Specialists from the Forest Research Institute KarRC RAS are studying pith wood formation patterns in pine. Pith is largely responsible for tree resistance to weather, first of all windstorms. It also influences timber quality: moisture, color, resistance to decay. Understanding of the mechanisms of pith wood formation is also essential for global studies of carbon cycling.

Staff of the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS spent a fortnight on an expedition aboard the Ekolog Research Vessel. Surveys covered virtually all parts of Lake Onego and Vygozerskoe Storage Reservoir during peak water warm-up period. The results will help analyze how human impacts aggravated by climate warming influence the waterbodies.

Karelian scientists elaborating a new technique for surveying soils using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The main method used in this sphere so far has been excavating soil pits manually, which is rather labor-intensive. With GPR sensing extensive areas can be analyzed relatively quickly. This facilitates a faster and more efficient soil mapping, recording of soil spatial variation, spotting of vulnerable or contaminated soil sites. It can have practical applications in precision agriculture and environmental monitoring.

Karelian biologist Viktor Mironov carried out a novel study on the daily effects of solar activity on plant growth. Previously, this phenomenon was usually studied on a yearly scale. The new detailed approach and personally done measurements of increment in over 160 000 moss shoots have helped the scientist discover previously unknown effects of solar activity.

State Report on the Environment in the Republic of Karelia in 2021 was published. It contains data on characteristics of the climate, air, land, water, forest, and biological resources and information about the economic and socio-demographic situation in the region.

Specialists from the Forest Research Institute (FRI) KarRC RAS study how spruce advance regeneration adapts to an abrupt change in light conditions in gaps formed by thinning. To this end, researchers started a large-scope two-year experiment with 12 forest plots for monitoring trees in different settings. This integrated study will serve both for theoretical science – improving the understanding of tree adaptation mechanisms, and for applied tasks – its results will form the background for silvicultural operations meant to form high-productivity coniferous stands.