Orbatids from Finse

This study was performed at the southwest-exposed slope of Mt. Sanddalsnuten, in Southern Norway (60° 36' 55'' N, 7° 31' 8'' E) at approximately 1500 m a.s.l. The site has calcareous phyllite bedrock and is dominated by Dryas octopetala heath. The area is moderately grazed by domestic sheep and wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus Linneus 1758). Lemming (Lemmus lemmus Linneus 1758) populations in Finse peaked in 2014, while other rodent species showed low abundances throughout the entire duration of the study. Ten blocks of four 1 × 1 m plots were randomly established in the Dryas heath. Within each plot, two permanent 60 × 30 cm vegetation-sampling subplots were established, separated by a 10 cm wide row. In 2004 and 2016, we sampled soil micro-arthropods in the row between the subplots.