The Center conducts fundamental and applied research in urban ecology and sustainable urban development. It is an international inter-university platform that brings together leading experts from various research areas.

Resources

The laboratory facilities enable the use of the following methods:

• Optical emission spectrometry
• Elemental analysis
• Chromatography-mass spectrometry
• X-ray fluorescence analysis
• Infrared spectrometry
• Molecular genetic analysis

Field Research Equipment:

• Tree Talker – a device that determines tree sap flow
• Infrared gas analyzer – a device for monitoring carbon dioxide emissions from soils and the photosynthetic activity of plants
• Sensors to monitor soil and green space temperature and moisture
• Conductometer – a device that measures the electrical conductivity of a liquid (e.g., a soil solution) – an integral characteristic of salinity
• Unmanned aerial vehicle with a hyperspectral camera – allows for high-resolution images (up to 1 cm) to be obtained in various ranges and the green space condition to be assessed using vegetation indices
• Portable XRF analyzer (X-ray fluorescence analyzer) is used for rapid identification and non-destructive analysis of chemical elements in soils from magnesium (Mg) to uranium (U)

Laboratory Research Equipment:

• Optical emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma to determine metals and some non-metals in soil and water. The device works only with liquid samples, so a microwave digestion system is used for soil sample preparation
• Carbon and nitrogen analyzer capable of analyzing both solid and liquid samples
• Gas chromatograph with classic flame ionization and electron capture detectors used for greenhouse gas analysis
• Gas chromatograph with mass-selective detector to analyze pesticides, PCBs and fatty acid composition
• Spectrophotometers to analyze organic matter and anions in soil and water
• Fluorometer to analyze petroleum products and phenolic index in soil and water
• AN-2 analyzer to determine the total petroleum product content
• Real-time amplifier for DNA amplification and quantification
• Phytotron to conduct laboratory experiments in a climate chamber under given conditions

The Center's team:

• develops universal integrated approaches to assessing the supply and demand of green space ecosystem services at the city level based on a combination of remote sensing data, crowd mapping and citizen (volunteer) science methods
• analyzes and models the supply and demand of ecosystem services for typical green infrastructure facilities using process/balance approaches (biogeochemical block) and expert interviews to assess the structure of economic decision-making (social block)
• develops approaches and technologies for the restoration and sustainable development of urban soils and water bodies using bioremediation methods and nature-based solutions

The Center's team includes specialists in urban soil and green space assessment and modeling, ecosystem productivity, soil engineering and remote sensing, soil chemistry, and environmental service optimization models. The team has implemented over 30 research and educational projects funded by Russian and international research foundations (Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Russian Science Foundation, Grant of the President of the Russian Federation, Erasmus+ Jean Monnet, Erasmus+ Capacity Building) for a total of over 150 million rubles.

Partners

• Moscow State University Analytical Center
• Federal Research Centre “Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences”
• Southern Federal University
• Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy