#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Researchers from the Arctic Floating University (AFU) have begun to study the formation and functioning of soils on islands in the western part of the Russian Arctic. Samples were collected on Mabel island in Franz Josef Land, on the coast of Russian Harbor bay, and on Severny island in Novaya Zemlya.
“We measure the depth of permafrost to see how it’s formed in a certain landscape gradient. Since these are islands, our landscape gradient is associated with height, that is, this is the distance from the sea: low and higher sea terraces”, a senior researcher at the group of genesis, geography and ecology of soils, department of soil science at the UroRAN Federal Research Center’s Komi scientific center’s Biology Institute Dmitry Kaverin told TASS.
The Arctic wastelands soils were formed and function in a harsher climate than in the mainland tundra. There the growing season is even shorter (when plants wake up and grow), permafrost is close to the surface and there is very little above-ground biomass.
“Not the entire surface is covered with plants and even fine earth”, notes Kaverin.
The fact that in Russia the country’s soil classification development and refinement continues is of particular importance to soil research in the Arctic. This study is also important in order to assess the impact of climate change on Arctic landscapes.
At the same time, studies are being conducted to determine soil contamination, including heavy metals.
Previously, we told you that expedition members are looking for substances in the Arctic that decompose plastic. We also reported that This Is Taimyr’s Russian-speaking version – the Severny Gorod news portal – is among the eight best regional media in the country.
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Text: Victor Borodin, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko
