Scientists at the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry have discovered that climate change is stimulating the growth of harmful vegetation in Arctic lakes.
According to the researchers, the increase in phytoplankton is caused by a rise in the concentration of phosphorus, nitrogen and organics in air and water. At the same time, reservoirs that are not directly influenced by humans have been studied.
Scientists have summarized data on more than a hundred water reservoirs – they were examined every five years from 1990 to 2023 as part of the international ICP-Water program. The state of the water was assessed by such indicators as transparency, total phosphorus, phosphates and chlorophyll A content.
The researchers concluded that in 2010-2018, the number of lakes with high water transparency, low content of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrogen and, as a result, low bioproductivity in the tundra zone decreased by 30% compared to the 1990-2000 period.
Meanwhile, there are almost no such lakes left in the north taiga zone, ttelegraf.ru reports.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
