Effects of winter climate change and reindeer grazing on soil microarthropods in a subarctic forest

The data sets consist of non-transformed counts data of Oribatida (Oribatida) and Collembola (Collembola), full names of identified Oribatida and Collembola species with information about feeding guilds, reproductive mode, size class and habitat preference and used literature (Species lists), abundance data of microarthropods (Microarthropods), and daily soil temperature (Temp.May).
Data was collected from a subarctic oligotrophic pine forest located close to Kevo Research Station in northern Finland (69°46´N, 26°57´E, 90 m a.s.l.). The forest had an experiment where snow depth had been manipulated (i.e., control and increased snow depth) for two winters (2021-2022, 2022-2023) and reindeer grazing had been manipulated (i.e. grazed and ungrazed) for 55 years. Replication in each snow x grazing combination was four (N=4).

Sampling for soil microarthropods was conducted 15th September 2023. One sample consisted of three soil cores (diam. 5 cm, approx. 6 cm depth) and the area was used to normalize microarthropod abundances as individuals m-2. Samples were stored cool (~6 °C) and extractions with Tullgren– Berlese-type funnels were started within six days from sampling. The funnels were run for five days, until all samples were dry. During transport, two replicates from control x ungrazed combination got destroyed.

Soil temperature was measured at 5 cm depth with sensors (T107 temperature probe, Campbell Scientific Inc., Logan, UT, USA) that were set to record soil temperature (℃) with 10-min interval (CR1000x data logger, Campbell Scientific Inc.). The temperature data was available from the ungrazed area and used to calculate daily average soil temperature.

For more information, see the original article which bibliographic information will be provided after publication
Väisänen M, Kantola N, Markkula I () Effects of winter climate change and reindeer grazing on soil microarthropods in a subarctic forest