The Subnivean Environment

1. Marcelo Vommaro The Subnivean Environment

2. Under the snow pack • The snow creates an insulating blanket which keep heat from the earth in. • By having this blanket of snow animals and plants can live in the snow.

3. Animals under the snow? • The most noticeable animals that live under the snow pack are voles, mice, squirrels, and grouse. • They use the snow as shelter from the cold as well as shelter from predators. • Voles and mice dig vents for air in the snowpack. It is dark in the tunnels but just enough light goes threw to make it comfortable to live.

4. Subnivean environment • Small mammals living under the snowpack are still in danger. • Shrews and ermine take advantage of there size and pursue voles into the snowpack.

5. Subnivean Part 2 • Red Squirrels hide some of there food in the snow. • Red squirrels go under the snow pack to escape the cold temperatures. • The grouse dig a hole and stay in it only coming out to eat tree buds

6. Subnivean water animals • Fish have the roughest time surviving. Many fish die due to lost of oxygen. • Fish have to completely change there way of living because of the low oxygen and low amount of food.

7. Subnivean plants • Some plants tend to grow and flourish under the snowpacks. • The plants have an excellent source of water and enough photosynthesis to live. Making them ideal food for small mammals traveling threw the snow packs.

8. Web cited • http://books.google.com • http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/young_naturalists/snow/index.html