Terrestrial Arthropod Responses to Arctic Cryosphere Degradation

Abstract

The Arctic cryosphere is undergoing dramatic changes, including declines in sea ice extent and thickness, ice sheets and glaciers, snow cover and duration and permafrost depth. These changes are having alarming direct and indirect consequences for terrestrial species, habitats and ecosystems. Such impacts are well documented and discussed for plants, birds and mammals, and we are beginning to understand the extent of links between cryospheric changes and terrestrial systems generally. However, terrestrial arthropods are rarely included in studies and reviews on this topic despite their taxonomic diversity and importance to ecosystem functions. In this mini‐review, we aim to redress this imbalance and raise awareness of the impact of ice and snow decline on terrestrial arthropods and the ecological functions they perform. In addition, we highlight the recent methodological advances for arthropod monitoring and discuss their use in addressing gaps in our understanding of responses to multiple stressors.