Search Results (9)

Sustainable livestock production in the arid regions of Central Asia depends almost entirely on groundwater resources. However, regional groundwater quality remains insufficiently characterized from the perspective of long-term water security and sustainable pasture management. Understanding the interaction between natural hydrogeochemical evolution and anthropogenic contamination is therefore essential for developing climate-resilient groundwater management strategies. This study presents a comparative hydrogeochemical assessment based on 101 groundwater samples collected from 58 sites in the Karaganda region and 43 sites in the Ulytau region during a single dry-season campaign (June–July 2025), with field sampling conducted across 4630 km² of active pastureland within a combined regional area of 409,070 km². Groundwater in Ulytau showed substantially greater mineralization, with a median TDS of 1027 mg/L compared with 538 mg/L in Karaganda; the proportion of samples exceeding 1000 mg/L was 53.5% (23/43) and 29.3% (17/58), respectively (Fisher’s exact p = 0.023). Median NO₃⁻ concentrations were also markedly higher in Ulytau (35.0 mg/L) than in Karaganda (5.0 mg/L), with the 50 mg/L guideline exceeded in 46.5% (20/43) vs. 19.0% (11/58) of samples (p = 0.004). NO₃⁻ and TDS were not significantly correlated in Karaganda (r_s = 0.108, p = 0.418), whereas a moderate positive relationship occurred in Ulytau (r_s = 0.388, p = 0.010). These results indicate that regional salinization is predominantly controlled by geogenic hydrochemical evolution, while nitrate contamination represents a localized anthropogenic pressure associated with vulnerable water points. The pronounced quantitative contrast between the two regions highlights the need for region-specific groundwater protection and management strategies to support sustainable livestock production and long-term water security in Central Kazakhstan. Rather than providing only a regional hydrochemical description, the present study evaluates groundwater quality as a sustainability indicator for livestock production, groundwater security, and regional adaptation to increasing water stress. Groundwater quality differed significantly between the two regions, with Ulytau exhibiting consistently higher mineralization, more frequent nitrate exceedances, and higher groundwater vulnerability. Statistical analyses confirmed that groundwater quality deterioration is controlled by different combinations of geogenic processes and localized anthropogenic impacts in the two hydrogeological settings. The findings demonstrate that groundwater quality represents a critical component of sustainable livestock production in Central Kazakhstan. The proposed regional groundwater vulnerability framework provides practical guidance for groundwater protection, climate adaptation, and the sustainable management of pastoral water resources under increasing environmental pressures. Full article

Central and northern Kazakhstan contain a substantial but incompletely synthesised component of the country’s Apiaceae flora. We combined targeted field surveys conducted in 2023–2025, taxonomic revision of 1243 herbarium specimens, and a presence–absence matrix for six historical floristic units. The taxonomic audit reconciled accepted names and synonyms, documented three entries without unit-confirmed incidence, and produced an analytical dataset of 79 taxa in 38 genera. Recorded richness ranged from 33 taxa in Kokshetau to 54 in the Western Uplands. Fourteen taxa occurred in all six units, and 21 were recorded in only one unit. Pairwise Jaccard similarity ranged from 0.333 to 0.683, and species replacement contributed 82% of the mean pairwise dissimilarity. The Western Uplands had the highest within-study range-rarity richness, whereas Ulytau had the largest local contribution to beta diversity. The broader 81-taxon ecological checklist was dominated by perennial herbs and xerophytes and documented medicinal, fodder, aromatic, food, melliferous, and ornamental uses. These metrics are conditional on the six-unit incidence matrix: they do not estimate local abundance, population size, national rarity, endemism, threat status, or harvest capacity. The principal contribution is therefore a voucher-informed, nomenclaturally harmonised regional baseline that identifies records and habitats requiring georeferenced verification and population-level follow-up. Full article

Coal ash-slag waste from coal-fired power plants is a high-volume technogenic material whose resource potential is controlled by particle-size heterogeneity, mineralogical composition, and the occurrence modes of valuable elements. This study investigated Au occurrence in ash-slag waste derived from Ekibastuz coal and evaluated gravity–magnetic preconcentration as a diagnostic first stage for separating Au- and Fe-bearing products. The material was characterized by particle-size analysis, X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis, optical and electron-probe microscopy, atomic absorption analysis (AAS), kinetic spectral analysis (KSA), gravity concentration, and magnetic separation. The feed was an aluminosilicate–ferruginous material dominated by mullite, magnetite, quartz, and hematite. In the coarse material, liberated native Au co-reported with heavy Fe-bearing phases: the vibratory spiral concentrate contained 0.99 g/t Au and 39.00% Fe, corresponding to 52.58% Au recovery and 66.49% Fe recovery. The combined spiral and centrifugal concentrates yielded 1.04 g/t Au at 63.22% recovery, representing an approximately eightfold upgrade relative to the 0.13 g/t feed. In contrast, gravity recovery from the finest fraction was approximately 1%, indicating ultrafine, poorly liberated, or matrix-associated Au. KSA gave higher Au values than AAS, reflecting matrix heterogeneity and method-dependent preparation and detection effects rather than analytical superiority. The results support a size-selective gravity–magnetic preconcentration route followed by targeted mineralogical verification and product-specific downstream extraction. Full article

