On sequestration of man-made carbon dioxide by forests and steppe vegetation of the Republic of Tyva

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Currently, a coal mining territory is being formed in the Republic of Tyva, the volume of coal mining, the “carbon intensity” of production, and СО2 emissions into the atmosphere are increasing. Emissions of the man-made СО2 into the atmosphere caused by combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, wildfires, deforestation and land use development change the natural СО2 balance in the atmosphere, which is manifested in the photosynthesis and respiration processes of plants with the formation of natural carbon sinks. OBJECTIVES. The research aims to correlate the calculated data on the degree of atmospheric pollution by carbon dioxide emissions from stationary and mobile sources with the sequestration potential (with respect to СО2) of the forest and steppe ecosystems of the Republic of Tyva. RESULTS. The sequestration potential of the ecosystems of the Republic of Tyva makes it possible to capture both its own carbon dioxide emissions (fuel combustion) and those introduced from other regions. CONCLUSIONS. The total impact of the man-made СО2 on the atmosphere in the city of Kyzyl relative to other regions is low, amounting to 1,41 million t-eq СО2/year; currently, the territory of the Republic of Tyva is characterized by an excess of the sequestration capacity of man-made СО2 (7,46 million t-eq СО2/year).