[MCN] J. of Animal Ecology

[Lance Olsen]

Call for Papers

Implications of Changing Snowscapes for Animal Ecology

Guest Editors:

Laura Prugh, University of Washington, USA
Xavier Lambin, University of Aberdeen, UK
Scott Mills, University of Montana, USA

Nearly all animal species that reside in areas with seasonal snow cover have evolved adaptations in response to the timing, depth, and density of the snowpack. As global temperatures rise, precipitation regimes and snowscapes (landscapes covered in snow) are rapidly changing. Snowpacks are declining in many regions due to warming temperatures, whereas other regions are seeing increased snowfall because of more precipitation. These and associated changes in the seasonal timing, distributions, and quality of snow have the potential for profound impacts on animal populations and communities, with conditions for migration, neonatal survival, subnivean and aquatic habitats, hibernation physiology, background matching, and predator-prey interactions all strongly influenced by changing snow dynamics. Recent advances in remote sensing and modeling techniques to characterize snow conditions across broad landscapes, combined with advances in technology to monitor animal activity, have led to exciting new research programs examining multiple dimensions of how snow affects animal ecology.

We therefore propose a special issue comprising research, review, and methodological articles that will highlight the importance of changing snow conditions in animal ecology, revealing key insights and outstanding questions. We are interested in submissions representing a wide taxonomic scope, including vertebrates and invertebrate species from terrestrial and aquatic systems.

To submit a proposal, please click here <https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=hFWz84YSuEyw3xdjFpjffEUiBdQYxwtBnpOuLO0CKsVUQ1dHNEMwNlcyNUpERFJOS0JSMlVUVzVONC4u&route=shorturl>.

Call for Proposals Closes 15 January 2026

All papers will be assessed by the special feature editors to be invited to submit to the special feature. For papers that are invited to submit, they will undergo identical rigorous peer review as all papers submitted to the journals and invitation to submit does not guarantee eventual acceptance.

You can read more about the British Ecological Society's special feature process here <https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/publications/journals>.

Submit now <https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=hFWz84YSuEyw3xdjFpjffEUiBdQYxwtBnpOuLO0CKsVUQ1dHNEMwNlcyNUpERFJOS0JSMlVUVzVONC4u&route=shorturl>



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A core question: What is “resilience”?

2018 — “Resilience is a popular narrative for conservation and provides an opportunity to communicate optimism that ecosystems can recover and rebound from disturbances.” (Emily S. Darling and Isabelle M. Côté, Science, March 2, 2018). 

2014 — “Emerging from a wide range of disciplines, resilience in policy-making has often been based on the ability of systems to bounce back to normality, drawing on engineering concepts. This implies the return of the functions of an individual, household, community or ecosystem to previous conditions, with as little damage and disruption as possible following shocks and stresses”  (Tanner et al, Nature Climate Change,  December 18, 2014). 

1938 — Resilience. 1- The act or power of springing back to a former position or shape. 2. The quantity of work given back by a body that is compressed to a certain limit and then allowed to recover itself, as a spring under pressure suddenly relaxed.”  (Funk & Wagnall’s New Standard Dictionary of the English Language, vol.2, M-Z 1938

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