Winter Conditions and Land Cover Structure the Subnivium, A Seasonal Refuge beneath the Snow.

ABSTRACT: In seasonally snow-covered environments, many organisms endure winter by using the subnivium, a below-snow thermally stable seasonal refugium. Because the insulation of snow is dependent on snow depth and density, the stability of temperatures within the subnivium varies across land cover types. Additionally, across much of the Northern Hemisphere snow extent, depth and duration are generally decreasing while snow density is increasing due to climate change. These changes are likely to destabilize the thermal profile of the subnivium, although they have not yet been quantified. To explore the effects of land cover and climate change on the subnivium, we measured snow pack characteristics (depth and density), and ambient and subnivium temperatures from three different land cover types (prai

SUBMITTER: Petty SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4449108 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature