Dynamic interactions of snow and plants in the boreal forest, winter 2011-2012 revealed by time-lapse photography and LiDAR

The winter blanket of snow in the boreal forest is anything but still. In winter 2011-2012 we followed the evolution of a snowpack on a boreal forest plot (0.5 ha) from first snowfall to the beginning of the melt in springtime. We used multiple methods such as time-lapse ground-based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), time-lapse photography, imagery from a suspended cableway, snow-depth sensors, and frequent manual snow-pits. The experimental site is located near Fairbanks, Alaska, a typical boreal forest underlain by permafrost with sparse black spruce, larch, willow, and dwarf birch. We observed snowpack properties to be greatly affected by the vegetation substrate. Interactions between snow and plants are mainly dependent on falling snow properties (rate, wetness), plant heights and stiffness, plant canopy structure (leaves, number of branches, density), succession of weather events (wind before or after snow, thaw events) and pre-existing snow depth. Time-lapse imagery shows interception of snow by trees and shrubs controlled by air-temperature and wind events. LiDAR and snow pit measurements show one class of flexible shrubs (i.e. dwarf birch) bending under load, while a second class (willows) were far stiffer and resisted bending. Where dwarf birch branches were dense, it prevented snow from reaching the ground, leaving a significant air space under the snowpack. This vertical air gap can be as high as 10% of the total snow depth by the end of winter. Improving our understanding of the dynamic relationships between plants and snow is a fundamental key for studying boreal snow physics and snow ecology.