................................................77 L. Haimowitz & S. Shaw. ................ .........................................................................................................................81 B. Hansen.. ......................................................... .......................................................................................................91 C.J. Legleiter & B.T. Overstreet…………………………………………………………………………………97 A. Ritchie & L.M. Tranel …………………………………................................................................................109 S. Schulwitz, J.A. Johnson & B. Bedrosian ........................................................................................................... 119 J.A. Sherwood & D. M. Debinski ......................................................................................................................... 135 Yellowstone National Park L.E. Painter & W.J. Ripple ............ ........................................................................................................................143 L.M. Tronstad, J.C. Bish, R.O. Hall Jr. & T.M Koel .............................................................................................151 Interns C. Engel ..................................................................................................................................................................159 E.E. Perry ................................................................................................................................................................161 Classes at the UW NPS Research Station C. Collis & J. Adams...............................................................................................................................................167 D. Harwood & K. Thompson..................................................................................................................................169 C.Jean ..................................................................................................................................................................... 171 P. Kikut…...……………………………………………………………………………………………………173 T. Kilty & T. Morell ............................................................................................................................................... 175 R.S. Seville ............................................................................................................................................................. 177 A. Stancampiano..... ............................................................................................................................................... 181 P.A. Taylor & B.D. Grandjean ............................................................................................................................... 185 J.M. Wheaton & P. Belmont .................................................................................................................................. 187 UW-NPS RESEARCH CENTER PERSONNEL HENRY J. HARLOW DIRECTOR CELESTE I. HAVENER OFFICE ASSOCIATE RICHARD P. VIOLA CARETAKER 2012 STEERING COMMITTEE HAROLD BERGMAN ZOOLOGY & PHYSIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING NICK FUZESSERY ZOOLOGY & PHYSIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING STEVE WILLIAMS DEPARTMENT OF ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING HENRY HARLOW DIRECTOR UW-NPS RESEARCH CENTER SUE CONSOLO-MURPHY RESOURCE BIOLOGIST GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK P.J. WHITE WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK INTRODUCTION 2012 ANNUAL REPORT DIRECTOR’S COLUMN During the period of this report the representatives and is chaired by the Director of the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW- UW-NPS Research Center. Research Contracts are NPS) Research Center supported and administered usually awarded by the middle to end of March to early research in the biological, physical and social sciences April. performed in national parks, monuments, and recreation areas in Wyoming and neighboring states. The UW-NPS Research Center also operates The UW-NPS Research Center solicited research a NPS-owned field research station in Grand Teton proposals from university faculty or full-time National Park. The research station provides governmental research scientists throughout North researchers in the biological, physical and social America via a request for proposals. Research sciences an enhanced opportunity to work in the proposals addressed topics of interest to National Park diverse aquatic and terrestrial environments of Grand Service scientists, resource managers, and Teton National Park and the surrounding Greater administrators as well as the academic community. Yellowstone Ecosystem. Station facilities include Studies conducted through the Center dealt with housing for up to 50 researchers, wet and dry questions of direct management importance as well as laboratories, a library, herbarium, boats, and shop those of a basic scientific nature. accommodations. The research station is available to researchers working in the Greater Yellowstone The Research Center continues to consider Ecosystem regardless of funding source, although unsolicited proposals addressing applied and basic priority is given to individuals whose projects are scientific questions related to park management. funded by the Research Center. Research proposals are distributed to nationally- recognized scientists for peer review and are also Special acknowledgement is extended to Ms. reviewed and evaluated by the Research Center’s Celeste Havener, Office Associate, for her skills and steering committee. This committee is composed of dedication to the Research Center which were a vital University faculty and National Park Service contribution to this publication. RESEARCH PROJECT REPORTS The following project reports have been prepared primarily for administrative use. The information reported is preliminary and may be subject to change as investigations continue. Consequently, information presented may not be used without written permission from the author(s). 1 3 FEATURE ARTICLE 4 5 HOW CONIFER DIVERSITY AND AVAILABILITY INFLUENCE THE ABUNDANCE AND BIOLOGY OF THE RED CROSSBILL THOMAS P. HAHN ELIZABETH M. SCHULTZ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS ABSTRACT indicated that both conifer diversity and cone crop size affect overall quantity and vocal type diversity of In order to understand the distributions and crossbills in Grand Teton National Park, as well as abundances of animals, many environmental factors affecting their investment in reproduction and must be considered, particularly the availability of immunity. Overall, results from this study will provide food resources. Food resources are especially information on how species in general and crossbills important to nomadic species survival that moves in specifically, respond to rapidly changing response to their spatial and temporal availability.