Variability in soil and litter arthropod populations in the Soil Freezing Study plots at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, 2009-2010

Climate models for the northeastern United States (U.S.) over the next century project an increase in air temperature between 2.8 and 4.3 °C and a decrease in the average number of days per year when a snowpack will cover the forest floor. Warmer temperatures may benefit some litter arthropods by allowing them to expand their ranges and to increase their rates of reproduction. However, a reduction in snowpack depth and duration could offset these changes and lead to increased arthropod mortality because the snowpack plays an important role in insulating arthropods from freezing temperatures. We evaluated these potential changes by measuring arthropod abundance in the Soil Freezing Study plots at the Hubabard Brook Experimental Forest. These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.