Authors: Christian Rixen, Toke Thomas Høye, Petr Macek, Rien Aerts, Juha M. Alatalo, Jill T. Anderson, Pieter A. Arnold, Isabel C Barrio, Jarle W. Bjerke, Mats P. Björkman, Daan Blok, Gesche Blume-Werry, Julia Boike, Stef Bokhorst, Michele Carbognani, Casper T. Christiansen, Peter Convey, Elisabeth J. Cooper, J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Stephen J. Coulson, Ellen Dorrepaal, Bo Elberling, Sarah C. Elmendorf, Cassandra Elphinstone, T’ai G.W. Forte, Esther R. Frei, Sonya R. Geange, Friederike Gehrmann, Casey Gibson, Paul Grogan, Aud Helen Halbritter, John Harte, Gregory H.R. Henry, David W. Inouye, Rebecca E. Irwin, Gus Jespersen, Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir, Ji Young Jung, David H. Klinges, Gaku Kudo, Juho Lämsä, Hanna Lee, Jonas J. Lembrechts, Signe Lett, Joshua Scott Lynn, Hjalte M.R. Mann, Mikhail Mastepanov, Jennifer Morse, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Johan Olofsson, Riku Paavola, Alessandro Petraglia, Gareth K. Phoenix, Philipp Semenchuk, Matthias B. Siewert, Rachel Slatyer, Marko J. Spasojevic, Katharine Suding, Patrick Sullivan, Kimberly L. Thompson, Maria Väisänen, Vigdis Vandvik, Susanna Venn, Josefine Walz, Robert Way, Jeffrey M. Welker, Sonja Wipf, Shengwei Zong

Venue: Arctic Science

Type: Article

Abstract: Snow is an important driver of ecosystem processes in cold biomes. Snow accumulation determines ground temperature, light conditions, and moisture availability during winter. It also affects the growing season’s start and end, and plant access to moisture and nutrients. Here, we review the current knowledge of the snow cover’s role for vegetation, plant-animal interactions, permafrost conditions, microbial processes, and biogeochemical cycling. We also compare studies of natural snow gradients with snow experimental manipulation studies to ... (read more)

DOI: 10.1139/as-2020-0058