Abundance data from soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Acari and Collembola, Hexapoda) of alpine snowbeds in the European Alps (summer 2017)

This dataset represents abundance data from soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Acari and Collembola, Hexapoda) from five alpine sites across the European Alps, sampled in summer 2017. The sites were: (1) Furka Pass, Uri, Switzerland, (2) Matsch Valley, South Tyrol, Italy, (3) Untersulzbach Valley, Salzburg, Austria, (4) Innergschlöss, Tyrol, Austria, and (5) Mallnitz, Carinthia, Austria. On each site we chose 3-6 snowbeds, where litter and soil core samples were taken. Each snowbed was subdivided into three sections: top (early snowmelt), middle, and bottom (late snowmelt). The data was used to evaluate how soil animal communities are responding to life conditions across snowbeds along a west-east transect of the European Alps, and to create a reference inventory for future investigations of climate change effects on snowbed ecosystems.