BioCarbon

Technological partners and participants

• Central Botanic Gardens of Siberia (CBGS) SB RAS
• Siberian Federal Science Center of Agrobiotechnologies RAS

Plot 1 (CBGS SB RAS)

Located on the ancient high terraces of the Ob Rver with sandy and sandy loam soils; dune topography; represents zonal grass birch forests of Western Siberia on drained elevated plains

Plot 2 (Pirogovsky forest)

Located on the Cissalair upland plain, with a dissected erosive relief and heavy loamy soils with a typical landscape of Ob pine forests on an ancient dune relief

Tasks

Develop a program and set up long-term environmental monitoring of the functioning of natural and artificially created forest communities

Develop approaches to the creation of forest crops with a highly efficient sequestration of carbon in wood and soil humus

Develop a model and digital platform for greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration in forest systems

Assess the existing agricultural technologies in terms of carbon balance

Launch international certification of the forest-climate project on the model sections of the carbon farm

Research results

Within the Novosibirsk carbon measurement supersite, three experimental sites have been designated to study the structure and functions of natural and human-induced forest ecosystems. For each site, the autotrophic block, which is the main component of the ecosystems responsible for sequestration of atmospheric carbon, has been characterised. The species composition of higher vascular plants and their quantitative ratio for each site, as well as the ratio of ecological groups and life forms, have been revealed. The legumes component responsible for fixing atmospheric nitrogen has been identified

A mosaic of medium- and high-resolution satellite images has been collected for the territory of the measurement supersite and its surroundings, as well as for the entire Novosibirsk Region, for further delineation and areal extrapolation of research results from the experimental sites

Education and training

Expected number of young scientists, students, postgraduates — 6

Master’s programs

• MA Environmental law, including Nature management and Real estate turnover
• Business management in the «green» economy

University-wide courses

• Environmental/Climate literacy
• Carbon footprint management

Online courses

• Environmental/ClimateLiteracy
• Carbon neutrality in Russia and the world: risks and new opportunities

International integration

• Center for Microbiology and the Environmental Systems Science, Austria
• Leibniz University, Germany
• Institute of Soil Sciences, Germany

Expected outputs

Quantitative characteristics of the carbon balance of natural forests, taking into account the structural elements of the biocenoses. Justification of efficient ways to implement forest and climate projects in Siberia and choose the respective mechanisms

Test-results of approaches used for setting up and managing forest plantations for carbon deposition on unused agricultural lands and adjustment of such approaches to the regional scale. Preparation for international certification of the carbon farm model plots