project – Smart Urban Nature Laboratory

Russia is a white spot on the tea bag index map: an approach to extend the network of global soil decomposition monitoring

13/06/2022 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

The tea bag approach (http://www.teatime4science.org/about/the-project/) for measurement of microbial decomposition of soil organic matter has been applied for mountain, coastal, forest and arctic ecosystems, while for urban ecosystems located in various biomes such experience is not widely distributed. In Russia there are few amount of sites for which was provided the soil organic matter decomposition assessment by tea bag approach.

Smart Urban Nature team together with colleagues from the Kola Science Centre RAS, Institute of Geography RAS, Southern Federal University, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science, RAS, the Central Chernozem Reserve, have decided to extend of the global map of the tea bag index and organized monitoring of the microbial activity of various soils in the European Russia with financial support of RSF No. 19 -77-30012.

Climate Ecosystem Services Science

SUN Researchers have found that transport pollution increases the number of microorganisms potentially dangerous to humans on plant leaves

21/03/2022 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

Scientists from the Smart Urban Nature laboratory, in collaboration with colleagues from the Netherlands and Italy, have shown that microbial communities living on the surface of leaves are sensitive to transport pollution. With the approach to highways, the activity of microorganisms increases, their species diversity decreases, and the proportion of conditionally pathogenic forms increases. These changes are associated with an increased concentration of pollutants (mainly Zinc) and microclimatic conditions near the roads: low humidity, high temperature and ultraviolet radiation. It is important to note that the study of plant microorganisms will help assess the ecological state of nature in the city and their possible impact on human health. Article published in Plants (Q1) journal. The research was partly supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) and Russian Science Foundation (RSF).

Climate Data and Software Ecosystem Services Ecosystems Green Infrastructure Science Soils

SUN Lab presented the results of the third year of the SUN project

25/12/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

SUN Lab presented the results of the third year of the project “Smart technologies to monitor, model and evaluate ecosystem services provided by urban green infrastructure and soils to support decision making in sustainable city development under global changes”, supported by a Russian Science Foundation (RSF).

Research in the third year of the project was focused on 3 main objectives:

monitoring of ecosystem services of urban green infrastructure based on the Smart Urban Nature network;
interpretation of monitoring data for ecosystem services for various target groups and practical tasks;
application of the results of monitoring and modeling ecosystem services to support decision-making in the field of sustainable development of the urban environment.

Climate Ecosystem Services Ecosystems Green Infrastructure

SUN lab experts made a plan on development of green infrastructure of Cherepovets

05/10/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

The laboratory Smart Urban Nature worked as a consultant to the “Yauza project” bureau, which developed a project for the spatial development of the city of Cherepovets striving for a reasonable balance between the purpose of the object, the needs of people and the environment. Thus, the main goal in developing the concept was to bring nature to the city to create a comfortable living environment. With the proximity of major roads, the impact of the urban heat island, and the increasing number of extreme weather events associated with climate change, the regulatory functions of green infrastructure seem to be the most significant to assess and implement in the city development.

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Ecosystems Events Green Infrastructure

ESCOLAR International School

13/04/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) hereby invites students, postgraduate students, teachers and specialists to take part in «ESCOLAR» International school for entrants to the master programs that will be held on the premises of the Agrarian and Technological Institute of the RUDN University from April 15 to May 15, 2021.

Schedule of «ESCOLAR» International school

Collaboration Data and Software Ecosystems Events Research Seminars

Smart Urban Nature portal concept: in search of ideas and solutions

06/04/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

Last Saturday, the SUN Lab team held the first strategy session in the format of a team brainstorming session.

We discussed the concept of the Smart Urban Nature portal. This is a portal that will allow us to collect, analyze, deliver and present information about the state of urban ecosystems. Such a multifunctional open-access platform, in our opinion, will be a useful tool for different categories of users. During our session we tried to identifine these categories.

Data and Software Ecosystems Green Infrastructure

SUN Lab celebrates the International Day of Forests by setting up TreeTalkers in Rostov-on-Don

21/03/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

When we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take medicine for a fever or build a house, we do not always make the connection with forests. And yet, these and many other aspects of our lives are linked to forests in one way or another.

Forest sustainable management and their use of resources are key to combating climate change, and to contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations. Forests also play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate.

Collaboration Ecosystems Education

Raising a new generation of international professionals: how SUN Lab supports young scientists in urban ecosystem study

15/03/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

Today the SUN Lab team is glad to recall its participation in an international project in support of young scientists in urban studies – TAURUS (Training Capacities in Agriculture and Urban Rural Interactions and Sustainable development of megacities). Starting in 2017, the project was launched in pursuit of providing international support for students who can gain new professional skills necessary for the sustainable development of large urban areas.

Climate Ecosystems Science Soils

The biological component of microparticles in big cities: SUN Lab is developing research on improving air quality in urban conditions

29/01/2021 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

Airborne fine dust particles (FD) are recognized as one of the most harmful pollutants to human health. The size of fine dust determines their ability to penetrate the human body, and particles less than 10 microns in size are recognized as the most dangerous. At the same time, the causes of FD toxicity are still insufficiently studied. For example, the relationship between mortality from COVID-19 and the concentration of FD in the air was shown. However, it is still not clear whether fine dust is a direct vector carrier of the virus or only exacerbates the susceptibility of the human body to the virus.

Collaboration Ecosystem Services Ecosystems Green Infrastructure Science Soils

LAWN project partners update webinar 2020

17/12/2020 Anastasia Konstantinova No Comments

By Dr. Diana Dushkova and Prof. Maria Ignatieva

On December 17, an online webinar of the LAWN 2020 project partners was organized by Dr. Diana Dushkova, Helmholtz Center for environmental research – UFZ Leipzig, Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology; Geography Department of Humboldt University Berlin, Germany and Prof. Dr. Maria Ignatieva, School of Design, University of Western Australia.

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