Search Results (70)

Plant species harbor diverse rhizospheric bacteria within their resilient root zones, serving as a valuable reservoir of bioactive microorganisms with strong potential for natural antifungal and plant growth-promoting applications. This study aimed to investigate the antagonistic potential of Bacillus zhangzhouensis, isolated from Zygophyllum oxianum in the Aral Sea region, Uzbekistan, against the fungal pathogen Cytospora mali. Due to its strong antifungal activity, B. zhangzhouensis was selected for bioactive compound profiling. Methanolic extracts were fractionated via silica and Sephadex gel chromatography, followed by antifungal screening using the agar diffusion method. A highly active fraction (dichloromethane/methanol, 9:1) underwent further purification, yielding twelve antifungal sub-fractions. Mass spectrometry analysis across positive and negative ion modes identified 2475 metabolites, with polar solvents—particularly methanol—enhancing compound recovery. Refinement using Bacillus-specific references identified six known antibiotics. Four pure compounds were isolated and structurally characterized using NMR: oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, cyclo-(Pro-Ser), and uracil. Their growth regulatory activity was assessed on Amaranthus retroflexus, Nicotiana benthamiana, triticale, and Triticum aestivum at concentrations of 5, 20, 100, and 500 mg L−1. All compounds negatively affected root growth in a concentration-dependent manner, especially in monocots. Interestingly, some treatments enhanced stem growth, particularly in N. benthamiana. These findings indicate that B. zhangzhouensis produces diverse bioactive compounds with dual antifungal and plant growth-modulatory effects, highlighting its potential as a biocontrol agent and a source of natural bioactive compounds. Full article

Sustainable transboundary water governance in Central Asia faces significant challenges, including political tensions, ecological issues, such as the drying Aral Sea, and seasonal hydropower disruptions impacting downstream countries. This study aims to address these problems by examining the complexities of water resource governance in the region, emphasizing the interplay between national interests and regional cooperation. We analyze how social, economic, environmental, and political factors influence water diplomacy among Central Asian states. Key challenges include water scarcity, climate change impacts and the growing tensions over transboundary river basins, particularly in the Aral Sea basin (i.e., the development of the Kushtepa Canal in Afghanistan). The intricate linkages between water, energy, and agriculture further complicate decision-making processes among riparian nations. While recent diplomatic efforts signal a shift towards enhanced regional cooperation, existing agreements remain fragmented, and a sustainable, long-term governance framework is still lacking. Our findings highlight the importance of an integrated, basin-wide approach to transboundary water management. We argue that a cohesive regional water strategy—grounded in international legal frameworks and supported by collaborative governance mechanisms—can mitigate conflicts and promote water security in Central Asia. The significance of this study lies in its potential to inform policy decisions and promote sustainable practices in transboundary water governance, ultimately contributing to the broader goals of sustainable development and regional cooperation. Full article

The long-term reduction of the Aral Sea area has led to an ecological catastrophe and a deterioration in the health of the population. The progressing demographic crisis necessitates research on factors that negatively impact the fertility of the population in the Aral region. To investigate the influence of Aral Sea dust–salt aerosols on rat testicular tissues, we exposed male rats to the inhalation of dust–salt aerosols for 7, 24, 30, 48 and 72 days. The results of the morphometric analysis of the rat testes tissues indicate that aerosols containing salts from the Aral Sea have a detrimental effect on the seminiferous epithelium, causing a depletion of the spermatogenic layer and reduction of seminiferous tubules lumen. The morphological signs of testicular damage in the experimental animal groups included low cellularity of seminiferous tubules, vacuolization of Sertoli cells, and a decrease in the number of Leydig cells in the interstitium. The smallest thickness of the spermatogenic layer and the lowest number of Leydig cells were observed in rats after the longest inhalation exposure to the dust–salt aerosols. Full article

This study evaluates water body changes in Central Asia (2000–2019) using Landsat 7 data on Google Earth Engine, comparing the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), OTSU algorithm, and random forest (RF). The random forest algorithm demonstrated the best overall performance in water body extraction and was selected as the analysis tool. The results reveal a significant 11.25% decline in Central Asia’s total water area over two decades, with the Aral Sea shrinking by 72.13% (2000–2019) and southern Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers decreasing by 39.23%. Pearson correlations indicate strong links between water loss and rising temperatures (−0.5583) and declining precipitation (0.6872). Seasonal fluctuations and permanent degradation (e.g., dry riverbeds) highlight climate-driven vulnerabilities, exacerbated by anthropogenic impacts. These trends threaten regional water security and ecological stability, underscoring the urgent need for adaptive resource management. The RF-GEE framework proves effective for large-scale, long-term hydrological monitoring in arid regions, offering critical insights for climate resilience strategies. Full article

Due to the influences of climate change and human activities, the resources and environments of the “One Belt and One Road” initiative are facing severe challenges. Using drought indicators, this study aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of the drought environment and the response of vegetation cover in the area to drought conditions. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) drought severity index (GRACE-DSI), GRACE water storage deficit index (GRACE-WSDI) and standardized precipitation index (SPI) were calculated to measure hydrological drought. Additionally, based on GRACE and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) data, groundwater data in Central Asia was retrieved to calculate the groundwater drought index using the GRACE Standardized Groundwater Level Index (GRACE-SGI). The findings indicate that, from 2000, Central Asia’s annual precipitation decreased at a rate of 1.80 mm/year (p < 0.1), and its annual temperature increased slightly, at a rate of 0.008 °C/year (p = 0.62). Water storage decreased significantly at a rate of −3.53 mm/year (p < 0.001) and showed an increase-decrease-increase-decrease pattern. During the study period, the aridity in Central Asia deteriorated, especially on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea basin. After 2020, most of Central Asia experienced droughts at both the hydrological and groundwater droughts levels and of varying lengths and severity. During the growing season, there was a substantial positive association between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and drought indicators such as GRACE-DSI and GRACE-WSDI. Nonetheless, the NDVI of cultivated land and grassland distribution areas in Central Asia displayed a strong negative correlation with GRACE-SGI. This study concludes that the arid environment in Central Asia affected the growth of vegetation. The ecological system in Central Asia may be put under additional stress if drought conditions continue to worsen. This paper explores the drought characteristics in Central Asia, especially those of groundwater drought, and analyzes the response of vegetation, which is very important for the ecological and environmental protection of the region. Full article

One of the worst natural, economic, and social catastrophes caused by human activity is the Aral Sea crisis in Central Asia. The Aral Sea’s desiccation, which has an impact on the region’s overall sustainable development, human welfare, security, and survival, is what led to the problem. This study assesses the effects of economic expansion, population ageing, life expectancy, internet usage, and greenhouse gas emissions on the fertility rate in the countries that made up the Aral Sea basin between 1990 and 2021. Several econometric techniques were used in this study, including Pooled OLS (Ordinary Least Squares) with the Driscoll–Kraay estimating method, FMOLS (Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square), and DOLS (Dynamic Ordinary Least Square). Additionally, we used the Hurlin and Dumitrescu non-cause tests to verify the causal links between the variables. The empirical findings verify that a decrease in the fertility rate among women in the nations surrounding the Aral Sea occurs when the population of a certain age (women aged 15–64 as a percentage of the total population) grows and life expectancy rises. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) also have an adverse effect on reproductive rates. Conversely, the region’s fertility rate may rise as a result of increased internet usage and economic growth. Furthermore, this study indicates that certain variables—aside from greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)—have a causal relationship with the fertility rate. Full article

Two freshwater rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, flow into the Aral Sea, but they began to diminish in the early 1960s, and by the 1980s, the lake had nearly ceased to exist due to excessive water consumption for agriculture and the unsustainable management of water resources from rivers, which transformed the Aral Sea into a hypersaline lake. Despite this, the flora and fauna of the region began to evolve in the high-salinity seabed soil, which has received little attention in studies. In this study, we isolated approximately 1400 bacterial strains from the rhizosphere and phyllosphere of plant species of distinct families. Bacterial isolates were examined for antifungal activities against a range of pathogenic fungi such as Rhizoctonia gossypii, Trichothecium ovalisporum, Fusarium annulatum, F. oxysporum, F. culmorum, F. brachygibbosum, F. tricinctum, F. verticillioides, Alternaria alternata, A. terreus, Aspergillus niger, and As. flavus. Eighty-eight bacterial isolates exhibited varying antagonistic ability against pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, DNA barcoding of isolates using the 16S rRNA gene indicated that most antagonistic bacteria belonged to the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera. The study also explored the activity of hydrolytic and cell-wall-degrading enzymes produced by antagonistic bacteria. The findings revealed that antagonistic bacteria can be utilized to widely protect seabed plants and plants growing in saline areas against pathogenic fungi, as well as agricultural crops. Full article

