P - R
type: Concept

RASCHER
in scheme: projects
definition: Short Title: RASCHER Project URL: http://igras.geonet.ru/cwg/projects.html#rascher Proposal URL: http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=262 Soils of Polar Regions are a very important membrane in bio-cryospheric interactions, regulating natural and human-induced processes in ecosystems and landscapes of the North Latitudes. The knowledge of positive and negative feedbacks in the system climate-vegetation-soil-permafrost are of the crucial significance for understanding and forecasting response of this system to global change. RASCHER addresses how climate variability and change can affect the soil systems of the polar (Subarctic and Arctic) regions and their sustainability. To provide accurate projections on the impact of climate change and increase of anthropogenic influence on these systems requires improved knowledge of its components and their linkages. Soil has both very inert and changeable parameters, which are altered differently because of climate change. RASCHER will mainly focus on the study of temporal change of labile soil characteristics (temperature, carbon fluxes and other gas fluxes, microbiota and microfauna) and of more stable soil characteristics (mineral composition, organic matter content and quality, morphological features, taxonomical status) in different kinds of frontiers (treeline, tundra-bog border, southern border of permafrost, contact zone of soil and permafrost table in a profile), which are expected to be changed first due to climate change. Together with climate-induced change the influence of the other regional and international processes shift of resource development, increased tourism and relevant infrastructure to the north on permafrost-affected soils will be studied. RASCHER will be based on both database analysis and field studies. The database on soil temperatures for dozens of meteorological stations of arctic and boreal regions for the period 50-100 years and the northern circumpolar soil database a…
type: Concept