subnivium

English

Etymology

From sub- (“under”) + Latin nix (“snow”) + -ium.

Noun

subnivium (plural subnivia)

1. (ecology) The seasonal microenvironment beneath the snow.
   • 2019, Colin Rees, Nature's Calendar, Johns Hopkins University Press, page 231:

     Voles and shrews thriving in networks of tunnels in the subnivium would experience a loss of their snowy refuge and face greater metabolic demands to cope with more-frequent and harsher exposure to the elements.

   • 2021, Porter Fox, The Last Winter, Hachette Book Group, unnumbered page:

     Scientists have long studied the subnivium, a stratum of life that exists within and below the snowpack. The subnivium enjoys a microclimate created by heat and moisture escaping the ground.

   • 2022, Jeffrey L. Walck, Siti N. Hidayati, “10: Plant regeneration from seeds in a the temperate deciduous forest zone under a changing climate”, in Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, editors, Plant Regeneration from Seeds, Elsevier (Academic Press), page 131:

     Without a snow cover, the duration of frozen soil will increase, causing winter cooling for subnivium-dependent organisms (Zhu et al., 2019).

Related terms

• subnival
• subniveal
• subnivean
• subnivian

Translations

microenvironment beneath the snow

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References

• Subnivean climate on Wikipedia.Wikipedia