Snow Density Measurements at Remote Camera Stations on Moscow Mountain in Latah County, ID (12/1/20-4/30/21)
Dates
Publication Date
2022-10-05
Start Date
2020-12-10
End Date
2021-04-21
Citation
Kaitlyn Strickfaden and Timothy Link, 2022, Snow Density Measurements at Remote Camera Stations on Moscow Mountain in Latah County, ID (12/1/20-4/30/21): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.21429/bma6-xn17.
Summary
We collected snow density measurements at camera sites from December 2020 - April 2021, at the same time as snow hardness measurements. We took measurements every few weeks as logistics allowed. We took samples near the camera site in snow visually similar to the snow in the camera viewshed (the geographical area that is visible from a location) to prevent snow conditions from being disturbed beyond normal camera deployment. We took snow density samples using a homemade prairie sampler in snow depths < 100 cm and using a federal snow sampler in snow depths > 100 cm. The sampler was inserted into the snow to remove a snow core. We retained the core if the depth of snow in the sampler was at least 90% of the actual snow depth and the [...]
Summary
We collected snow density measurements at camera sites from December 2020 - April 2021, at the same time as snow hardness measurements. We took measurements every few weeks as logistics allowed. We took samples near the camera site in snow visually similar to the snow in the camera viewshed (the geographical area that is visible from a location) to prevent snow conditions from being disturbed beyond normal camera deployment. We took snow density samples using a homemade prairie sampler in snow depths < 100 cm and using a federal snow sampler in snow depths > 100 cm. The sampler was inserted into the snow to remove a snow core. We retained the core if the depth of snow in the sampler was at least 90% of the actual snow depth and the base of the snowpack had been reached as evidenced by litter or a soil plug at the base of the core. After we removed the soil plug, we weighed the core to determine its snow-water equivalent (SWE). We converted the SWE measured with the samplers into a density measurement by dividing the SWE by the snow depth. If a snow core of adequate quality could not be obtained after several minutes of effort, we did not measure snow density on that sampling occasion.
Snow conditions and dynamics are changing due to climate change. Changes to snow impact snow-dependent species through loss of snow cover needed for survival and fitness, while changes to snow impact snow-inhibited species through changes in energy expenditure, access to food, and predation risk. These data were used to create a model predicting snow disappearance dates (SDD) at our camera sites, which we could then use to map SDDs across our entire study area and identify priority areas of conservation for snow-dependent wildlife. We found that high-elevation areas, north-facing aspects, and cold-air pools retained snow latest. These data were also used to model the probability of deer presence at camera sites dependent on snow conditions. We found that deer respond negatively to increased snow density and respond slightly positively to increased snow hardness.
