Technological partners
- Geoscan GC
- Greeneco Invest LLC
- CTRL2GO GC
Participants
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS
- Tyumen Scientific Center SB RAS — Research Institute of Agriculture of the Northern Trans-Urals
- Yamal Experimental Station
Carbon measurements test area
The site covers various types of forests, lakes, swamps, as well as agricultural land, which are the most representative types of natural systems. Forests occupy the largest area and are birch-pine, aspen-birch and fir-aspen-lime types. A medium-sized mesotrophic lake with an anthropogenically transformed catchment area. Experimental grain growing has been carried out on the adjacent land.
Lake Kuchak, water-table area is 342 hectares, depth up to 5 m., muddy floor, bicarbonate water, fresh, the shore is composed of loamy clays, patchy peat.
Tasks of the supersite
The site activity is aimed at solving scientific, methodological and educational tasks. The scientific part will result in a quantitative assessment of the emission and sequestration of greenhouse gases by natural ecosystems of the Tyumen region and the development of a scientifically sound and internationally verifiable methodology for accounting carbon credits using in-situ and remote methods.
The educational perspective requires the delivery of the highest quality training to personnel with interdisciplinary competencies to work on «carbon» topics.
- Measure fluxes of the main climate-active gases between terrestrial/aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere
- Assess carbon reserves in soil and bottom sediments of lakes
- Determine sequestration potential of the main ecosystem types
- Select plant species and varieties with high sequestration potential adapted to the climatic conditions of the region to be used in agriculture and forestry
- Measure photosynthetic activity of macrophytes and phytoplankton of the studied lakes
- Calculate the economic efficiency of climate projects in the Tyumen region and create a «carbon calculator»
- Develop a new international network Master’s program «IMPROvE_AGRO» on regenerative agriculture
- Organize the «knowledge dissemination service» for land users and schoolchildren/ students participating in educational events
- Develop the further professional education (FPE) program ”Practices of creation and development of carbon measurement supersites: personnel, technologies, equipment» for employees of organizations operating carbon supersites
Expected research results
- Analysis of the impact of bio-char of various water- holding capacity on the dynamics of agrophysical, agrochemical, biological properties of the soil and on the direct emission of greenhouse gases
- Study of the role of soil invertebrates in regulating ecosystem carbon fluxes (in cooperation with the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS)
- Study of poorly understood and taxonomically complex groups of ticks, which are significant components of soil biota in terms of bio-indication, for assessing climate change
- Study of adaptive capacity of agricultural plants in extreme conditions of the Northern Trans-Urals
- Analysis of the structure of carbon-assimilating organs of plants
- Project for calculating the carbon balance of climate- active gases in lake ecosystems of Western Siberia
International integration
Cooperation with the International Consortium for the study of current Climate Change «Pan-Eurasian Experiment» (PEEX)
In cooperation with the Wilhelm University of Westphalia (Munster, Germany), joint research is conducted at the Tyumen State University carbon site on Lake Kuchak and in the south of the region as a whole, training and retraining of personnel is carried out, i.a. through research internships in Germany. Also, a project on regenerative agriculture and groundcover plants is implemented jointly with Ohio State University (USA)
Education and training
Adaptation of existing Master’s and postgraduate programs:
- Master’s program «Biology: Mathematical Biology and Bioinformatics» (in English)
- Master’s program «Biology: Biological safety of plants» (in English)
Postgraduate studies:
- Entomology (in English)
- Soil Science (in English)
- Mycology (in English)
- Ecology (in Russian)
Development of a new Master’s program:
Master’s program on the project «IMPROvE_AGRO» of the «Erasmus+» program of the European Commission. Architecture and design of the academic program. Launch of the full program in September 2022 (in English and Russian) X-BIO Institute: 6 postgraduates, 25 undergraduates
Interdisciplinary courses:
- Research methods for carbon farming (Master’s degree) (16 hours, number of students 20). Jointly with Ohio State University, USA, under the American Councils Program (grant, project leader Professor I.H. Rafik)
- Green Economy (Bachelor’s degree), (16 hours of lectures, 34 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 300)
- Environmental entrepreneurship (Bachelor’s degree), (16 hours of lectures, 34 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 300)
- Environmental Sociology (Bachelor’s degree), (16 hours of lectures, 34 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 300)
- Low-carbon cities (Master’s degree) (16 hours of lectures, 34 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 25)
- Digitalization of business models of carbon sites (Master’s degree), (36 hours of lectures, 36 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 25)
- Artificial intelligence systems in the carbon industry (Master’s degree) (36 hours of lectures, 36 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 25)
- Applied aspects of Big Data Technologies in the carbon industry (Master’s degree), (36 hours of lectures, 36 hours of practical work, approximate number of students — 25)
Further Professional Education programs carried out in 2021:
«The practice of creating and developing carbon measurement supersites and related climate projects: personnel, technologies, equipment» (16-19.09.2021)
Workshop on air laser scanning technology, TSU in cooperation with «AGM Systems» (1-2.12.2021)
