Con-mod species composition in the Black Sand experiment for East Knoll, Audubon, Lefty, Soddie and Trough, 2019 - ongoing.

In the alpine tundra, shrubs modify wind distribution of snow, increasing snowpack on the leeward side of shrubs, and they provide shading, which modifies temperatures. In order to mimic these abiotic effect of shrubs, structures called connectivity modifiers, hereafter referred to as con-mods, were deployed in Black Band experiment plots in September 2018. Briefly, the Black Sand experiment was initiated in May 2018 to measure the effects of an extended growing season, by initiating earlier snow melt through the application of black sand, on plants and biogeochemistry. Together, this experimental framework allows us to ask how biotic effects influence climate exposure and ecological responsiveness.