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CASUS

Carbon Balance of Subarctic Western Siberia

2004-2007

Main goal of the CASUS project:

Estimation of the annual carbon balance of Subarctic Western Siberia in relation to changing climate

How?

mire/peatland classification

carbon flux measurement

carbon balance estimation

GIS and remote sensing

spatial modeling

Who?

The CASUS project is carried out by research teams from Russia, The Netherlands and Finland

Contact:

Dr. Wladimir Bleuten (project leader)

w.bleuten@geog.uu.nl

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Financed by: EU-INTAS

Project

Background

During the Holocene terrestrial wetland ecosystems have been a major sink for atmospheric carbon, which is proved by the development of thick peat layers in Northern peatlands. The actual role of pristine peatlands in the global carbon balance has not been quantified at this time. In particular the subarctic peatlands, as extensively present in Western Siberia, are white spaces in knowledge of carbon exchange with the atmosphere. Therefore it is impossible to predict the effects of climate change through changes in summer temperature, permafrost and hydrology on carbon balance of subarctic peatlands. By this research project the annual carbon balance of subarctic peatlands of Western Siberia will be estimated in key areas by ground flux measurements at the main mire types (wet peatland ecosystem types) and at lakes and streams of peatlands. The point fluxes of mires will be validated with measurements of net primary production and recent carbon accumulation. With geographical information technology (GIS), combined with land unit classification by remote sensing techniques using multispectral satellite images, area fluxes will be calculated, which in turn will be compared with results of interpretation of hyperspectral satellite images on carbon gas concentrations in the lower atmosphere by new developed information technology. By the application of dynamic GIS (cellular automates) for modelling (2D) gas transport in the lower atmosphere the carbon gas concentrations at image pixel size will be calculated from area fluxes interpolated from key areas. This procedure will enhance the possibility to validate the results obtained by remote sensing technology substantially. Validated image interpretation methods will enable to analyse the variation in time and space of the atmospheric gas concentrations of large subarctic areas. In the project the effects of climate change as predicted by IPCC scenarios on the carbon balance of subarctic peatlands of Western Siberia will be evaluated.

Study area

Extensive mire complexes are present north of latitude N57°. Shallow permafrost occurs north of latitude N60° and is continuous above the Polar circle (see map). The zone in Western Siberia most vulnerable to climate change is about 600 km wide. Large pristine wetlands with discontinuous permafrost are present within this zone.

Three study sites have been selected: Novy Urengoy, Noyabrsk and Khanty-Mansyisk (see map).

Western Siberia with the study sites (red dots)

Permafrost extent in Western Siberia with the study sites

Bioclimatic zones in Western Siberia with the study sites

Objectives

The central objective of the research program is to estimate the annual carbon balance of the subarctic zone of Western Siberia related to climate change. Subobjectives are:

• Analysis and classification of the peatland ecosystems by vegetation, hydrology, trophic conditions and permafrost appearances;

• Analysis of carbon storage by subrecent (last 200 year) peat accumulation in selected key areas;

• Measurement of CO2 and CH4 fluxes of functionally different terrestrial wetland ecosystems (mires) and aquatic systems (small rivers and lakes);

• Measurement of carbon storage by net primary biomass production (NPP) of the main mire types within the selected key areas;

• Development of a spatial database (Geographical Information System) – the “Peatland GIS” – which include properties and location of mire types;

• Estimation of the area flux (key area) of CO2 and CH4 with GIS techniques;

• Estimation of atmospheric (troposphere) concentration of CO2 and CH4 over the northern part of Western Siberia by remote sensing techniques using hyperspectral satellite images;

• Development of a 2D modeling tool based on cellular automates for the prediction of carbon gas transport and gas concentrations in the lower atmosphere using surface flux measurements;

• Comparative analysis between area weighted carbon gas concentrations and fluxes measured with surface measurements and the outcome of carbon gas concentrations with remote sensing techniques;

• Prediction of carbon balances using IPCC scenarios of climate change.

Teams

UCEL - Utrecht Centre for Environment and Landscape Dynamics

(Utrecht University, Physical Geography Research Institute)

Team leader: Dr. Wladimir Bleuten, w.bleuten@geog.uu.nl

UKU - University of Kuopio

Team leader: Prof. Pertti Martikainen, pmartika@messi.uku.fi

USU - Ural State University

(Laboratory of Global Ecology and Remote Sensing)

Team leader: Dr. Vyacheslav Zakharov, vz@uraltc.ru

TRIBB - Tomsk Research Institute of Biology and Biophysics

Team leader: Dr. Elena Lapshina, ed@uriit.ru

ISSA - Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry

Team leader: Dr. Aleksei Naumov, naumov@issa.nsc.ru

URIIT - Ugra Research Institute of Information Technology

Team leader: Dr. Vladimir Golomolzin, vv_gin@hotmail.com

Results & Publications

Methane flux from IMG/ADEOS and AIRS/AQUA data

Reference:

Toptygin, A. Y., Gribanov, K. G., Imasu, R., Bleuten, W., and Zakharov, V. I. (2005). Seasonal methane content in atmosphere of the permafrost boundary zone in Western Siberia determined from IMG/ADEOS and AIRS/AQUA data. 7 pp.

> Download publication (PDF format)

Figures:

(see also images page)

Methane flux in spring: