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Evaluation of environment-forming functions of wetland ecosystems in the Altai State Nature Biosphere Reserve

E.P. Chertkova, D.G. Zamolodchikov

Section: Monitoring of natural and anthropogenically disturbed areas

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems, providing a wide range of regulating services, among which the water purification function plays a key role in maintaining the hydrological regime of territories. However, the economic value of these services for protected areas remains insufficiently studied. The aim of this work is to determine the economic value of the water purification function of the mire ecosystems in the Altai State Natural Biosphere Reserve (ASNBR). The work is based on a comparative assessment of the ecological and economic efficiency of natural and technological water treatment systems. The object of the study is the mire ecosystems of the ASNBR, covering a total area of 3,299 hectares. During the 2024 field season, in situ hydrochemical studies were conducted to determine the quality of water entering the mire systems and formed after filtration through them. The closed-cycle treatment plant “Veksa-20-M” was selected as a technological analogue, ensuring water purification to fishery reservoir standards, which corresponds to the target water quality at the outlet of the mire ecosystems. Cost calculations for the technological system were performed considering the full life cycle of the equipment (capital costs, depreciation, operating expenses). The filtration volume of the mires was determined based on their area, specific filtration capacity (685 m³/ha/day), and the duration of the frost-free period (121 days). Hydrochemical studies confirmed that the water quality at the outlet of the mire systems meets fishery standards: suspended solids content is 2–6 mg/L, nitrate concentration is 0.2–2.1 mg/L. The total annual volume of water filtered by the ASNBR mire ecosystems reached 273.4 million m³. The unit cost of water treatment using the technological analogue, considering its full life cycle, was determined to be 1.35 rubles/m3. The economic equivalent of the mires’ water purification function is estimated at 369 million rubles/year. Comparative analysis revealed that, with comparable final treatment quality, the natural system is 430 times more productive than the technological one, requires no capital investment, is energy-independent, and, unlike the industrial plant, generates no toxic waste. For the first time, a quantitative assessment of the water purification function has been performed for the mire ecosystems of the ASNBR, based on a comparison with a technological analogue considering its full life cycle

Keywords: ecosystem services, filtering capacity, wetlands, specially protected areas, economic valuation, natural capital, water purification functions

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Article published in number 3 for 2026
DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2026-3-095-104