In this work, field surveys, carried out over 30 years (1986–2016) in three Algerian geographical regions during the desert truffle fruiting seasons, allowed us to locate 61 desert truffles producing sites spread over several bioclimatic zones, to determine the pedoclimatic characteristics of sites and to identify the desert truffle species, their host plants and their natural mycorrhizal associations. This study complements our previous work on the characterization by macro- and micromorphological studies and molecular phylogeny of desert truffle samples collected throughout Algeria. Results revealed that natural production of these desert truffle species is irregular from year to year and closely related to rainfall intensity and distribution, temperature and storm frequency during the fruiting seasons. Nine desert truffle species grow on sandy-loam soils and form endomycorrhizae with Helianthemum spp. on calcareous soils and mantle-free ectomycorrhizae with Tuberaria guttata on acidic soils.

The forest–steppe is an ecotone characterized by a combination of forest and steppe ecosystems. In the European part of Russia, there are three forest–steppe biomes: the Dnieper–Volga (forest–steppe part), Trans-Volga, and Crimean–Caucasian. All of them have now been largely transformed by man. One of the most important components of forest–steppe biocenoses is rodents. This work describes the fauna of rodents in the forest–steppe of the European part of Russia. A general list of rodent species in the area under consideration was compiled. The taxonomic composition, geographic, ecological, and other elements of the rodent fauna were identified, and similarities and differences in the composition of the rodent fauna of forest–steppe biomes were assessed. In total, 44 species of rodents have been reliably recorded (35 in the Dnieper–Volga biome, 27 in the Trans-Volga biome, 26 in the forest–steppe of the North Caucasus, and 20 in the forest–steppe of Crimea). In the zonal forest–steppe, 37 species were noted, and in the barrier (Caucasus and Crimea), 30. Representatives of the Muridae (25%) and Critecidae (36%) families dominate. The predominant species are Eurasian steppe (21%), Euro-Siberian (18%), European forest (14%), and European steppe (14%) species. There were 17 steppe and desert–steppe species (39% of the total number), and 13 forest species (30%).

For the first time, comparative data on the taxonomic composition of cyanobacterial and algal communities of eroded soils in the Fergana Valley (Uzbekistan), which were obtained using morphological analysis and microbiological profiling, are presented. The characteristic features of the algal flora of the eroded soils of the Rezoksai ravines, compared to the soils of the Levye Hills, were the presence of yellow–green algae, the absence of heterocytic cyanobacteria capable of nitrogen fixation, an increase in the proportion of monadic forms and/or algae capable of zoosporogenesis, and generally lower taxonomic richness and diversity of algae. Light microscopy was shown to confirm in part the diversity of cyanobacteria and algae in the studied soils estimated by high-throughput sequencing, but only detected in about half of the taxa. However, the presence of yellow–green algae was demonstrated solely by light microscopy and not by metabarcoding. The use of the V3–V4 region of the chloroplast 16S rRNA gene allowed us additionally to identify genera of green algae in the algal flora such as Edaphochlorella, Pseudomuriella, Watanabea, as well as diatoms of the genera Bacillaria, Fistulifera, Entomoneis, and charophyte algae Klebsormidium. Nevertheless, approximately 20% of algae remain unidentified due to the lack of reference sequences for the green microalgae ITS2 in genetic databases.

Forests of Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana Fisch. et C.A. Mey.) in Kyrgyzstan are widespread in the Inner, Central, and Northern Tien Shan. Small plots of spruce forest are also found in Pamir-Alai. They play a great water regulation, soil protection, sanitary–hygienic, and recreational role. The distribution, location, and change in the aspect of P. schrenkiana in the upper sub-belt of spruce forests of the Inner Tien Shan on the slopes of the Moldo-Too Ridge are analyzed in this work. Most researchers point out that the upper limit of spruce distribution was previously at the altitude of 2900–3100 m above sea level BS. Our monitoring data show that its top boundary is now located at an altitude of 3324 m above sea level. The revealed new limit of P. schrenkiana, in our opinion, is related to climate change.

An analysis of the coenoflora of unique botanical and geographical objects, like chalk uplands within the steppe and desert zones of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan, where specific plant communities develop, consisting mainly of calciphytes, is presented. The study area covered five districts of Orenburg oblast of Russia, as well as five districts of the Aktobe and Atyrau regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The total flora of the chalk uplands contains 218 species of vascular plants from 35 families and 121 genera. The floristic diversity of chalk uplands reflects their distribution both on the latitudinal gradient and in successional series of plant communities at different stages of overgrowth of chalk rocks. It was revealed that the highest concentration of rare and endemic plant species is characteristic of the massifs of the Sub-Ural Plateau—34 rare plant species from 18 families. Of these, 22 species are included in the Red Data Books at the state level. It is noted that, on the territory of Kazakhstan, where chalk massifs occupy the largest areas, chalks remain largely without a special protection system.

Wildfires are a typical phenomenon for the steppes of Northern Eurasia and a threat to environmental security at the regional and global levels. To understand the causes of fires, the author proposes a methodology for mapping fire sites and subsequent data analysis using the example of a territory located in the steppes of the Southern Trans-Urals. Source materials for the data were collected using Landsat (1984–2021) and MODIS (2000–2021) satellite images, geospatial data based on them, morphometric features of burnt areas, and meteorological data at the time of fire spread. For the period 1984–2021, 738 fire sites were identified and their density was calculated. Classification was carried out in relation to their position as anthropogenic and natural objects. It was found that 51.6% of outbreaks were confined to poorly developed agricultural lands (pastures, hayfields, and fallow lands of different ages), 21.8% to highways, and 13.6% to cultivated arable lands. A sharp deterioration in the fire situation has been observed since 1999 to the present day, which is due to a reduction in agricultural production, restoration of vegetation cover of degraded pastures, and defragmentation of arable land. A regional feature is the lack of a tendency towards a reduction in fires due to the onset of a low-water period (2012–2021), accompanied by the drying up of the vast lake basins of the Southern Trans-Urals and Turgai. The listed factors caused the fires to spread more widely, while the main locations of the outbreaks remained unchanged. It was determined that, despite the worsening fire situation, since 2005 the effectiveness of fire prevention measures taken to protect the Ashchisayskaya Steppe Nature Reserve has increased. The approaches developed for identifying the position and analyzing the distribution of fire sources can be recommended for assessing pyrogenic threats and optimizing fire prevention measures.