Solonetz and Solonetzic rangelands are widespread in arid regions of Central Kazakhstan, where pasture degradation is often difficult to assess because surface vegetation patterns do not always reflect subsurface soil constraints. This study aimed to evaluate degradation patterns in Solonetz pasture ecosystems of the Ulytau region by integrating field soil-profile descriptions, laboratory analyses, vegetation observations, forage productivity data and Sentinel-2A-derived MSAVI. Ten monitoring soil profiles were examined for particle-size distribution, soluble salts, ionic composition, exchangeable cations, available N, P and K, vegetation cover and forage yield. USDA textural classification, salt-distribution analysis, Pearson correlation, PCA, RDA and MSAVI-based mapping were used to link soil-profile properties with vegetation and spectral response. The first two PCA axes explained 65.5% of the total variance, while selected soil profile constrains accounted for 58% of the variation in vegetation cover, forage yield and MSAVI in the RDA analyses. The results showed strong profile heterogeneity, with clay enrichment, subsurface salt accumulation, alkalinity and Na- or Mg-related exchange–complex imbalance associated with several degradation pathways. Surface horizons were often weakly saline, whereas deeper layers contained stronger chemical and physical limitations. MSAVI values were low across the monitoring sites and reflected vegetation–soil surface conditions rather than salinity or sodicity directly. MSAVI ranged from 0.0888 to 0.2148, with a mean value of 0.1248. Combining soil-profile diagnostics with Sentinel-2A MSAVI improved the reliability of interpreting spatial degradation patterns and provides a practical framework for monitoring spatially heterogeneous Solonetz rangelands, supporting sustainable rangeland management under arid conditions. Full article

Lithological, metasomatic, and structural heterogeneity in ore-hosting rocks limits the reliability of applying a single set of mechanical parameters without domain subdivision. This study evaluates intact rock properties, shear resistance along natural discontinuities, and conditional upscaling to the rock mass scale. The database comprised 232 laboratory records from 36 geotechnical borehole identifiers: 73 Brazilian tensile tests, 68 uniaxial compression tests, 49 triaxial compression tests, and 42 direct shear tests. Four domains were defined: D1, beresite-altered granodiorites; D2, diorites; D3, granodiorites; and D4, lamprophyre dikes. The lowest mean uniaxial compressive strength occurred in D1 (91.75 ± 40.65 MPa), whereas D2 showed the highest mean value, although its small sample size precludes confirmation as a domain characteristic. D3 provided the most representative dataset and exhibited intra-domain variability, while D4 showed the greatest variability in Young’s modulus (CV = 82.21%). Mean apparent cohesion along natural discontinuities was 0.125 ± 0.039 MPa for D1 and 0.140 ± 0.083 MPa for D3; D2 and D4 remain preliminary. GSI values of 48–58 were used only in scenario-based Hoek–Brown calculations. A ±5-point change in GSI altered equivalent rock mass strength by approximately −25% to −26% and +33% to +34%. The results support domain-based parameterization but require in situ verification. Full article

This paper proposes an approach to digitizing the environmental passport for areas where detachable parts of launch vehicles fall in Kazakhstan based on an interactive geographic information system platform and smart maps. An example is considered for zone U-4 (“Ulytau” district of the “Karaganda” region), which includes the fall zones of “Soyuz” launch vehicle blocks (IZ 26, 32, 34, 42, 56). The natural and climatic factors and hazards of the territory are analyzed: the total area of the zones under consideration exceeds 4.1 million hectares, annual precipitation varies between 218 and 289 mm, strong winds of 5.0–6.8 m/s are characteristic, and a high level of fire hazard can develop within 6–7 days. Data on fires for 2021 are provided. For an integrated assessment, a normalized system criterion, environmental sustainability indicator (0–1), has been introduced, aggregating four groups of criteria (chemical, mechanical, pyrogenic, biota) with a breakdown of contributions and calculation of uncertainty (σ and 95% CI). The system criterion of environmental sustainability map identifies local ‘hot spots’ with levels of around 0.8–1.0, while the uncertainty map shows maximums of up to 0.12–0.14 (with background values of ~0.02–0.08), which increases the validity of management decisions on monitoring and reclamation. Full article

