The study analyzes anthropogenic disturbances of landscapes in Western Kazakhstan, which occupies 27% of the country’s territory. The main focus is on the impact of industry and agriculture, especially pasture use and the development of oil and gas fields. The application of remote sensing data and field surveys allowed us to identify the degree of landscape disturbance and to propose their classification into five levels of disturbance, from virtually undisturbed to severely disturbed. Cartographic analysis revealed that pastures occupy 53.83% of the territory, while industrial-technogenic impact accounts for 23.12%. This indicates a significant level of landscape transformation. The findings of this study can serve as a foundation for environmental monitoring and the formulation of recommendations aimed at reducing anthropogenic impacts. The study underscores the necessity for the sustainable management of natural resources in the context of industrial development in the region and provides crucial insights for maintaining ecological balance.

This paper provides geospatial and correlation analysis of heavy metal distribution in the soil cover of the city of Temirtau and its industrial zones. Based on 25 soil samples taken in 2024, concentrations of nine heavy metals (As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, Cr, Ba) were determined using X-ray fluorescence analysis. Spatial data interpolation was performed using the Kriging method in the ArcGIS Pro environment. The results showed the presence of localized extreme pollution zones, primarily near the Qarmet JSC metallurgical plant. The most significant exceedances of maximum permissible concentrations (MPC), up to 348× MPC for Cr, 160× MPC for Zn, and 72× MPC for As, were recorded at individual locations. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship between several elements, particularly Mn and Cu (r = 0.64). Comparison of the spatial distribution of pollution with population data allowed for the assessment of potential environmental risks. This research emphasizes the need to implement systematic monitoring, sustainable land management practices, ecological maps, and preventive measures to reduce the long-term impact of heavy metals on ecosystems and public health, and to promote environmental sustainability in industrial regions.

Today, the number of visitors to national parks grows exponentially every year, hence the anthropogenic load in the mentioned sites increases impacting flora and fauna, as well as other natural resources. To ensure tourism development in all regions, not only popular tourist destinations, creation of maps to ensure development of tourism industry and regulation of tourism activities are important tools, which indicate main tourism resources. User-oriented maps are designed to provide the geospatial information they need primarily for their interests to make geospatial decisions. Well-designed tourist maps may increase the attractiveness of a region and help meeting tourists’ needs. This article presents the process of creating schematic map of routes and infrastructure along Ayusai Gorge for the sustainable development of tourist and recreational activities on the territory of Ile-Alatau National Park using GIS technology. Graphic and attributive data, namely digital raster and vector images, semantic information, the principle of layer-by-layer classification and coding of tourist destinations were used. The raster-vector transformation for data digitization was used within the research and thematic map layers were created on the basis of remote sensing (RS) data, point, linear and polygonal localization objects were digitized. The schematic maps of the routes of the Japanese trail, the Ayusai waterfall trail, the Myn Koz trail and the infrastructure map of Ayusai Gorge were created based on RS data. For the first time, when mapping this territory, satellite images were used and a database of tourist objects was created. The results of this work can be useful in the planning and travelling for consumers, as well as for the creation of a geoinformation database of the national park. На сегодняшний день количество посетителей национальных парков с каждым годом растет в геометрической прогрессии, следовательно, увеличивается антропогенная нагрузка в упомянутых объектах, что ведет к нагрузке на флору и фауну, а также на другие природные ресурсы. Чтобы обеспечить развитие туризма во всех регионах не только популярных туристских мест, создание карт для обеспечения развития индустрии туризма и регулирования туристской деятельности является важным инструментом, где указаны основные туристические ресурсы. Карты, ориентированные на пользователя, предназначены для предоставления геопространственной информации, которая им нужна, в первую очередь, по их интересам для принятия ими геопространственных решений. Хорошо составленные туристские карты могут повысить привлекательность региона и способствовать удовлетворению потребностей туристов. В статье рассматривается процесс создания карты-схемы маршрутов и инфраструктуры по ущелью Аюсай для устойчивого развития туристско-рекреационной деятельности на территории национального парка Иле-Алатау с применением ГИС технологий. В работе использованы графические и атрибутивные данные, а именно цифровые растровые и векторные изображения, семантическая информация, принцип послойной классификации и кодирования объектов туристского назначения. В рамках исследования были использованы растрово-векторное преобразование для оцифровки данных и созданы тематические слои карт на основе данных ДЗЗ, оцифрованы объекты точечной, линейной и полигональной локализации. На основе данных ДЗЗ были созданы карты-схемы маршрутов Японской тропы, тропы на водопады Аюсай, тропы Мын Коз и карта инфраструктуры ущелья Аюсай. Впервые при картографировании данной территории были использованы космоснимки и создана база данных туристских объектов. Результаты этой работы могут быть полезны при планировании и реализации путешествий для потребителей, а также для создания геоинформационной базы данных национального парка. Бүгінгі таңда ұлттық саябақтарға келушілердің саны жыл сайын геометриялық прогрессиямен өсуде, сондықтан аталған нысандардағы антропогендік жүктеме артып, флора мен фаунаға, сондай-ақ басқа да табиғи ресурстарға жүктеме әкеледі. Танымал туристік орындардың ғана емес,...