In the face of climate change and human activities, Central Asia’s (CA) terminal lake basins (TLBs) are shrinking, leading to deteriorating natural environments and serious soil wind erosion (SWE), which threatens regional socio-economic development, human health, and safety. Limited research on SWE and population exposure risk (PER) in these areas prompted this study, which applied the RWEQ and a PER model to assess the spatiotemporal changes in SWE and PER in TLBs in CA, including the Ili River Basin (IRB), Tarim River Basin (TRB), Syr Darya River Basin (SRB), and Amu Darya River Basin (ARB), from 2000 to 2020. We analyzed the driving factors of SWE and used the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to simulate dust event trajectories. The findings from 2000 to 2020 show a spatial reduction trend in SWE and PER, with primary SWE areas in the Taklamakan Desert, Aral Sea Basin, and Lake Balkhash. Significant PER was observed along the Tarim River, near Lake Balkhash, and in the middle and lower reaches of the ARB and SRB. Over the past 21 years, temporal trends in SWE have occurred across basins, decreasing in the IRB, but increasing in the TRB, SRB, and ARB. Dust movement trajectories indicate that dust from the lower reaches of the SRB and ARB could affect Europe, while dust from the TRB could impact northern China and Japan. Correlations between SWE, NDVI, temperature, and precipitation revealed a negative correlation between precipitation and NDVI, suggesting an inhibitory impact of precipitation and vegetation cover on SWE. SWE also varied significantly under different LUCCs, with increases in cropland, forestland, and desert land, and decreases in grassland and wetland. These insights are vital for understanding SWE and PER in TLBs and offer theoretical support for emergency mitigation in arid regions. Full article

Water resources are scarce and difficult to manage in Kazakhstan, Central Asia (CA). Anthropic activities largely eliminated the Aral Sea. Afghanistan’s large-scale canal construction may eliminate life in the main stream of the Amu Darya River, CA. Kazakhstan’s HYRASIA ONE project, with a EUR 50 billion investment to produce green hydrogen, is targeted to withdraw water from the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan, CA, requires sustainable programs that integrate both decision-makers’ and people’s behavior. For this paper, the authors investigated groundwater resources for sustainable use, including for consumption, and the potential for natural “white” hydrogen production from underground geological “factories”. Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources, such as iron-rich rocks, minerals, and uranium, which are necessary for serpentinization reactions and radiolysis decay in natural hydrogen production from underground water. Investigations of underground geological “factories” require substantial efforts in field data collection. A chemical analysis of 40 groundwater samples from the 97 wells surveyed and investigated in the T. Ryskulov, Zhambyl, Baizak and Zhualy districts of the Zhambyl region in South Kazakhstan in 2021–2022 was carried out. These samples were compared with previously collected water samples from the years 2020–2021. The compositions of groundwater samples were analyzed, revealing various concentrations of different minerals, natural geological rocks, and anthropogenic materials. South Kazakhstan is rich in natural mineral resources. As a result, mining companies extract resources in the Taraz–Zhanatas–Karatau and the Shu–Novotroitsk industrial areas. The most significant levels of minerals found in water samples were found in the territory of the Talas–Assinsky interfluve, where the main industrial mining enterprises are concentrated and the largest groundwater deposits have been explored. Groundwater compositions have direct connections to geological rocks. The geological rocks are confined to sandstones, siltstones, porphyrites, conglomerates, limestones, and metamorphic rocks. In observation wells, a number of components can be found in high concentrations (mg/L): sulfates—602.0 (MPC 500 mg/L); sodium—436.5 (MPC 200 mg/L); chlorine—465.4 (MPC 350 mg/L); lithium—0.18 (MPC 0.03 mg/L); boron—0.74 (MPC 0.5 mg/L); cadmium—0.002 (MPC 0.001 mg/L); strontium—15, 0 (MPC 7.0 mg/L); and TDS—1970 (MPC 1000). The high mineral contents in the water are natural and comprise minerals from geological sources, including iron-rich rocks, to uranium. Proper groundwater classifications for research investigations are required to separate potable groundwater resources, wells, and areas where underground geological “factories” producing natural “white” hydrogen could potentially be located. Our preliminary investigation results are presented with the aim of creating a large-scale targeted program to improve water sustainability in Kazakhstan, CA. Full article

