Use of superabsorbent plants for urban greening as a tool to sequester atmosphere carbon

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the possibility of increasing the CO2 sequestration of hemp in the conditions of urban growth in central Russia by introducing non-traditional fertilizers from agricultural waste. For this, an experiment was carried out on the cultivation of industrial hemp, including the application of fertilizers (biochar, compost, a mixture of biochar and compost). Morphometric indicators, biomass, and chlorophyll content were measured. The absence of a significant effect of fertilizers on morphological (the length of the ground part, the length of the root, biomass) and physiological (chlorophyll content) characteristics was established. Based on the data of the “Register of Green Spaces”, the area of green spaces in Kazan was determined, which can be occupied by hemp (landscaping along roads, sanitary protection zones) – 630.8 hectares. It has been established that it is most expedient to plant hemp using biochar, since this method allows additional carbon sequestration and reduces CO2 emissions from transport by up to 4% per growing season.CO2 is a greenhouse gas with a minimal Global Warming Potential (GWP), however, its contribution to climate change is high due to the large mass of emissions. At the same time, at the moment there are technologies for capturing CO2. However, there is not enough information in the literature about the use of supersequestrator plants such as industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L., 1753) in large cities to reduce the carbon footprint, and there is practically no data on how sequestration can be increased through the use of various fertilizers, for example biochar.