Researches on red snow "Akashibo" in the Ozegahara mire Central Japan: Occurrence of invertebrates in red snow "Akashibo"

Abstract

Various invertebrates, nematodes, oligochaetes, harpacticoids, tardigrades, cladocerans, mites, larvae of dipteran insects (tipulids, ceratopogonids and chironomids), appeared internivean and supranivean in Akashibo snow, a kind of red snow in the Ozegahara Mire, an extensive marshland in Central Japan (altitude 1400 m, area 7.6 km2). Densities of total animals were 2.4-3.6 × 104 ind m-2 in internivean and 0.3-2.2 × 103 ind m-2 on supranivean. These invertebrates seemed to migrate up from the peat surface into snow due to a decline of decrease in oxygen concentrations at subnivean environments and in/on snow du in the development of Akashibo. The food web on Akashibo snow is discussed from the viewpoint of snow ecology.