The Niwot Ridge snow fence experiment: biogeochemical responses to changes in the seasonal snowpack

We have implemented a long-term snow fence experiment at the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research site in the Colorado Front Range to assess the effects of climate change on alpine ecology and biogeochemical cycles. The deeper and earlier snowpack behind the fence insulated soils from extreme air temperatures resulting in a 9°C increase in minimum soil surface temperatures, and a 12°C increase in minimum soil temperatures at a depth of 15 cm. Carbon dioxide production under the deeper, earlier snowpack after construction of the fence was 55% greater than production before construction of the fence. The loss of CO₂ from snow-covered soils was approximately 20% of aboveground primary production before and 31% after construction of the fence. -from Authors