Due to the falling water level in the Aral Sea and Muynak Lake, the content of salts dissolved in the water has gradually increased, and toxic elements have been deposited at the lake’s bottom and subsequently washed into the Aral region by the river. Bacteria, archaea and fungi are crucial for the cycling of several important inorganic nutrients in soils. From 15 genera and 31 species of recovered microscopic filamentous fungi, a big group was melanized, of which most of them were also phytopathogenic. The second group consisted of keratinophilic species. Isolated bacteria mainly included members of the genera Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Massilia, Rhodococcus and Nocardiopsis. High-throughput sequencing analysis permitted a better view of the mycobiome and prokaryotic communities (comprising archaea). The cultivation and sequencing approaches were shown to be complementary. The aim of the work was to identify soil microorganisms, including the order Halobacteriales, and to discover the differences in species diversity depending on soil salinity and the presence of PTEs in soil. Full article

Rivers in arid regions serve as crucial freshwater resources for local communities and play an essential role in global hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. The Aral Sea Basin (ASB) in Central Asia is characterized by an arid climate and river dynamics that are sensitive to climate change and human activities. Monitoring the spatiotemporal variations in river water extent in the ASB is essential to maintain an ecological balance and ensure water security. In this study, we extracted data regarding monthly river water bodies in the ASB from 2017 to 2022 by synthesizing monthly Sentinel-2 images. The water extents on the Sentinel images were automatically mapped using the Otsu method, and the river widths for all river channels were calculated using the RivWidth algorithm. We investigated the relationships between the river dynamics and the geomorphology, climatic change, human activities, and the annual and interannual variations in the river width in different reaches of the basin. The results show a seasonal variability in the river width, with most rivers reaching the largest width in the warm season and a few rivers in the middle and lower areas reaching the valley value in the warm season. Compared to their tributaries, the mainstem in the middle/lower regions showed less seasonal variability. According to interannual analysis, most of the rivers in the ASB significantly narrowed between 2017 and 2022, a phenomenon which is generally impacted by temperature and evapotranspiration variations. Comparisons show that our results provide improved information about the narrow river reaches and denser river networks compared to the previous global dataset, demonstrating the advantageous properties of high spatial resolution in Sentinel-2 imagery. Full article

There are frequent and intensive periods of heavy rain in the arid areas of southern Xinjiang. This study uses a typical rainstorm process in the South Xinjiang Basin to investigate the weather, physical mechanisms, mesoscale characteristics, and income and expenditure characteristics of water vapor sources, analyzing them using the observation data from southern Xinjiang regional automatic stations, ERA5 reanalysis data, multi-source satellite data, and WRF numerical simulation results. The study results show that torrential rain processes occur in the double-body distribution of the South Asian High in the upper troposphere, which is “high in the east and low in the west,” with “two ridges and one trough” in the middle layer. The development and movement of the low vortex, the configuration of low-level convergence and high-level divergence, and vertical upward movement provide favorable dynamic conditions for heavy rain. Additionally, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal are important water vapor sources for this rainstorm. The water vapor reaches the South Xinjiang Basin along westward, southwest, and eastward paths. It is mainly imported into the South Xinjiang Basin from 500 to 300 hPa on the southern border and 700–500 hPa on the west, north, and east borders, and exported from 500 to 300 hPa on the eastern border. The simulation results show that the change in water vapor content significantly influences the precipitation intensity and range. The water vapor transport at the southern boundary contributes the most precipitation during the rainstorm. As the water vapor in the rainstorm area increases (decreases), the ascending motion is strengthened (weakened), the low-level convergence and high-level divergence are strengthened (weakened), the water vapor transport to the middle and high levels increases (decreases), and the precipitation increases (decreases). Full article

