Snow insulates the soil from air temperature, decreasing winter cold stress and altering energy use for organisms that overwinter in the soil. As climate change alters snowpack and air temperatures, it is critical to account for the role of snow in modulating vulnerability to winter climate change. Along elevational gradients in snowy mountains, snow cover increases but air temperature decreases, and it is unknown how these opposing gradients impact performance and fitness of organisms overwintering in the soil. We developed experimentally validated ecophysiological models of cold and energy stress over the past decade for the montane leaf beetle Chrysomela aeneicollis, along five replicated elevational transects in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Cold stress peaks at mid-elevations, while high elevations are buffered by persistent snow cover, even in dry years. While protective against cold, snow increases energy stress for overwintering beetles, particularly at low elevations, potentially leading to mortality or energetic tradeoffs. Declining snowpack will predominantly impact mid-elevation populations by increasing cold exposure, while high elevation habitats may provide refugia as drier winters become more common.

中文翻译：

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雪在山地变温的海拔梯度上调节冬季能源使用和寒冷暴露

雪使土壤与气温隔绝，减少冬季寒冷压力并改变在土壤中越冬的生物的能量使用。随着气候变化改变积雪和气温，解释雪在调节冬季气候变化脆弱性方面的作用至关重要。沿着雪山的海拔梯度，积雪增加，但气温下降，而且这些相反的梯度如何影响在土壤中越冬的生物的性能和适应性尚不清楚。在过去的十年中，我们为山地叶甲虫Chrysomela aeneicollis开发了经过实验验证的寒冷和能量胁迫的生态生理模型，沿着加利福尼亚内华达山脉的五个复制的高程横断面。寒冷的压力在中海拔达到峰值，而高海拔地区则被持续的积雪所缓冲，即使在干旱年份也是如此。虽然可以抵御寒冷，但雪会增加越冬甲虫的能量压力，特别是在低海拔地区，可能会导致死亡或能量消耗。积雪减少将主要通过增加寒冷暴露来影响中海拔人口，而随着干燥的冬季变得更加普遍，高海拔栖息地可能会提供避难所。