Articles | Volume 23, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4199-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4199-2026
Research article
 | 
25 Jun 2026
Research article |  | 25 Jun 2026

Invertebrate communities on seasonal snow patches in the European lowlands are shaped by tree canopy-derived organic inputs

Dzmitry Lukashanets, Krzysztof Zawierucha, Jolita Petkuvienė, Donata Overlingė, Diana Vaičiūtė, Greta Kalvaitienė, and Marija Kataržytė

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Cited articles

Anesio, A. M. and Laybourn-Parry, J.: Glaciers and ice sheets as a biome, Trends Ecol. Evol., 27, 219–225, 2012. 
Bertolani, R., Rebecchi, L., and Beccaccioli, G.: Dispersal of Ramazzottius and other tardigrades in relation to type of reproduction, Invertebr. Reprod. Dev., 18, 153–157, https://doi.org/10.1080/07924259.1990.9672137, 1990. 
Bosson, J. B., Huss, M., Cauvy-Fraunié, S., Clément, J. C., Costes, G., Fischer, M., Poulenard, J., and Arthaud, F.: Future emergence of new ecosystems caused by glacial retreat, Nature, 620, 562–569, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06302-2, 2023. 
Bouchard Jr., R. W., Schuetz, B. E., Ferrington Jr., L. C., and Kells, S. A.: Cold hardiness in the adults of two winter stonefly species: Allocapnia granulata (Claassen, 1924) and A. pygmaea (Burmeister, 1839) (Plecoptera: Capniidae), Aquat. Insect., 31, 145–155, 2009. 
Brauer, F.: Insecten-Leben im Winter, Vereine zur Verbreitung naturwissenschaftlicher Kenntnisse im Wien, 357–381, 1871. 
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Seasonal snow patches in lowland forests may look lifeless, but they host diverse microscopic animals. Studying 40 sites in the Baltic States, we found that rotifers, tardigrades and nematodes dominate these short-lived habitats, sometimes reaching very high numbers. Their presence depends strongly on surrounding trees, which supply organic matter to the snow. These overlooked cryospheric ecosystems deserve attention in a warming climate.
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