Workgroup on SIRS developments Introductory remarks

Key issues: Organizational status/structure - Gerard Begni Scientific background and challenges SIRS and ESS-P Programs Funding sources

Siberian Branch of National Committee on INTERNATIONAL GEOSPHERE-BIOSPHERE PROGRAMME Creation of Siberian branch of IGBP National Committee – first practical action of SB RAS to development of Integrated Regional Study of Siberian Environment in the spirit of 2 stage of IGBP and Earth System Science Partnership. Siberian branch of IGBP National Committee is structured according to five lines of a work: Biological – ac. Е.А. Vaganov (biosphere research coordination); Climatic and Ecological – RAS corresponding member М.V. Kabanov (coordination of research of modern natural and climatic changes); Paleoclimatic – ac. М.I. Kuz’min (coordination of Siberian paleoclimate study); Permafrost – ac. V.P. Mel’nikov (coordination of Siberian cryolyosphere study); Informational infrastructure – prof. E.P. Gordov (organization of informational support for environmental research, data storage and access) Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems SB RAS and Siberian Center for Environmental Research and Training are responsible for organizational support of SB National Committee action (web-site, database, etc.).

SB Committee Bureau Evgeny A. VaganovAcademician, Chairman, Director of Institute of Forest SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk Mikhail I. Kuz’minAcademician, Chairman of Irkutsk Scientific center SB RAS, Irkutsk (coordination of Siberian paleoclimate study) Vladimir P. Mel’nikovAcademician, Chairman of Tyumen Scientific Center SB RAS, Tyumen, (coordination of Siberian cryolithosphere study) Mikhail V. KabanovRAS corresponding member, Vice-chairman, Director of Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems SB RAS,Tomsk (coordination of research of modern natural and climatic changes) Alexander A. Onuchin Dr.Sci., Vice-chairman, Vice-director of Institute of Forest SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk (biosphere research coordination) Evgueni P. GordovDr.Sci., Vice-chairman, Director of Siberian Center for Environmental Research and Training, Tomsk, (Administrative activity, contacts with IGBP, organization of informational support for environmental research, data storage and access)

Committee Andrey G. Degermendzi RAS corresponding member, Director of Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk Vadim I. EvsikovRAS corresponding member, Director of Institute of Systematic and Animal Ecology SB RAS, Novosibirsk Vladimir V. ZuevRAS corresponding member, Director of International Research Center on Environmental Physics and Ecology SB RAS, Tomsk, Vasily N. LykossovRAS corresponding member, Main researcher of Institute of Numerical Mathematics RAS, Moscow Valerian A. SnytkoRAS corresponding member, Director of Institute of Geography SB RAS, Irkutsk Arnold K. TulokhonovRAS corresponding member, Director of Baikal Institute of Nature Management SB RAS, Ulan-Ude Yury I. Vinokurov Dr.Sci., Director of Institute of Water and Environmental Problems SB RAS,Barnaul

Nikolai A. KolchanovRAS corresponding member, Vice-director of Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk Vladimir N. KrupchatnikoffDr.Sci., leading researcher of Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB RAS, Novosibirsk Vladimir A. Krutikov Dr.Sci., Vice-director of Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems SB RAS, Tomsk Mikhail V. Panchenko Dr.Sci., Department director of Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS, Tomsk Aleksey B. PtitsynDr.Sci., Director of Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS,, Chita

Associated Committee Members Gerard Begni Dr., Director of MEDIAS FRANCE, France Martin Heimann Professor, Director of Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany Detlef Schulze Professor, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany Anatoly S. Shvidenko Dr.Sci., Senior Researcher of Forestry Program International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria and main researcher of Institute of Forest SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk

The following issues are to be fully addressed by SIRS: What are the main features of the regional Siberian climate changes (overall trends, sub-regional trends and anomalies, interactions between ecosystem, atmosphere, and human dynamics, etc.)? What are the regional “drivers” of these changes? How are they linked to the global climate change features? In turn, how do they impact them? In particular, what are the teleconnections with surrounding sub-regions and regions such as central Asia, Aral Sea basin, Mongolia, Arctic polar area…? How can sub-regional and regional modeling be led and nested into more global models? Can regional scenarios be developed in line with IPCC scenarios? What are the results of such scenarios? What are the anticipated physical, biological and socio-economic impacts of global change according to each scenario? Are relevant socio-ecological models available and validated to deal with these phenomena from such a point of view? Do satisfactory links between physical and socio- economical scientists addressing such issues exist? Are there actions that could be done to slow down the sources of adverse climate changes? At what cost? Which actions should be undertaken to mitigate adverse impact of climate change? At what cost?

According SB of the Russian National IGBP Committee on the initial stage SIRS might be centred along the three following activities : Study of greenhouse gases and aerosol exchange between biota and atmosphere (Co-ordinator Evgeny Vaganov, regional core group includes Slava Kharuk, Nikolai Kolchanov, Vadimir Krupchatnikov, Konstantin Kutsenogii and Alexander Onuchin) Regional climate change impact monitoring and modelling (Co-ordinators Mikhael Kabanov and Vasily Lykosov, regional core group includes Vladimir Krutikov, Viktor Kuzin, Vladimir Penenko, Gdaly Rivin, Vladimir Shaidurov, Valerian Snytko, Yurii Vinokurov, Arnold Tulokhonov) Development of information-computational infrastructure of SIRS (Co-ordinator Evgueni Gordov, regional core group includes: Igor Bychkov, Alexander Fazliev, Anatoly Fedotov, Anatoly Lagutin, Vladimir Penenko and Alexander Starchenko)

As result of the WG we hope to define more precisely a preliminary plan to lead an Integrated Regional Study about the unique features of Climate Change in Siberia, its local and regional impacts, and its interactions with other regions. Also we hope that a strong signal showing that regional scientific community enforced by strong international links is quite ready and eager to work within the framework of ESS- P, since it could be one of its IRS will be generated and heard by the relevant scientific managers of International Programs to involve them into paving the way to building SIRS welfare step by step in line with the international programmes!

SIRS and ESS-P Programs … the GCP remains very interested and would like to support and endorse of any development such an integrated study of the region. Of course, our interest is mostly at the carbon-climate feedbacks which includes forest fires, permafrost thawing, and peatland dynamics, all critical components of the regional and global carbon budget. I would appreciate if you keep me informed and the GCP will certainly be interested in learning about the developments and providing any support that we may be available to provide in terms of the larger picture of the carbon cycle… Josep Canadell (Pep) Executive Director Global Carbon Project Earth System Science Partnership …I would like to participate in the SIRS Workgroup. It is pity that I cannot travel at this time… Dennis Ojima (Organizer of Global Land Cover Program of Earth System Science Partnership)

…I am very pleased to know that you and your colleagues are planning an Integrated Regional Study that is focusing at that part of the world. It is, for IGBP and more generally for ESSP, a very important initiative… Guy Brasseur, IGBP