Carbon sequestration by ecosystems of cold territories of Transbaikalia

In the Baikal region, the continuous cryolithozone occupies ≈15, the transitional intermittent zone with Talikov islands – 30, the transitional island zone – 45, taliki with a continuous area – 10%. Attention is drawn to the dominance of the transition band, which is characterized by unstable thermodynamic equilibrium. High-temperature permafrost is easily degraded by technoconversion of external heat exchange conditions: removal of ground covers (organogenic layer and snow cover), deforestation, plowing, fires, etc. These circumstances increase the natural hazards and risks in the region. In this regard, the territory of Transbaikalia is of great interest, being in the permafrost zone and near its southern border, on the one hand, and with increased warming rates in recent decades, on the other. The continentality and severity of the climate in Buryatia are much more pronounced than in neighboring single-latitude regions of Russia. The southern boundary of the cryolithozone stretches almost throughout the entire territory of the republic, within which a whole range of landscapes is distinguished – from automorphic forest ecosystems to widespread, due to the high proportion of lakes and swamps, hydromorphic landscapes formed under the active influence of permafrost, as well as dry-steppe. The implementation of the Kyoto Protocol on Stabilization of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Concentrations in the Atmosphere requires a quantitative assessment of spatiotemporal changes in terrestrial carbon sinks. Identifying areas with high potential and strategies for managing sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide by ecosystems is an important task and there is great uncertainty about the actual estimates of carbon reservoirs and how they may be affected by climate change. In the current conditions, we consider the study of the patterns of functioning of the soil and plant carbon reservoir in Transbaikalia to be timely and relevant.