This study focuses on the assessment of the ecological vulnerability of lands in the western regions of Kazakhstan (WKR) using the MEDALUS (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) model in combination with satellite remote sensing data. Particular attention is given to the influence of climatic factors, soil properties, vegetation condition, and anthropogenic pressure. As part of the analysis, key indicators were calculated, including the Soil Quality Index (SQI), Vegetation Quality Index (VQI), Climate Quality Index (CQI), and Management Quality Index (MQI). Based on these parameters, an Environmental Sensitivity Area (ESA) index was developed, allowing the classification of the territory into five vulnerability classes ranging from low to critical sensitivity. The results indicate that 52.7% of the territory of the WKR falls within the high-risk zone for land degradation. The most pronounced changes were observed in the southern oblasts of the region, particularly in Mangystau oblast (MAN), where 98.7% of the land is classified as degraded and 74.3% of the territory falls under the category of extremely high ecological vulnerability. In addition, a steady decline in precipitation levels has been identified, contributing to the intensification of aridization processes across the region. Correlation analysis showed that the strongest relationships with the final ESA index were observed for the Vegetation Quality Index (VQI) and Climate Quality Index (CQI), both with correlation coefficients of r = 0.93 and an average coefficient of determination R² = 0.87. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) also demonstrated a strong correlation (r = 0.86). In contrast, the Management Quality Index (MQI) exhibited a generally weak correlation, except in the MAN oblast, where within the Very Low Quality (VLQ) class areas, it showed a moderate correlation (r = 0.68, p < 0.0001). The results highlight the critical role of natural factors—particularly vegetation condition, climate, and soil quality—in shaping the ecological vulnerability of the region. Findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive, multi-criteria approach in developing strategies for sustainable land management under conditions of ongoing climate change.

The main host of a number of especially dangerous zoonotic infections in the arid zones of Kazakhstan, covering an area of about 1.1 million km2, is the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus). In the process of formation in natural foci of the parasitic triad (pathogen-host-vector, mutual adaptation of all its members to environmental conditions and their coevolution occurs. The article presents the results of a study of the intraspecific, population heterogeneity of ecological-biological and some genomic features of the great gerbil in three foci of zoonotic Infections: Pribalkash, Betpakdala and Predustyurt. The features of climate, soil and vegetation cover, tendencies of their perennial and seasonal changes were studied. Differences in climatic conditions and characteristics of vegetation between the 3 foci were revealed at a rather high degree of synchronization of the trend of changes in air temperature and precipitation. Analysis of the cytB gene fragment from 88 individuals from three autonomous plague foci identified 19 haplotypes that form three haplogroups, one of which is represented by individuals from the populations of two autonomous plague foci Populations of great gerbils from Kazakhstan and China are included in the same cluster and are genetically distant from the populations of Iran. Geographic isolation, significant differences in climatic, landscape, and forage conditions, microevolutionary changes in the genomic status determined the heterogeneity of three described populations of the great gerbil. A growing negative impact on the population of the great gerbil and the epizootic status of natural foci of climate warming and an increasing anthropogenic pressure, primarily in the form of overgrazing, on natural phytocenoses was noted.

Бұл мақалада қашықтықтан зондтау деректері және далалық зерттеу жұмыстарының негізінде Түркістан облысындағы суармалы егістік жерлердің мелиоративтік жай-күйі мен олардың пайдалану ерекшеліктері қарастырылған. Зерттеулер көрсеткендей, бүгінгі таңда облыстағы суармалы жерлердің 50 % жуығына әр түрлі деңгейде тұздар әсер еткен. Оның ішінде, топырақ жамылғысының 19 % әлсіз, 16 % орташа және 10 % өте күшті дәрежеде тұзданған. Суармалы жерлер Республикамыздың 30% жуығын алып жатыр, сондай-ақ, мақта өндірісінің 100% (110 мың га), бау-бақша, көкөніс дақылдарының 40,8% (114 мың га) және жүгері өндірісінің 25% (46 мың га) беретін Түркістан облысындағы суармалы жерлерді тиімді, әрі тұрақты пайдалану бүгінгі күнде тек ғана аймақ үшін емес, еліміз үшін өте маңызды. Бұл зерттеу жұмысында Жерді қашықтан зондтау мәліметтері негізінде бірқатар вегетациялық және тұздылық индекстері саналып, экспедициялық жұмыстар нәтижесімен корреляция жасалынды. Нәтижесінде, қашықтықтан зондтау деректері негізінде жасалынған Salinity Index 4, Salinity Index 7 және Salinity Index 9 тұздану индекстерінің көрсеткіштері жер беті, яғни далалық жұмыстардың нәтижесімен өзара баланысы жоғары көрсеткіштерге ие болды