“…These effects are important to understand because warming winter temperatures are decreasing snow depth and snow cover across the northern hemisphere (Dye 2002, Henry 2008, Brown and Robinson 2011, possibly exposing plants to damaging freeze-thaw events that increase mortality or delay phenology (Tierney et al 2001, Inouye 2008. Small mammals, such as the southern red-backed vole Myodes gapperi, can be important consumers of seeds or seedlings in temperate ecosystems during winter (Haken and Batzli 1996, Ostfeld et al 1997, Howe and Brown 2000, Manson et al 2001, Korslund and Steen 2006, Sullivan and Sullivan 2008, and snow cover may facilitate herbivory by small mammals by providing a refuge from predation or extreme temperatures (Kausrud et al 2008, Pauli et al 2013, Sultaire et al 2016, Sanders-DeMott et al 2018. Small mammals, such as the southern red-backed vole Myodes gapperi, can be important consumers of seeds or seedlings in temperate ecosystems during winter (Haken and Batzli 1996, Ostfeld et al 1997, Howe and Brown 2000, Manson et al 2001, Korslund and Steen 2006, Sullivan and Sullivan 2008, and snow cover may facilitate herbivory by small mammals by providing a refuge from predation or extreme temperatures (Kausrud et al 2008, Pauli et al 2013, Sultaire et al 2016, Sanders-DeMott et al 2018.…”