�y��vlog

Federal wildlife officials at the time predicted that despite warming temperatures, enough snow would persist at high elevations for wolverines to den in mountain snowfields each spring.

“And it’s a ridiculous thing to say, because at that point, you’re not even halfway done with it. But for me, I’ve always hated the snowfield.”

As the planet warms, the most extreme transformations are occurring at the poles and in alpine environments, where glaciers, snowfields and icefields are shrinking at a rapid pace.

Now, as this week’s cover story explains, snow algae are in the spotlight because of their possible role in hastening the melt of snowfields and glaciers around the world.

While the birds in the winter rely on snow, in summer, the ptarmigan prefers cool, damp areas created by melting snowfields and glaciers.