RMBL for Alpine Ecology and Nature Research
Field Sciences Flourish at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab in CO
Oct 23, 2008
The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory has long been a place for scientists to study a protected and multi-faceted ecosystem in all its detail. The research station is particularly well-known for advances in the understanding of pollination ecology and animal behavior.
Every summer the tiny town of Gothic on the western side of the Rockies springs to life and hums with the sounds of rushing streams, buzzing bumblebees, singing birds and chirping marmots. Among all these wonders of nature lies an ever-enquiring body of scientists.
History of Gothic and RMBL
Gothic, a town that originally boomed with silver miners from 1879 to 1882, was abandoned for most of the 19th century until Dr. John Johnson, a scientist from Western State College, established the lab in 1928. Johnson founded the non-profit organization that is RMBL today. The lab, funded by grants and donations, functions as the home for scientists from all over the world as well as a teaching facility for students studying field sciences.
The research station’s remoteness, protected by altitude (mountains reaching 13,000 feet) and isolation, coupled with the limitations of a short growing season make the surrounding ecosystem a fascinating jewel to study.
Research Areas at RMBL
- Pollination: High altitude ecosystems have extremely short growing seasons with snowfall as late as June and as early as September. This short season is unfavorable for European honeybees, thus providing an ideal place to study pollination in a habitat free from this introduced species. In the 60s and 70s, researchers found a direct correlation between the tongue lengths of several bumblebee species and the size of the flowers they pollinate. Scientists also researched hummingbirds’ attraction to red flowers like the alpine specialist Ipomopsis aggregata.
- Plants: Due to the long history of the research station and the tendency for scientists to return year after year, many of the labs have an impressive amount of long-term data. In the past ten years, biologists like Dr. David Inouye of the University of Maryland have found trends in plant-flowering times that suggest a link with climate change.
- Mammals: The lab’s foci are by no means limited to plants and their pollinators. The ongoing research begun in 1962 by Ken Armitage on yellow-bellied marmots is the second-longest study of a mammal population in the world (beaten only by Jane Goodall’s Gombe chimpanzees).
- Salamanders: The ‘kettle ponds’ to the south of the town and the higher elevation ponds far up the valley provide the perfect field conditions for isolated mini-populations of tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). Amphibians have long been considered an indicator of climate change, and RMBL researchers study the fluctuating populations of salamanders for clues about climatic trends.
- Some other areas of study include the immune system of White-crowned Sparrows, the influence of Aspen fungus on Red-naped Sapsucker nesting sites, and evidence for modern evolution in stream invertebrates.
Why RMBL is Perfect for Science
Dr. Chris Floyd from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire sang RMBL’s praises saying, “What I love most about working at RMBL is that I am surrounded by not only my study system, which is located in beautiful, pristine, publicly-owned lands, but also by a wealth of knowledge in the form of colleagues and students from all over the world.”
The breathtaking scenery and fascinating science get into the blood of RMBL scientists, many of whom have been returning to the research station for more than thirty years. And, though the station is not as isolated as in the 1930s, it retains its rugged backcountry feel with quaint cabins, no flushing toilets, and the inhabitant’s desire to be outside studying the marvels of nature.
