www.frontiersinecology.org © The Ecological Society of America

In northern regions, winter is often referred to as the“dormant season”, based on the belief that biological activity ceases during this period. While it is true that trees harden off, some animals migrate, hibernate, or die, and the landscape is typically covered in snow and ice, there is more activity during this period of “dormancy” than previously thought. Many ecological processes can persist at temperatures near or below freezing, even though optimal temperatures may be higher (Table 1). Much of this winter activity occurs in soil, where an insu-lating layer of snow can keep temperatures warm enough to support a wide range of biotic activities, such as root growth and microbial respiration. Despite the harsh cli-mate, winter processes can contribute substantially to annual nutrient budgets (Table 2), and should be included in ecological studies. The failure to collect win-ter data may result in an inability to fully understand eco-logical processes and long-term trends. A number of reasons have been cited for the lack of enthusiasm for conducting ecological studies during win-ter (see Marchand 1996). The omission is due not only to the misconception that there is little biological activity during this period, but also to the inherent difficulties associated with winter sampling; for instance, cold tem-peratures and snow cover can make sampling especially difficult and challenging in winter. Moreover, winter sampling conflicts with the academic calendar, thereby limiting the availability of students and academic scien-tists to conduct such research. Much of our current understanding of winter processes, particularly research on hydrology and biogeochemistry, is based on research conducted in arctic and alpine regions. Numerous studies on winter ecology have occurred at high elevation sites in the western US, suc