Ural Federal University: Scientists Buy Equipment for Carbon Polygon

The Ural Federal University will purchase new equipment for the Ural-Carbon polygon. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation allocated 40.5 million rubles for this purpose.

Scientists plan to purchase some items. First, order a pulsation system to measure greenhouse gas fluxes using the Eddy Covariance method. This is the main instrument for carbonic polygon. The first such system will work at the Kourovka Astronomical Observatory, it was purchased in 2021. The second one is to be purchased by the end of this year, for the site of the Ural Educational and Experimental Forestry of the Ural State Forest Engineering University.

“We also plan to buy two drones with special equipment for aerial photography of forests. The drones will help to make a forest inventory – to study trees, the amount of wood, growth, the volume of individual trees. This data will allow us to determine the amount of stored and annually deposited carbon in large areas,” says Victor Valdayskikh, Director of the Ural-Carbon project and Director of the Ural Federal University Botanical Garden.

In addition, there are plans to purchase a camera system to measure soil respiration, which releases carbon dioxide and methane from the soil. As the scientist explains, the respiration of plants and soil microorganisms on the planet emits an order of magnitude more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than direct human involvement. This process also needs to be studied.

“The equipment will allow us to accumulate the necessary amount of data on the emission and depositing (balance) of greenhouse gases in the ecosystems we study. Yes, we have the equipment, but it is not enough for all sites. In addition, some of the systems need to be updated,” explains Victor Valdayskikh.