A dataset of microstructure features and physicochemical properties of soils of the solonetzic complex in 2022 (Caspian lowland).

The fact of global climate change is generally recognized by the world scientific community. However, the spatial distribution of climatic parameters is very heterogeneous. In this regard, studies of the local response of individual territories to global climate change are of particular importance. The nature of dry-steppe and semi-desert regions is most vulnerable to climatic fluctuations. The soil cover of the Caspian lowland is characterized by the predominance of saline and saline soils, which react quickly to even small climate changes. At the same time, long-term climate changes can affect such stable soil characteristics as granulometric composition and microstructure. This article presents data collected on the territory near the Dzhanybek Research Station of the Institute of Forest Science RAS. The studied object is represented by microcatena of light chestnut soils with varying degrees of severity of the saline process which is located in the saline complex between the I and II belts of the Chapaevsk-Vladimirovka State Forest Wind Belt. The height range between the studied pits is 4 cm. The dataset includes data on soil grain size distribution, organic carbon content, the composition of absorbed bases, the salt composition of soil-water extract and microphotographs of the state of the light chestnut soils in 2022. This year is a reference point for further long-term monitoring of changes in soil properties and assessment of their dependence on climate change.

A dataset of soil microstructure features and physicochemical properties for 1968 and climate sequence for 1951-1992 in the Caspian lowland.

The soils of arid regions are sensitive to short-term climate changes, which are most quickly manifested in the saline state of alkaline and saline soils. Long-term climate changes are reflected in more stable soil characteristics, such as grain size distribution and microstructure. These properties can be used as indicators to assess the direction and degree of soil transformation under the influence of climate change in the longer term. This article presents data collected on the territory of the Caspian Depression near the Dzhanybek Research Station of the Institute of Forest Science RAS. The studied object is represented by microcatena of light chestnut soils with varying degrees of severity of the saline process which is located in the saline complex between the I and II belts of the Chapaevsk-Vladimirovka State Forest Wind Belt. The height range between the studied pits is 3.6 cm. The dataset includes data on soil grain size distribution, organic carbon content, the composition of exchangeable cations, the salt composition of soil-water extract and microphotographs of the state of the light chestnut soils in 1968. This year is the starting point for modelling soil properties and assessing soil changes in this area due to climatic changes. The weather data are collected at the Janybek weather station between May 1951 and December 1992. It includes daily, monthly and annual data on air and soil temperature, wind speed and direction, air moisture, precipitation, depth of soil freezing, snow density and thickness. Using the data presented in the article, it is possible to assess the nuances of global warming in the Caspian lowland and reconstruct changes in soil properties associated with it. In the future, such reconstructions will become a tool for making forecasts of both climatic and soil changes in this territory.

The variability of soils and vegetation of hydrothermal fields in the Valley of Geysers at Kamchatka Peninsula.

The picturesque and high conservation value thermal landscapes of the Valley of Geysers feature endothermal (heated by endogenous fluids) soils which support endangered and unique species. However, such soils have not been distinguished as a separate taxon within most classification systems. In this study, we described the soil morphology at macro-, meso- and micro-scales, chemistry, mineralogy and vegetation of these landscapes as they are affected by the steam-heated acid-sulfate waters. The studied catenary sequence from exothermal (non-heated) to endothermal soils was characterized by decreasing contents of soil organic carbon, sand fraction, essential nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, Mn and Si), increasing soil acidity, amounts of fine particle-size fractions and contents of trace elements (Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ti and V) as well as the development of sodium-sulfate salinity, kaolinization and ferrugination. In phytocenoses supported by endothermal soils, species of order Rosales and Asparagales were overrepresented among obligate and facultative thermophytes respectively, and species of order Poales were underrepresented among facultative thermophytes in relation to the flora of the Valley of Geysers. Phytocenoses on the non-heated Andosols were enriched in Polypodiopsida species. The results of our comparative analysis of the thermally-induced variability in the soils and vegetation contribute to the general understanding of mineralogical, bio-abiotic and biological systems affected by steam-heated acid-sulfate waters. We hope that our findings will provide a basis for future transdisciplinary studies of the influence of steam-heated waters of a hot spring on the thermal landscapes.