A buffer zone can be used to analyze the influence of the lake on the surrounding spatial elements, which is of great significance for discussing the problems of lake retreat, vegetation degradation, and overall environmental deterioration in the Aral Sea. Taking the 3 km buffer zone of the Aral Sea as the research area, the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and main influencing factors of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the Aral Sea research area were studied using remote sensing over 31 years (1987, 1997, 1992, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018). The results showed that the vegetation growth in the Aral Sea buffer zone deteriorates with the retreat of the lake; the vegetation of the small Aral Sea began to recover due to the stable water volume and salt content of the lake; vegetation began to grow in the west coast of the West Aral Sea; the shrinkage of the Aral Sea caused by human activities is an important factor affecting the growth of the vegetation. This study provides a reference for the restoration and reconstruction of regional vegetation. Full article

The Aral Sea region (Uzbekistan) is infamous because of the ecological disaster characterized by the disappearance of the Aral Sea due to excessive uncontrolled water intake for agriculture needs. A new desert occurrence, soil and climate aridization led to pesticide and toxic metals environment pollution. The impact of environmental conditions in some areas of Uzbekistan on the health of soccer players is not as noticeable as, for example, the effectiveness of training, so it is not widely discussed in scientific papers. The aim of the present study was to study the features of endocrine status, hematology parameters (e.g., red blood cells (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb)), and their influence on body composition and physical fitness performance in local young soccer players of the Aral Sea region as the territory of ecological disaster. The study involved 60 male soccer players aged from 18 to 22 years. Participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG), which consisted of 30 soccer players living on the territory of the Aral ecological disaster region, and the control group (CG), which included 30 soccer players, natives of the ecologically favorable region of Uzbekistan. All volunteers had anthropometric measurements, concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2), cortisol (C), RBC, and Hb count. Moreover, Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIRT1) and professional skills tests such as dribbling shuttle test (DSt) and goal accuracy test (GAt) were assessed. When comparing the CG group to the EG group, it was observed that the EG group exhibited statistically significantly reduced levels of TT and E2 (p < 0.05). No significant statistical difference was observed between the two groups in terms of IGF-1 and C (p > 0.05). Regarding hematological parameters, Hb, Ht, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were found to be significantly lower in the EG compared with the CG (p < 0.05). Moreover, the distance covered in the YYIR1 test was found to be significantly lower in soccer players within the EG compared with the CG (p < 0.05). Additionally, it was determined that there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of DSt and GAt values (p > 0.05). Lastly, significant differences were observed between the EG and CG in terms of anthropometric characteristics (diameters, skinfold, and somatotype profile) (p < 0.05). The present study showed that the changes in evaluated characteristics might result from the complex influence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the content of which is high in the environment of the Aral Sea region. The results obtained may help monitor the health of athletes living in an environmentally unfriendly environment. Full article

Agriculture contributes the most to the economy and provides agro-ecological benefits in the environmentally unsustainable Aral Sea region, but its productivity is steadily dropping. To improve the resilience of farming communities in the region, crop diversification is proposed to enable farmers to grow high-value competitive crops and obtain more stable farm incomes. This study provides long-term, multidisciplinary analyses and strategies for strengthening crop diversification amongst farmers in the Aral Sea region. The study analyzed data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the statistical yearbook of 2000–2020. According to the gross margin study findings, farmers who use diversified cropping systems made considerably higher revenues than farmers relying on mono-cropping practices. This study demonstrates that greater crop diversity contributes to the rational use of natural resources and optimization plans, environmental sustainability, and food security as important natural and socio-economic issues in this region. The study findings suggest that proper crop diversification strategies need to be developed in the Aral Sea region to improve the sustainability of farming systems with enhanced resilience to devastating environmental and climate challenges. Full article