The study of medicinal plants and having a protected status is an urgent issue for the conservation of biodiversity in Kazakhstan. Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Ilijn is a medicinal plant, and its excessive harvesting and destruction of habitats, as well as its conservation status, are of concern. We conducted a study to assess the ecological characteristics of the habitat of the species in the Tarbagatai National Natural Park, calculate the amount of medicinal raw materials, calculate both aboveground and underground phytomass, and calculate biological and operational reserves. A map has been developed to show the distribution of the species and potential harvest sites. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed to understand how population size affects productivity. The results highlight the need for continuous monitoring and protection of endangered species. The conservation of Rhaponticum carthamoides in the Tarbagatai State National Nature Park is currently ensured by its protected status. However, the study emphasizes the importance of developing a sustainable use regime to effectively manage plant resources and ensure their preservation for future generations.

Steppe and semi-desert lakes of Central Asia represent unique and still poorly known aquatic ecosystems. The paper provides summaries of multi-proxy environmental and biological investigations of the previously unexplored ground of Sibe lakes in the naturally pristine zone of East Kazakhstan, and of their contributions to people. Data on the taxonomic composition of zooplankton and zoobenthos of these freshwater lacustrine basins are presented in terms of the species’ frequency of occurrence; the abundance of the aquatic biomass and the analyzed water geochemical variables insofar as they are dependent and correlative. The qualitative and quantitative records display variability in the biocenosis diversity due to the lakes’ geochemistry and hydrology differences—some lakes being oligotrophic and others being moderately trophic. In the latter case, the lakes characterized by an increased macrozoobenthos biomass are favourable for local ichthyofauna. Sapro-biological analysis reveals the predominance of β-saprobic species in the zooplankton composition pointing to slight or moderate pollution of surface waters due to natural biotic substances. This observation is in agreement with differences in the water quality of solitary lakes. The uneven distributions of benthic invertebrates (in terms of taxonomy and species populations) in the water bodies suggest specific hydro-ecological conditions that predetermine the structure of the lakes’ biocenosis. The littoral part of the lakes is characterized by the highest abundance of zooplankton and benthic fauna. The Sibe lakes are an example of an autonomous functioning of the lacustrine basins in the upland arid steppe zone, which is characterized by pronounced climate “continentality” and a high level of the sub-aquatic flora and fauna endemism. The present results are relevant to the understanding of the ecosystems’ dynamics and the modern anthropogenic impacts upon the pristine parkland-steppe landscapes of Central Asia, with implications for regional nature protection and sustainable eco-recreation.

This article presents data on the study of the chemical composition, antiradical and cytotoxic activity of three species of the genus Dracocephalum L., which grow in East Kazakstan. Essential oils are obtained from aerial parts of plants D. nutans, D. ruyschiana, D. thymiflorum and the average yield of oil was 0,2%. The chemical composition of essential oils were determined by the GC/MS.Cytotoxic activity of essential oils was determined by the survival of Artemia salinaaquatic crustaceans. Essential oils of D. nutans, D. ruyschiana and D. thymiflorum in all concentrations (1–10 mg/mL) tested exhibit acute lethal toxicity – all larvae were died. Antiradical activity was determined by the method based on colorimetry of free radicals (DPPH). The experimental results showed that essential oils from D. nutans, D. ruyschiana and D. thymiflorum at all tested concentrations (0,1–1,0 mg/mL) exhibited low antiradical activity compared with the standard drug – butylhydroxyanisole.

Wild almond relatives are valuable reservoirs of allelic variation for crop improvement and conservation, yet Kazakhstan’s wild-almond genetic resources remain poorly characterised. We conducted an exploratory SSR assessment of 80 putative individuals from four taxon-locality groups (20 per group), each representing one sampled population: Prunus ledebouriana, P. tenella, P. petunnikowii, and P. spinosissima. Of 22 nuclear simple sequence repeat loci screened for cross-taxon transferability, 15 generated reproducible profiles and were retained; their even genome-wide distribution was not verified. Across the full dataset, the mean number of alleles was 3.55, the effective number of alleles was 2.62, expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.544, and 95.0% of loci were polymorphic. Missing genotypes ranged from 0.0% to 34.7% among groups, and six loci had at least 20% missing data. AMOVA attributed 76.5% of variation to within-group differences and 23.5% to among-group differences (PhiPT = 0.235, p = 0.001). PCoA, unbiased Nei distances, UPGMA, and descriptive Bayesian clustering separated the four sampled groups. A nine-locus sensitivity analysis that excluded the six high-missing loci retained P. spinosissima as the group with the highest mean He (0.699), whereas P. petunnikowii increased from 0.471 to 0.609. Thus, the low full-panel estimate for P. petunnikowii was not robust to missing data. Because taxon identity was fully confounded with locality and the marker panel was limited, the results are interpreted as a regional marker-transferability and methodological baseline rather than as species-wide or genome-wide inference.

This article presents the results of studies conducted in the river basins of the Bukhtarma Reservoir within the Irtysh River Basin as part of the scientific and technical program of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan « Comprehensive studies of water bodies for the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic biological resources based on the assessment of their potential and modeling of stock dynamics» (BR23591095). The paper presents current data on the taxonomic composition of the macrozoobenthos of the Bukhtarma Reservoir (Irtysh River Basin) under present-day environmental conditions for the period from 2021 to 2025. he taxonomic composition and dominant groups of benthic invertebrates were determined, and the interannual variability of the macrozoobenthos was analyzed. According to the results of the conducted studies, the zoobenthos in the investigated water area was represented by 29 taxonomic units. The maximum number of taxa was recorded in 2023 (21 taxa), after which a decline was observed in 2024–2025, with partial recovery. Oligochaete worms (Oligochaeta gen. sp.) made a significant contribution in terms of frequency of occurrence. Chironomids were distinguished by their contribution to the formation of zoobenthic species richness, crustaceans dominated in abundance, while mollusks showed variable distribution and moderate diversity during the study period.

The article presents the results of a study of the morphometric parameters and hydrochemical regime of the Sibe lakes located at altitudes from 710 to 880 m above sea level in the Koktau mountains of the Kalba range of the East Kazakhstan region. The lakes are of tectonic origin, covering a total area of about 31 km2. The depth of the lake basins varies from 2 to 51 m: Lake Shalkar, as the largest body of water, reaches a maximum depth of 51 m, while Lake Karakol has a depth of up to 3 m. According to the area of mirrors, Sadyrkol and Karakol lakes are classified as small, while Korzhynkol, Tortkara and Shalkar lakes are classified as medium-sized. The length of the coastline varies from 2.6 km (Lake Karakol) to 9.4 km (Lake Shalkar), averaging 5.8 km. The hydrochemical parameters of water are considered, including the content of basic anions and cations, oxygen concentration, pH, mineralization, and hardness. The chemical composition of the water is defined as a bicarbonate-calcium type, slightly mineralized and with high alkalinity. These studies have shown a stable oxygen regime, low oxidability and low color of water, which contributes to the development of the recreational potential of the region. The results of the work serve as a basis for further monitoring of reservoirs and assessment of changes caused by anthropogenic influences and climatic conditions. The high ecological stability of reservoirs is confirmed, which contributes to their effective use for recreational purposes.