Snow Hardness 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
2020-10-20
End Date
2021-07-31
Citation
Kaitlyn Strickfaden and Timothy Link, 2022, Snow Hardness 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
Snow hardness measurements were collected at camera sites from December 2020 - April 2021, at the same time as snow density. Camera sites were chosen by stratified non-random sampling. Cameras were never closer than 25m to other cameras, nor were they placed facing trails. Measurements were collected every few weeks as logistics allowed. Samples were collected near the camera site in snow visually similar to the snow in the camera viewshed to prevent snow conditions from being disturbed beyond normal camera deployment. Snow hardness was measured using a ram penetrometer or “ramsonde” (Snowmetrics; Fort Collins, CO). A ramsonde is composed of a hammer, anvil, and rod. The hammer is dropped onto the anvil from a known height, and the [...]
Summary
Snow hardness measurements were collected at camera sites from December 2020 - April 2021, at the same time as snow density. Camera sites were chosen by stratified non-random sampling. Cameras were never closer than 25m to other cameras, nor were they placed facing trails. Measurements were collected every few weeks as logistics allowed. Samples were collected near the camera site in snow visually similar to the snow in the camera viewshed to prevent snow conditions from being disturbed beyond normal camera deployment. Snow hardness was measured using a ram penetrometer or “ramsonde” (Snowmetrics; Fort Collins, CO). A ramsonde is composed of a hammer, anvil, and rod. The hammer is dropped onto the anvil from a known height, and the depth to which the ramsonde penetrates the snow is recorded using gradations on the rod. Drops are performed until the tip of the ramsonde reaches the ground. Based on the weight of the ramsonde, the number of drops, and the height of the drops, a ram resistance value can be calculated, which serves as a proxy for snow hardness. We calculated ram resistance for the individual snow layers in the three hardness samples collected on each 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.
