Hallett, Lauren,,Forsman, Sofi2022-07-122022-07-122022https://hdl.handle.net/1794/27308Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment can rapidly change ecosystem functions and diversity, as well as plant tissue composition. This research explores the impacts of soil nutrient enrichment on insect-plant relationships in a rare montane meadow ecosystem in the Western Cascades of Oregon. Montane meadows host a wide variety of diversity. We performed an experimental study at Bunchgrass Ridge, a Long-Term Ecological Research site supporting a long-term nutrient loading experiment. Grasshopper feeding was quantified by observing leaf damage and analyzing leaf tissue chemistry of two plant species, grass B. carinatus and legume L. oreganus. Leaves for each species were collected and their C:N ratios were analyzed. Our analyses show that soil nutrient enrichment, plant tissue C:N, and plant species do impact grasshoppers’ feeding preferences, with plant species having the largest impact. Understanding the ecological drivers that affect threatened montane ecosystems can inform management and policy decisions as we face continuous anthropogenic influences.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0community ecologygrasshoppersnutrient enrichmentgrasslandscarbon to nitrogen ratiosThesis/Dissertation0000-0002-3394-9357