Ecological Status Assessment of Permafrost-Affected Soils in the Nadym Region, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russian Arctic

Wenjuan Wang, Timur Nizamutdinov, Aleksander Pechkin, Eugeniya Morgun, Gensheng Li, Xiaodong Wu, Sizhong Yang and Evgeny Abakumov ()
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Wenjuan Wang: Department of Applied Ecology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199178, Russia
Timur Nizamutdinov: Department of Applied Ecology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199178, Russia
Aleksander Pechkin: Arctic Research Center of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Salekhard 629008, Russia
Eugeniya Morgun: Arctic Research Center of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Salekhard 629008, Russia
Gensheng Li: Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Mining and Ecological Restoration for Xinjiang Mineral Resources, Urumqi 830046, China
Xiaodong Wu: Cryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Sizhong Yang: Cryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Evgeny Abakumov: Department of Applied Ecology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199178, Russia

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Permafrost-affected regions in the Russian Arctic are a critical study area for studying the sources of metal elements (MEs) in soils originating from geological/pedogenic processes or from anthropogenic sources via atmospheric transport. In the Nadym region of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, we investigated the contents of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and MEs across different soil types and horizons, explored the source apportionment of MEs, and assessed local ecological risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The results showed that (1) the contents of SOC and TN in Histic Cryosols (8.59% and 0.27%) were significantly higher than in Plaggic Podzols (Arenic, Gelic, and Turbic) (2.28% and 0.15%) and in Ekranic Technosols (Umbric) (1.32% and 0.09%); (2) the concentrations of MEs in the Nadym region were lower than in other Arctic regions; (3) the primary sources of MEs were identified as geological processes (36%), atmospheric transport (23%), agricultural activities (21%), and transportation (20%); and (4) the permafrost-affected soils in the Nadym region exhibited low ecological risks from PTEs. These results underscore the critical role of geological and anthropogenic factors in shaping soil conditions and highlight the relatively low ecological risk from PTEs, providing a valuable benchmark for future environmental assessments and policy development in Yamal permafrost regions.

Keywords: Arctic cities; permafrost; metal elements; ecological status (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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