Brittany Rockey Exercise 1: Snow Ecology Abstract Section 002

Figure 1 shows the temperatures of snow at different depths in two different

habitats. The forest reaches a lower temperature than the field habitat;
however both show that the deeper the snow is, the higher the temperature
will be.

Figure 2a shows the average amount of heat that is lost by the soil (indicated
by the positive means). The field habitat showed more heat loss than that in
the forest.

Figure 2b shows the average air temperature in two different habitats. The
air temperature in the forest was about 1.8°C lower than the air temperature
in the field (t-test; t=2.78, p=0.16).

Figure 2c shows the average temperature of the soil in a forest and field
habitat at Behrend. The field had a higher temperature than the soil by
about 2.2°C (t-test; t=2.78, p=0.0079), which is a significant difference.

Figure 2d shows the mean depth of the snow from two habitats. The field
had a greater depth than the forest (t-test; t=2.77, p=0.11).

Table I: Hardness and Shapes of Snow

Depth
(Interfa Hardness
ce) (g/cm2) Shape of flakes Size (mm)
4 10 whole crystals 2
some crystals with settling
3 10 occurring 1.5
dull appearance; no
2 10 crystalline shape 1
Brittany Rockey Exercise 1: Snow Ecology Abstract Section 002

1 25 smooth, glittering surfaces 0.75

Abstract

The objective of this study is to compare the rate of heat loss in the snow

between two habitats (a forest and a field). Two groups were assigned to look at

each of these habitats and each group dug 3 holes. The snow was measured at

different depths, which were labeled as interfaces (interface 1 is the closest to the

soil and interface 4 is closest to the surface), and the hardness, shape, and size of

the snowflakes was measured. It was generally observed that as the depth of the

snow increased, the snow became harder, causing a higher density and smaller

snow flake sizes; since the snowflakes were denser, the shape also changed from a

very prominent crystal to a shape with all flat surfaces (Table I). As the depth

increased in both habitats, the temperature also increased, but the temperature

was lower in the forest habitat (Figure I). The soil temperatures were significantly

lower in the forest than they were in the field (t-test: p=0.0079, Figure 2c). The air

temperature and depth of snow were not significantly different (air temp: t test;

p=0.16, Figure 2b and depth: t test; p=0.11, Figure 2d). When heat loss (Q) was

observed, it was found that there was more heat lost in the field than there was in
Brittany Rockey Exercise 1: Snow Ecology Abstract Section 002

the forest, but the difference was insignificant (t test: t=2.78; p=0.29; Figure 2a).

Therefore, it was observed that the heat loss in the field and in the forest were not

significantly different.