Soil animal microhabitat temperatures in Svalbard (High Arctic) and on the Antarctic peninusula

Annual temperature data from microhabitats inhabited by soil invertebrates at diverse locations in Svalbard (European High Arctic) and on the Antarctic peninsula. This data are recorded at hour intervals and span several years providing detailed temperature information during all four seasons. Temperatures were recorded in the microhabitat, a depth of c. 5 to 10mm. They can be used to understand the actual temperatures encountered by soil organisms and how these microhabitat temperatures differ from the air temperatures recorded by meteorological stations or active layer temperatures determined by permafrost stations. They are intented to be used as example data and are particularly useful for sites where year round monitoring is not possible. Arctic Temperatures were recorded at a depth of approximately 1 cm using Tinytag dataloggers, TGP-4020 (Gemini, Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.) fitted with PB-5001, PB-5009, or PB-5006 external thermistor probes, except for the Small temporary and Large permanent ponds (sites O and P) where TG-4100 submersible loggers were deployed at approximately 10 cm water depth. For logger and probe locations see Online Resource 1. Care was taken to avoid exposing the sensors to direct insolation. Sampling interval was 30, 60 or 120 min, depending on logger memory and expected campaign period. Antarctic Ground and air temperatures were recorded using various temperature probes over time (copper/constantan thermocouple wires; type-T thermocouples; Fenwal Unicurve thermistors UUT51J1 (100 KΩ at 25 °C) in type FF catheter probes; HMP45C, Vaisala; Campbell Scientific 107 thermistor probes, Campbell Scientific, UK). For ground temperatures the probe was inserted into the ground surface so as to record surface conditions. Air temperatures were recorded at a height of 2 m within a naturally ventilated solar insolation shield. Data were recorded every hour for the duration of the study using Campbell Scientific CR10X loggers (Campbell Scientific, U.K.). Data sources: Svalbard. S. J. Coulson, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), pb 156, 9171 Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. Antarctic. P. Convey and M.R. Worland, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom.