Specialists from the Northern Water Problems Institute (NWPI) conducted a study of carbon fluxes in aquatic ecosystems of Karelia as part of the creation of a climate monitoring system. According to their data, the largest carbon emissions occur during the spring flood.
Karelia has become one of the regions of our country where participants of the "Carbon RHYTHM" consortium are developing unified methodological approaches for assessing reserves and emissions of greenhouse gases in water bodies.
The research is being conducted on three water bodies in the "Kivach" reserve: Lake Chudnaya Lamba, the Sandalka River, and the Chechkin stream. Scientists are studying meteorological data, characteristics of water and bottom sediments, and developing methods for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions.
In Lake Chudnaya Lamba, the maximum emissions of carbon dioxide from bottom sediments are observed in April and amount to 110 mg/sq. m per day. Studies have shown that in small water bodies, the concentration of carbon dioxide depends on the ratio of photosynthesis and respiration of organisms. The contribution of plankton to carbon dioxide emissions varies from 20% to 60%.
Successful adaptation of the model to various environmental conditions will allow it to be used to assess the flows of substances and energy in various water bodies of Karelia, which can significantly affect CO2 emissions.
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