Abstract Extensive wildfires and logging have affected the Russian boreal forests in recent decades. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests are widespread in Russia and are one of the most disturbed tree species in Siberia. However, the effects of disturbance on soil CO2 efflux in the vast Siberian forests are still poorly understood. We used the LI…
Category: Fire
Climate influence on Russian floods, fuel, forestry and more
Impacts from the annual Arctic 0.5°C increase continue to generate discussion and modelling within the Russian economic community. The researchers wanted to holistically assess the macroeconomic effects of climate change on the Russian economy, using the latest data. They used “a change in Russia’s annual GDP with an increase in the average annual temperature by…
Impact on permafrost layers from wildfires
Multi-authored article including some Russian contributions. They were interested in the thickness of the active permafrost layer and have combined 52,566 data records which others can use for modelling further impacts. Abstract: As the northern high-latitude permafrost zone experiences accelerated warming, permafrost has become vulnerable to widespread thaw. Simultaneously, wildfire activity across northern boreal forest…
Forest carbon capture in the Russian carbon market
As part of Russia’s implementation of the Paris agreement, original plans and strategies suggested targets for net absorption in managed forests between 620 – 2500 mln tonnes of CO2e by 2030 (Romanovskaya, 2023). She suggests that 1.2bln tonnes CO2e by 2050 is still possible but needs restructuring of forest management systems. Also identification and validation…
What happens to the forest floor after Siberian wildfires?
The main tree species in the Siberian taiga are larch, Scots pine, fir, spruce, Siberian pine and birch. Lightning is more a frequent cause of wildfires in northern Siberia with anthropogenic activity causing wildfires further south, however central and eastern Siberia have been more affected overall by wildfires. They decrease soil quality (organic matter, structure,…
How is climate change affecting public health in Russia?
The researchers reviewed 1740 papers and reports which show increasing interest in the impact of climate change on public health in Russia: They were stimulated by the World Climate Change Conference held in Moscow in 2003 with the support of the United Nations and other international organizations, including WHO. The same year, the first review…
Hot air in Kamchatka
Volcanoes, the Earth’s natural drama queens, have been getting chattier of late, especially in Kamchatka. The peninsula has 30 volcanoes and is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world. Klyuchevskoy has had a lot to say this week.. Unsurprisingly Russian volcanologists were already on the case, monitoring ash emissions, temperatures and explosive…
What are soil CO2 emissions after Siberian wildfires?
Siberian boreal forest regions act as carbon sinks but are also affected by climate change impacts such as wildfires. Wildfires release carbon into the atmosphere and change soil decomposition and respiration. The scientists wanted to examine soil emissions, temperature, moisture and properties during successions after wildfires, using taiga study sites in Central Siberia. They expected…
Siberian trees are telling the humans it’s too hot !
Increases in sea ice melt, permafrost melt and wildfires are observed whilst Siberian temperatures continue to escalate beyond previous records, for example 38°C last year inside the Arctic Circle. To understand the changes, researchers looked at proxy records. Historically in the Siberian Arctic they have mostly included low-resolution pollen records and laminated lake sediments. They…
Feeling the burn in the Volga
Warmer climates have increased the frequency and volume of forest fires across Russia, even in areas which have snow cover. About 98% of forest fires in populated Russia were estimated to be caused by human activity and in more remote areas, approximately 50% caused by thunderstorms and lightening. The researchers reviewed the risks and effect…
Russian Climate Research 