Scientists from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) have found that Arctic soils can slow down the process of global warming. In the course of the study, specialists created a mixture of natural components that absorbs carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides twice as efficiently as ordinary soils in Arctic forests.
Natural and artificial soils have the ability to "breathe." The microbes that inhabit them can absorb and release carbon dioxide — the main culprit of the greenhouse effect.
Researchers tested various soil mixtures in the city of Apatity and found out how they absorb carbon and nitrogen oxides. In technosols created on the basis of peat and sand, the conditions for microorganisms were less favorable due to a lack of nutrients, which led to a decrease in their numbers.
Over 14 months of the experiment, it turned out that the annual absorption of carbon by plants on technosols can be twice as high as the release of carbon dioxide from Arctic soils. However, in a temperate climate, carbon dioxide emissions may increase by a third.
The data obtained can be used to create recommendations for landscaping cities in the Arctic zone. In the future, scientists plan to continue monitoring soils and assessing carbon dioxide emissions on a long-term basis.
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