Mukhrino field station of Yugra State University - Russian Federation

Mukhrino Field Station is owned and run by the UNESCO Chair on Environmental Dynamics and Climate Change at the Yugra State University, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. The Mukhrino Field Station is located at the east bank of the Irtysh River near the confluence with the Ob River in the central taiga area of Western Siberia (60°54’ N, 68°42’ E), 30 km south-west of the town of Khanty-Mansiysk (60 000 inhabitants). Due to the severe continental climate, the environmental conditions in the region are comparable with the sub-arctic zone of Northern Europe. The research site is representative for the Western Siberian pristine carbon accumulating peatland ecosystem (“plain mires”). The mires cover c. 60 % of the land surface and can be regarded as important sources/sinks of greenhouse gases and aerosols. The main mire type of the site is raised bogs of the type Pine-dwarf shrubs-bogs (Ryam) characterized by pine trees, Ledum palustre and dwarf shrubs, with areas of Sphagnum fuscum. Interspersed are mires of the type Poor fens (partly drained in the summer) dominated by Carex lasiocarpa and other graminoids, and Sphagnum balticum. Also ridge-hollow complexes, consisting of bog ridges and poor fen hollows are present.

Last modified

2020-03-30 03:03:21

General Characteristics, Purpose, History

Site Status

existing

Year Established

2009

Purpose

The Mukhrino Field Station was primarily established for studies of the biodiversity (fauna, vegetation, mycology) and hydrology of the mire ecosystems, of the carbon storage in the peat layers, and for measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes to and from the pristine peatland complex, located next to the field station. The station is also used for analyses of Climate Change effects in peatland ecosystems and carbon balance, and the spatial comparison of key areas in S-N transects (57-67° N) as an analogue for Climate Change over time. The station houses specialists in vegetation science, remote sensing, mycology, hydrology, and greenhouse gas emission measurements. The Mukhrino Field Station welcomes foreign and national guests for collaboration, research and educational purposes.

History

Since 2009 MFS hosted about 550 visitors (including 290 foreing ) from 18 countries coming for research, education or scientific excursion. In 2011 the MFS became a member of the International EU-project consortium “International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic: INTERACT”. Twenty research stations including MFS offered EU Transnational Access in 2011-2014. MFS is one of the most popular and asked-for field stations in the INTERACT Network after Abisko (Sweden) and Zackenberg (Greenland) in terms of total number of visiting groups of researchers (19) and used person days (about 700 during 2012-2014). The data base for open access is currently under development. More than 50 scientific publications based on the research conducted at MFS have been published.