Glaciers host a variety of cold-adapted taxa, many of which have not yet been described. Interactions among glacier organisms are even less clear. Understanding ecological interactions is crucial to unravelling the functioning of glacier ecosystems, particularly in light of current glacier retreat. Through a review of the existing literature, we aim to provide a first overview of the biodiversity, primary production, trophic networks, and matter flow of a glacier ecosystem. We use the Forni Glacier (Central Italian Alps) - one of the best studied alpine glaciers in the world - as a model system for our literature review and integrate additional original data. We reveal the importance of allochthonous organic matter inputs, of Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic green algae in primary production, and the key role of springtails (Vertagopus glacialis) on the glacier surface in sustaining populations of two apex terrestrial predators: Nebria castanea (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and Pardosa saturatior (Araneae: Lycosidae). The cryophilic tardigrade Cryobiotus klebelsbergi is the apex consumer in cryoconite holes. This short food web highlights the fragility of nodes represented by invertebrates, contrasting with structured microbial communities in all glacier habitats. Although further research is necessary to quantify the ecological interactions of glacier organisms, this review summarises and integrates existing knowledge about the ecological processes on alpine glaciers and supports the importance of glacier-adapted organisms in providing ecosystem services.

Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management University of Freiburg Tennenbacher Str 4 Freiburg 79106 Germany

Climate and Ecology Unit Research and Museum Collections Office MUSE Science Museum Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3 Trento 38122 Italy

Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Poznań 61 614 Poland

Department of Bioscience University of Milan via Celoria 26 Milan 20133 Italy

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Milano Bicocca Piazza della Scienza 1 Milan 20126 Italy

Department of Earth Sciences 'A Desio' University of Milan via Mangiagalli 34 Milan 20133 Italy

Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Prague 2 CZ 12844 Czech Republic

Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan via Celoria 26 Milan 20133 Italy

Department of Life Sciences Università degli Studi di Siena Via A Moro 2 Siena 53100 Italy

ERSAF Direzione Parco Stelvio via De Simoni 42 Bormio 23032 Italy

Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry Biology Centre CAS České Budějovice 37005 Czech Republic

Laboratory of RNA Biology ERA Chairs Group International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw 4 Ks Trojdena Street Warsaw 02 109 Poland

NBFC National Biodiversity Future Center Piazza Marina 61 Palermo 90133 Italy

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Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season