Projects – Interaction of Geosphere-Biosphere-Atmosphere

The projects investigated by the Czech Geological Survey within the frame of the main research priority "Interaction of Geosphere-Biosphere-Atmosphere" of the CGS Research Strategic Plan for 2016–2020.

225100

Center for Landscape and Biodiversity

The main aim of the project is the development of research center generating outputs, which will be helpful for both strategic planning in landscape protection, nature and biodiversity conservation as well as for solving actual problems of recent landscape and ecosystem functioning. The main subjects of interest of the research center are landscape, specific terrestrial ecosystems (forest & agroecosystems) and biodiversity including biological invasions. The research center aims to formulate new systems of landscape monitoring on the national level and to develop a coherent evaluation system of phenomena and processes defining the current state of landscape, ecosystems and biodiversity. Specific aims of the project are as follows: (i) development and establishment of standard landscape monitoring on the national level; (ii) assessment of dynamics of both forest and agro-ecosystems in the context of climate change, including the evaluation of the level of their degradation; (iii) proposal of comprehensive assessment of state and changes of biodiversity and identification of significant factors of its threats with emphasis on biological invasions; (iv) development of tools of complex monitoring, improvement of methodological background for strategic decision-making and proposal of management measures to mitigate impacts of climate change on landscape and ecosystem functions in the Czech Republic. Common sharing of extensive information and datasets, their synthesis and interpretation within a broad multi-disciplinary team will be the crucial tools to achieve these goals. All outputs of the research center will be presented on the project website, on the geoportal and in the framework of thematic workshops and conferences in order to ensure the widest possible use of results within the stakeholders (e.g. Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Regional Development, state bodies of landscape protection and nature conservation etc.).

Project manager: Mgr. Filip Oulehle, Ph.D. Duration of the project: 01.01.2021–31.12.2026

225200

Air quality Research, Assessment and Monitoring Integrated System

The main goal of the project is to develop methods of air quality control, identification of air pollution sources and their share in concentrations of pollutants, focusing on the main existing problems of air quality and difficult quantification of different types of pollution. Consequently, model tools need to be developed to identify the dispersion of air pollution, both with regard to current concentrations and with a focus on future technological developments. Part of the research is also the development of laboratory methods for air quality assessment, both methods of manual, isotopic analysis of elements in samples of aerosol particles and methods of elementary analysis of aerosol particles. With regard to the impact on the health of the population, the impact of ultrafine particles will be evaluated, also with regard to external influences such as meteorological conditions. The deployment of air pollution stations will also be evaluated, resulting in a proposal for the renewal of the national air pollution monitoring network. The project also includes estimation of the fraction of fog and icing in the overall atmospheric deposition. An interesting outcome of the project will also be maps of phytotoxic doses of ozone for various plants. The project is intertwined with an assessment of the impact of transport, both on the health of the population and on the amount of pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. An unforgettable task of this project is the development of methodologies and emission factors used in the preparation of emission balances in relation to the international requirements of the EU and the UN Conventions. The research of methodologies in the field of greenhouse gases also includes the analysis of biomass potentials. Last but not least, data standards for information on sources, emissions and air pollution will be developed, which will be an essential element of the subsequently developed comprehensive information system on air quality.

Project manager: RNDr. Martin Novák, CSc. Duration of the project: 01.07.2020–30.06.2026

225300

Prediction, Evaluation and Research for Understanding National sensitivity and impacts of drought and climate change for Czechia

The aim of the project is to create a research centre that will focus on research in the field of climate change in a long term perspective. It concerns an analysis of the ongoing and prediction of future change, including identification of risks for the environment and society. The output will be the most up-to-date data necessary for the preparation and updating of strategic documents as well as for decision-making processes not only within area of climate change adaptation, but also for evaluation of mitigation measures in the process of their preparation and implementation. The output of the particular objectives described in the project will be a publicly accessible comprehensive research report supplemented by open databases, certified methodologies and, of course, scientific publications.

Project manager: Mgr. Ondřej Nol Duration of the project: 01.07.2020–30.06.2026

611290

GeoMicLink: Microbial imprint in catchment scale nutrient retention

The availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) controls many aspects of ecosystem function including ecosystem productivity, organic matter decomposition and consequent ecosystem elements retention including carbon (C) storage. Since 1994 a network of forested catchments (GEOMON) has been used for biogeochemical assessment of nutrient fluxes of semi-natural forest ecosystems in the Czech Republic. We found stoichiometric imbalance of carbon and nutrients between stream and soil suggesting important role of soil microbial transformations in nutrient retention. We propose that by combining data on long-term catchment solute fluxes, with catchment soil chemistry, microbial activity and community characteristics along acidification and eutrophication gradient we will be able to elucidate and generalized (regional extent) the role of microbes in nutrient retention at the catchment scale. Furthermore, obtained data will be used to calibrate updated biogeochemical model MAGIC to correctly predict soil and stream chemistry under changing deposition loads of both acidity and nitrogen.

Project manager: Mgr. Filip Oulehle, Ph.D. Duration of the project: 01.01.2020–30.06.2023

611310

Controls of Mg, Ca and Sr isotope signals in catchment runoff: a multiple-site approach

26Mg/24Mg, 44Ca/40Ca and 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios will be used to study the cycling of Mg, Ca and Sr in the environment of industrially polluted northern Czech Republic. Controls on Mg and Ca isotope composition of streams and rivers are important parameters in global climatic models that are based on isotope effects of silicate weathering and formation of marine carbonates. The study will also provide insights into hydrologically-controlled nutrient imbalances in an area affected by acid rain; Sr will serve as a Ca proxy. We will focus on two aspects of runoff generation: (i) the role of atmospheric input will be evaluated using between-site comparisons of Mg/Ca/Sr isotope systematics of inputs, outputs and ecosystem pools in search of statistically significant and possibly causal relationships; (ii) isotope signatures of Mg, Ca and Sr released by incongruent weathering of felsic bedrock will be studied by leaching experiments, isotope analysis of minerals, and by a comparison of bulk isotope composition of fresh rock from drill cores and chemically weathered rock fragments in soil.

Project manager: RNDr. Martin Novák, CSc. Duration of the project: 01.01.2021–31.12.2023

663700

The fate and future of carbon in forests

The aim of the project is to develop modeling software for predicting the amount of carbon and nutrients in forest ecosystems and to apply the model to long-term monitored forest basins in the 1. Develop modelling software for carbon and nutrients in forest ecosystems 2. Apply the model tools to long-term monitored forest catchments in Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden 3. Apply tools for addressing future carbon in forested catchments – forests, soils, water 4. Produce predictive maps of sensitivity of forests soil carbon pools in the Czech Republic (year 2050) under different scenarios of the climate change (moderate and severe scenarios) and tree species composition

Project manager: RNDr. Jakub Hruška, CSc. Duration of the project: 01.01.2021–30.04.2024