The study aims to evaluate the impact of climate change on pasture ecosystems in Central Kazakhstan, particularly within the Karaganda and Ulytau regions. The assessment combines remote sensing indicators (NDVI, LST) with long-term climatic datasets (CRU TS v4.09 and national meteorological records) for the period 2000–2024. Non-parametric statistical methods, including the Mann–Kendall trend test, Sen’s slope estimator, and Pettitt’s test, were applied to identify the direction, intensity, and structural shifts in temperature and precipitation trends. The results indicate significant regional warming, especially during summer and spring, alongside spatially inconsistent precipitation changes. The southern and southwestern areas (Zhezkazgan and Satpayev) show intensified aridization, manifested in rising land surface temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and declining vegetation productivity and exacerbated by anthropogenic pressures. Conversely, the eastern and northeastern regions exhibit stable or increasing NDVI values and moderate precipitation growth, suggesting potential for natural recovery. The study concludes that pasture degradation in Central Kazakhstan is driven by combined climatic and human factors, with pronounced spatial heterogeneity. The integrated approach enhances the reliability of climate impact assessments and provides a scientific basis for developing adaptive and region-specific strategies for sustainable pasture management under ongoing climate change. Full article

Kazakhstan’s pasture, as a spatially extended agricultural resource for sustainable animal husbandry, requires effective monitoring with connected rational uses. Ranking number nine globally in terms of land size, Kazakhstan, with an area of about three million square km, requires proper assessment technologies for climate change and anthropogenic impact to track the pasture lands’ degradation. Remote sensing (RS)-based adaptive approaches for assessing pasture load, combined with field cross-checking of pastures, have been applied to evaluate the quality of vegetation cover, economic potential, service function, regenerative capacity, pasture productivity, and changes in plant species composition for five pilot regions in Kazakhstan. The current stages of these efforts are presented in this project report. The pasture lands in five regions, including Pavlodar (8,340,064 ha), North Kazakhstan (2,871,248 ha), Akmola (5,783,503 ha), Kostanay (11,762,318 ha), Karaganda (19,709,128 ha), and Ulytau (18,260,865 ha), were evaluated. Combined RS data were processed and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction of Vegetation Cover (FCover), Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR), Canopy Chlorophyll Content (CCC), and Canopy Water Content (CWC) indices were determined, in relation to the herbage of pastures and their growth and development, for field biophysical analysis. The highest values of LAI, FCOVER, and FARAR were recorded in the Akmola region, with index values of 18.5, 126.42, and 53.9, and the North Kazakhstan region, with index values of 17.89, 143.45, and 57.91, respectively. The massive 2024 spring floods, which occurred in the Akmola, North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, and Karaganda regions, caused many problems, particularly to civil constructions and buildings; however, these same floods had a very positive impact on pasture areas as they increased soil moisture. Further detailed investigations are ongoing to update the flood zones, wetlands, and swamp areas. The mapping of proper flood zones is required in Kazakhstan for pasture activities, rather than civil building construction. The related sustainable permissible grazing husbandry pasture loads are required to develop also. Recommendations for these preparation efforts are in the works. Full article

This article is devoted to the study of geoheritage objects and the scientific justification for the creation of a geopark in the Ulytau region of Central Kazakhstan. This region is the largest copper-bearing province in the world and has a unique natural and cultural heritage. The purpose of this article is to show the scientific and tourist significance of geoheritage objects of the potential Ulytau Geopark. The geological history of this area tells about no less than 500 million years of the planet’s development. Geological, historical and sacred objects make this area extremely interesting for the development of geotourism and the creation of geoparks as a basis for the sustainable development of the area. The research methods included a bibliographic method, which made it possible to collect information on the geoheritage of the territory; field survey techniques; and methods based on the evaluation of the criteria for eligibility for UNESCO Geoparks. The methodology included five main blocks of assessment (geology and landscape, structure and management model, interpretation and environmental education, geotourism and sustainable development at the regional level) and represents an integrated interdisciplinary approach to present regional features in the context of the geological heritage of the world. Despite the length of time geology has been studied and the resources actively used, geoheritage sites have not been previously studied and characterised. Geoparks in Kazakhstan are at an early stage of development and this article aims to show the potential for establishing geoparks in the Ulytau region. Full article