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UTC: 631.4:452: 633.2
INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND
BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS IN THE DRIED ARAL SEA
BASIN
Za a jon Jabba o , S.Mahammadiye , K.S.Idi iso , O amu od Imomo , Shoh uh
Abdullaye
Na ional Uni e si y o Uzbekis an named a e Mi zo Ulugbek, Uni e si y S ee , 4, 100174
Tashken , Uzbekis an
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17537273
Abs ac . This s udy p esen s a comp ehensi e analy ical assessmen o he ecological,
geomo phological, and bio ic ans o ma ions occu ing wi hin he newly o med soil–
geosys ems o he desicca ed A al Sea basin. The esea ch emphasizes he applica ion o
sys ema ic and p obabilis ic o ecas ing me hods o e alua e he dynamics ans o med
landscapes. The esul s e eal ha ongoing saliniza ion, de la ion, and ege a ion deg ada ion
p ocesses a e closely in e linked wi h hyd ological imbalance, indus ial impac , and a
edis ibu ion o sal s. P obabilis ic modeling o en i onmen al changes indica es a high
likelihood o con inued dese i ica ion (up o 0.8 p obabili y) by 2030 unde cu en condi ions.
The s udy p oposes an in eg a ed o ecas ing amewo k o imp o e he esilience and
sus ainable managemen o he egion’s ecosys ems.
Keywo ds: ecological o ecas ing, A al Sea, saliniza ion, de la ion, ecological s abili y,
an h opogenic deg ada ion
In oduc ion. The A al Sea egion ep esen s one o he mos ecologically
uns able zones in Cen al Asia. The d ama ic sh inkage o he sea has led o he
o ma ion o as new a id e i o ies, whe e geomo phological, hyd ological, and
bio ic p ocesses a e unde going apid ans o ma ion. In hese condi ions,
ecological–geog aphical o ecas ing has become a undamen al scien i ic ool o
assessing he ajec o y o en i onmen al change and deg ada ion. Acco ding o he
heo e ical amewo k o o ecas ing de eloped In he A al Sea basin, he objec o
such o ecas ing is he an h opogenically modi ied na u al sys em, cha ac e ized by
dis u bed soil–wa e egimes, de la ion p ocesses, and dis up ed ege a ion co e .
Recen s udies ha e inc easingly ocused on he assessmen o soil deg ada ion and
ecological ans o ma ion p ocesses in he A al Sea Basin, whe e desicca ion has
led o se e e al e a ions in soil s uc u e, salini y, and biological ac i i y.
Acco ding o Djumaniyazo a e al. (2021), he d ying o he A al Sea has esul ed
in he o ma ion o ex ensi e saline plains domina ed by halomo phic and sandy
soils, which exhibi highly a iable physico-chemical cha ac e is ics depending on
mic o elie and wind deposi ion pa e ns. This en i onmen al ans o ma ion has
caused signi ican dis up ion in soil- o ming p ocesses and ecosys em
unc ionali y. Thei indings demons a e ha pa ame e s such as pH, elec ical
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conduc i i y (EC), soil o ganic ma e (SOM), a ailable nu ien s (N, P, K), and
enzyma ic ac i i y (u ease, ca alase, dehyd ogenase) a e c i ical indica o s o
assessing he impac o chemical con amina ion and salini y on soil p oduc i i y. In
he con ex o soil saliniza ion dynamics, Tode ich e al. (2020) emphasized he
ole anspo and seconda y saliniza ion caused by g oundwa e mine aliza ion.
The esea che s highligh ed ha soluble sal s (Na⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻) accumula e in he
uppe ho izons, he eby al e ing soil s uc u e, po osi y, and wa e -holding
capaci y. These indings align wi h FAO (2021) global soil epo s, which
unde line saliniza ion and con amina ion as majo h ea s o soil heal h, pa icula ly
in pos -i iga ed dese ecosys ems. F om a biological pe spec i e, mic obial
biomass and enzyma ic ac i i y as sensi i e indica o s A al Sea basin soils,
indica ing ha biological pa ame e s a e essen ial o soil quali y moni o ing unde
ex eme a idi ica ion. Simila ly, Yuldashe a e al. (2022) ound ha mic obial
espi a ion and ca alase ac i i y decline signi ican ly in soils wi h high elec ical
conduc i i y and hea y me al con amina ion, pa icula ly in a eas close o
indus ial e luen sou ces. Ad anced analy ical app oaches such as mul i a ia e
s a is ics, co ela ion analysis, Fo ins ance, Ka len e al. (2021) and Wienhold e
al. (2022) p oposed soil heal h indices combining physical (bulk densi y, po osi y),
chemical (pH, SOM, nu ien s a us), and biological (enzyma ic ac i i y)
pa ame e s in o composi e indica o s ha e ec i ely classi y soil deg ada ion
le els. Such in eg a i e models a e pa icula ly aluable o la ge-scale moni o ing
p og ams in agile ecosys ems like he d ied A al Sea egion. Mukhamedo e al.
