Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Biodiversity Of Snow Algae In The North Cascades: Comparing Distinct Microhabitats At Mount Watson., Chloe Beck

WWU Graduate School Collection

Snow algae, commonly known as pink snow, bloom in high alpine environments globally. Snow algae blooms are on every continent, but the biodiversity within them is under studied. The snow habitat is suitable for algae growth in the spring and summer months when liquid water is available in snowpacks. Diverse terrain in alpine systems can create unique and variable snow habitats as snow melts through the growing season. This study describes the biodiversity of blooms from a site, Mt. Watson, in the North Cascade Mountain Range. The measures of biodiversity assessed include species richness, alpha diversity, beta diversity, and genetic …