Overwintering survival of soil microarthropods under differing natural snow covers
Citation
Coulson S (2023). Overwintering survival of soil microarthropods under differing natural snow covers. The University Centre in Svalbard. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/mjrahz accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-16.Description
The Arctic has a diverse terrestrial microarthropod fauna which overwinters in situ in soil and vegetation. This fauna is involved in key ecosystem process, for example decomposition and pollination, and has tolerance to the Arctic’s winter conditions. However, the Arctic is undergoing rapid change. Svalbard is experiencing warming rates up to four times the global average as well as alterations in precipitation (quantity and form; snow or rain) and wind direction. These will modify the conditions experienced by the overwintering fauna. Since laboratory experiments often fail to capture the diversity of environmental stressors, we employed a manipulation experiment to use the naturally accumulating snow pack to moderate soil winter soil temperatures, combined with an extended incubator treatment, to map the duration limits of naturally induced cold tolerance. We demonstrate that the Collembola fauna can tolerate temperatures of -25°C but that, in areas devoid of snow accumulation and when soil temperatures dip below -30°C there is significant mortality. Furthermore, we demonstrate that exposure to a further extended 12 month period at -6°C, as a simple model of a situation where snow cover is not lost during the short Arctic summer, results in additional mortality with relatively few Collembola surviving. By contrast, while oribatid mites displayed similar survival over a natural winter as the Collembola, they were highly resistant to the extended exposure at -6°C, with no additional mortality occurring. We also documented survival amongst other invertebrate groups, including Nematocera and Brachycera larvae, Hemiptera (A. svalbardicum), Coleoptera (I. flagellum), and Araneae (Linyphiidae). We conclude that snow depth and winter air temperatures interact to regulate soil microarthropod populations over local scales and the functioning of the Arctic soil ecosystem. Moreover, the environmental changes currently being observed in polar regions will continue to modify this fauna and its local and micro-scale distribution.Purpose
The study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of snow cover on the survival of soil microarthropods to natural winter conditions.
Sampling Description
Study Extent
Dryas octopetala tundra at the entrance to Endalen, Svalbard.Sampling
Sampling 10*10cm soil cores through the organic soil, c. 5 to 10cm.Method steps
- See paper: Interactions between winter temperatures and duration of exposure may structure Arctic microarthropod communities Stephen James Coulson, Peter Convey, Sil Schuuring, Simone Iris Lang. Journal of Thermal Biology
Taxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Svalbard
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Stephen Coulsonoriginator
position: Professor
University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
pb156
Longyearbyen
9171
Svalbard
NO
email: stevec@unis.no
homepage: https://www.unis.no/staff/steve-coulson/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0935-959X
Stephen Coulson
metadata author
position: Professor
University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
pb156
Longyearbyen
9171
Svalbard
NO
email: stevec@unis.no
homepage: https://www.unis.no/staff/steve-coulson/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0935-959X
Stephen Coulson
user
position: Professor
University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
pb156
Longyearbyen
9171
Svalbard
NO
email: stevec@unis.no
homepage: https://www.unis.no/staff/steve-coulson/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0935-959X
Stephen Coulson
administrative point of contact
position: Professor
University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
pb156
Longyearbyen
9171
Svalbard
NO
email: stevec@unis.no
homepage: https://www.unis.no/staff/steve-coulson/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0935-959X