The Lack of Snow in a Boreal Forest May Reduce Summer Feeding Activity of Soil Invertebrates

In order to assess the effect of snow cover on the feeding activity of soil detritivores in the middle taiga, a short-term field experiment has been carried out. On the experimental plots in the blueberry-green-moss spruce forest, snow was removed in winter and the feeding activity of soil animals was assessed using the bait-lamina test in the subsequent growing season. Untreated sites served as controls. The absence of snow cover led to a significant freezing of the soil and reduced the feeding activity in the forest litter by 11.4%, while the activity in the underlying mineral soil remained almost unchanged.