There’s life beneath the snow, but it’s at risk of melting away

Climate change is threatening a hidden winter ecosystem, with year-round consequences

A brown, furry pika peeks out from its burrow in the snow.

A pika peeks out from its winter home under the snowpack, a diverse ecosystem called the subnivium.

ANDREI BEREZOVSKII/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

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