Invertebrate diversity and succession along a glacier chronosequence in Svalbard (Midtre Lovénbre)

Six sites representing different stages of succession following glacier retreat were sampled, with six plots selected at each site. Invertebrates were extracted from 10 × 10 soil samples (approx. 5 cm depth) using Berlese–Tullgren funnels for 96 hours and preserved in 96% ethanol before being sorted and counted.

Taxonomic resolution varies among groups, from phylum or order level to family level for Oribatida. The dataset documents presence/absence and individual abundance of soil-invertebrate taxa and was produced to investigate changes in community composition and abundance along the glacial chronosequence.The aim of the study was to resurvey the sites first studied by Hodkinson et al. in 2004 (Invertebrate community assembly along proglacial chronosequences in the high Arctic, 2004).