(2024) de eloped spa ial in e pola ion maps o soil salini y and con amina ion
using Sen inel-2 image y, e ealing s ong spa ial he e ogenei y ac oss he
A alkum Dese . This geospa ial in eg a ion enhances he p edic i e capaci y o
soil moni o ing sys ems and suppo s decision-making o ecological ehabili a ion
and land managemen s a egies. O e all, con empo a y esea ch (2020–2024)
emphasizes ha he assessmen o soils in he d ied A al Sea Basin equi es a
mul idisciplina y and indica o -based amewo k. Combining physico-chemical,
enzyma ic, and mic obiological p ope ies wi h geospa ial modeling o e s a
comp ehensi e unde s anding o soil heal h dynamics and hei ecological
implica ions. These indings collec i ely suppo he de elopmen o sus ainable
emedia ion and moni o ing s a egies ailo ed o he unique condi ions o he pos -
A al ecosys em.
Ma e ials and Me hods. This e iew syn hesizes da a om 2020–2024
pee - e iewed s udies, ocusing on: Physico-chemical indica o s: pH, EC, SOM,
mac o-nu ien s, bulk densi y, po osi y; Biological indica o s: mic obial biomass,
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enzyma ic ac i i ies (u ease, ca alase, dehyd ogenase); Da a in e p e a ion
ollowed he amewo ks o Ka len e al. (2021) and FAO (2021) o soil heal h
assessmen . S udies conduc ed wi hin he A alkum Dese , and adjacen i iga ed
zones we e compa a i ely analyzed o de e mine he key en i onmen al d i e s o
soil p ope y a ia ion
Resul s and Discussion. Physico-Chemical Cha ac e is ics. The uppe
soil laye s o he A alkum Dese exhibi high elec ical conduc i i y (EC), o en
exceeding 10–20 dS/m, due o he accumula ion o Na⁺, Cl⁻, and SO₄²⁻ ions om
e apo i e deposi s (Tode ich e al., 2020). The pH alues a e p edominan ly
alkaline (8.3–9.1), while o ganic ma e emains c i ically low (0.2–0.5%),
indica ing poo nu ien cycling. Acco ding o Kenzhebaye e al. (2022), he
educ ion in soil di ec e ec on nu ien e en ion and agg ega e s abili y.
Biological and Enzyma ic Indica o s. Mic obial and enzyma ic ac i i ies
show a s ong decline wi h inc easing salini y and con amina ion le els.
Abduka imo e al. (2023) epo ed a 3–5 old educ ion in u ease and ca alase
ac i i y in soils wi h EC abo e 15 dS/m. Simila ly, Yuldashe a e al. (2022)
demons a ed ha hea y me als (Zn, Pb, Cu) om emissions supp ess mic obial
espi a ion, esul ing in low soil biological po en ial. These indings suppo he
a gumen ha biological pa ame e s a e sensi i e ea ly-wa ning indica o s o soil
deg ada ion.
In eg a ed Soil Heal h Assessmen . Recen esea ch has employed
in eg a ed soil heal h indices (SHI) combining physical, chemical, and biological
da a o quan i y soil quali y in pos -A al landscapes. Ka len and Wienhold (2022)
p oposed a model ha uses s anda dized sco es (0–1) o each indica o o p oduce
a composi e.In he A al egion, he alues ypically ange om 0.25 o 0.45,
indica ing deg aded o mode a ely heal hy condi ions. Such indica o -based
app oaches acili a e empo al moni o ing and can guide es o a ion p io i iza ion.
Discussion. The A al Sea basin is cu en ly a a c i ical s age o ecological
des abiliza ion. An h opogenic p essu e, coupled wi h al e ed hyd ological and
clima ic condi ions, has led o i e e sible ans o ma ions in soil s uc u es.
Ecological geog aphical o ecas ing hus se es no only as a desc ip i e ool bu
also as a s a egic decision-making amewo k o egional land managemen . To
enhance he eliabili y o o ecas s, h ee me hodological di ec ions a e essen ial:
Indica o -based e alua ion – in eg a ing salini y, mois u e, mic obial ac i i y,
and ege a ion co e indices;
Sys ema ic moni o ing – using GIS-based and emo e sensing da ase s o
spa io empo al modeling;
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Scena io simula ion – de eloping p edic i e models o sus ainable ecosys em
eco e y.
Conclusion. The analysis o ecen li e a u e (2020–2024) e eals ha he
soils o he d ied A al Sea Basin a e cha ac e ized by high salini y, low o ganic
ma e , and weak biological ac i i y. Physico-chemical deg ada ion, combined wi h
declining mic obial unc ionali y, poses signi ican challenges o ecosys em
eco e y. In eg a ed soil heal h indices and soil-based moni o ing amewo ks
ep esen e ec i e analy ical ools o acking deg ada ion and guiding
ehabili a ion s a egies. Fu u e esea ch should ocus on long- e m moni o ing,
mic obial adap a ion mechanisms, and he op imiza ion o soil emedia ion
echnologies in a id saline en i onmen s.
