In North America, pikas (mammal genus Ochotona) are distributed throughout the western mountain ranges where they are mostly restricted to higher elevation talus slides. There are two species in North America, the Alaskan or Collared Pika (Ochotona collaris Nelson) and the American Pika (Ochotona princeps Richardson). The former is found north of 58 degrees north latitude and has no subspeciation, while the latter occurs south of 58 degrees latitude and consists of 35 subspecies isolated on various mountain ranges (Hall and Kelson 1959). In Utah there are nine subspecies, which are mostly distributed in the Wasatch range that runs northeast to southwest through Utah. They are also found in the LaSal Mountains and the Uinta Mountains, where this study was conducted. This subspecies of pika, Ochotona princeps uinta (Hollister) is found in the entire Uinta range and extends west into the central Wasatch Mountains.

It was to provide some detailed information about the alpine flora , particularly as it relates to successional aspects , that the present study was undertaken . The environmental conditions of weather and soil , as they effect floral composition , are important factors in the plant succession or alpine communities . The investigation was designed to uncover such information about the alpine flora and environment necessary to establish the pattern of succession .

The ecology and taxonomy of the snowbank fleshy fungi in the vicinity of Mirror Lake, Uinta Mountains, Utah were investigated during 1963, 1964, and 1965. A total of 59 speciaes, representing the Agaricales, Polyporales, Thelephorales, Gastromycestes, Myxomycetes, Dacrymycetales, and Ascomycetes, were found associated with the snowbanks. Four of these species (Geupiniopsis alpinus, Polyporus alboluteus, Polyporus leucospongia and Sterile myclium I) have presence percentages of 100% and three (Stereum Rugisporum, Dasyscypha arida and Herpotichia nigra) had presence percentages of 90%. The lignicolous fungi were found to be more frequent around the snowbanks than either the terrestrial or coprophilous fungi. No fleshy fungi were found fruiting in association with the snowbanks in wet meadows. All terrestrial fungi found in association with the snowbanks were found either around snowbanks in the forest or in the transitional zone between the forest and the wet meadows. Twenty-two species began their development under the snow. Sporocarps kept buried in the snow did not develop a mature hymenium while in the snow, whereas similar sporocarps where the snow was allowed to melt developed mature hymenia in the same period of time.

The object of this study was to determine whether or not Lodgepole pine is successfully invading meadows near ponds in the western Uinta Mountains as a preliminary step to the invasion of the Spruce-Fir climax forest. Line transects were established at three sites near Trial Lake extending from forest to wet meadow. Along these transects the soil was studied to determine percent organic matter, pH, depth to mineral soil, and texture. Also the depth of the water table was measured and the topography plotted. The age and size of the trees along the transect was determined, and the extent of some root systems was noted. Conifers found growing in the dry meadow were stunted and no conifers were found growing on peat deposits over 17 inches. The water table was found within about 8 inches of the surface and the soil conditions suggested poor aeration. The combination of peat and high water level accounted for the stunting of the trees. The trees were apparently unable to convert the dry meadow to forest and thus, the climax for hydrarch succession in this area is a meadow vegetation of grasses and sedges instead of the conifer forest.

A taxonomic and ecological survey of the algae of Lilly Lake in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, was carried on from June 1967 to November 1967. The lake is a typical acid bog lake with an average pH range of 4.5 to 6.9. Extremes of pH in the alkaline range were present due to additional factors. Algae identified included 96 genera and 208 species. These were found in many different types of microenvironmental niches. The main factors which limited the algae to definite areas of the lake were pH, water temperature, light available, and type of substrate. The predominant algal genera uresent in all parts of the lake at all times of the growing season were Scenedesmus, Pediastrum, Microcystis, Aphanocapsa, Sphaerocystis, Spirogyra, desmids, and diatoms. Algae that thrived only under cold water, acid conditions were Eunotia., Culinclrocystis, Euglena, and Chlamydomonas. Genera that grew abundantly when the pH increased to the alkaline range were Dictyosphaerium, Lepocinclis, Phacus, Synura, Pandorina, and Trachelomonas. The most dominant genus in the center stations of the lake was Chara. Fishing and resultant pollution of the marginal waters caused large, bright green blooms of Spirogyra. Algae that appeared in greatly disturbed areas were Closterium and Oscillatoria. Planktonic algae or drifters were not present floating in the water but did occur in the marginal areas where seepage provided necessary nutrients.